T. H. Franklin Co. (1947.01)

Biographical note

Thomas Henry Stanislaus Franklin, Sr. was born on 28 Oct 1864 in Brooklyn, New York, to parents Thomas Henry and Margaret (Conroy) Franklin, both of Ireland. His parents were born in Ireland and likely arrived in the U.S. before the birth of their first child in 1861. He had three sisters, Sarah, Maggie, and Mary. His father worked as a laborer and died on 23 June 1875, leaving a nine-year-old Thomas, his widowed mother, and three sisters to support themselves. Sarah started work as a "segar maker" and Thomas became a store clerk to contribute to the family.

A strong work ethic at a young age likely motivated Thomas when he founded T.H. Franklin Company, a ship brokerage firm in New York City. Company letterhead indicates the firm was established in 1857. The brokerage firm sold various types of maritime vessels, engines, equipment, and machinery. The company devised a system of making promotional material for prospective buyers. They hired a professional photographer to make glass negatives from the ship owner's photographs, which were used to make multiple contact prints. They then sent those prospective buyers a simple description. In 1911, in Officers, Directors, and Committees, Charter, By-laws by the Maritime Association of the Port of New York, the T.H. Franklin Co. was located at 78 Broad Street. The company subsequently moved to 8-10 Bridge Street.

T.H., Sr. married on 28 Sep 1893, in Brooklyn, New York, to Sarah E. Craig. The couple had one son and five daughters: Thomas, Jr., Mary, Julia, Marion, Neil, and Regis. His namesake, born 17 Aug 1895 in Brooklyn, New York, took over the firm in 1930. T.H. was a lifelong Brooklyn resident. He died four years later, on 17 Mar 1934, in his Putnam Avenue, Brooklyn home at the age of 69, after a short illness. He was buried the next day in Holy Cross Cemetery. T. H. Franklin, Jr. reported after his father's death that his father was "considered honest, was loved by his friends, and those that were not respected him.