William Claggett invoice (RLC.Ms.508)

Biographical note

William Claggett (1696-1749), clockmaker, engraver, and printer, was born in 1696 in Wales and immigrated to Boston, Massachusetts, in 1708. On October 21, 1714, he married Mary Armstrong (b. 1696) and by the end of 1716, they had moved to 16 Bridge Street in Newport, Rhode Island. While in Newport, Claggett became known for his clocks and clock making, but he was also appointed by the Rhode Island General Assembly to engrave and print paper currency to prevent counterfeiting in 1738. William Claggett died on October 18, 1749, and was buried at the Common Burial Ground in Newport.