TIME LINE in progress
JAMES A. EDDY
( James Anthony Eddy )

by Barry Weaver
Feb.  11, 2014
parents: Barnard Eddy and Julia Granville Westcott; m. Oct. 14, 1817; both of Providence, in Providence 

1819  -  Birth of James A. Eddy on December 15, 1819 in Providence

1830  -  James A. Eddy baptisted at Pine St. 2nd Baptist Church

1832  -  Sarah W. Hathaway baptised at Pine St. 2nd Baptist Church

1838 -  Prov. Dir: James A. Eddy, clerk, 11 Broad Street (same address as Hardware Store of Joseph Belcher), h. Eddy

1839 - James marries Sarah W. Hathaway; [source: Eddy Genealogy]; month and day not found. As Sarah was from Mass [source; federal census] it is possible that the marriage took place in Massachusetts.

1841 -  Battey & Eddy, Hardware Merchants & Wood Plane Manufacturers, 5 Broad Street. Isaac S. Battey & James A. Eddy. Appearance of copartnership notice in Providence Journal  (Apr 1, 1841 ). 

1844  -  Prov Dir:  no James Eddy listed
 
1850  -  Prov. Dir: James Eddy (no A.) machinist, Harrison
1850  - Fed. census:  James A. Eddy, Prov. Cnty, Pg. 430, 6th Ward; James A. Eddy, age 35, occ. Bull Furnace
1852  -  Prov. Dir: James Eddy (no A.), machinist, 40 Bridgham 
1853  -  Prov. Dir: James A. Eddy, machinist, 25 Chesnut
1854  -  Prov. Dir:  no James Eddy listed 
1855/56 - Prov. Dir: James A. Eddy, 58 High 
1857  -  Prov. Dir: James A. Eddy, confectionery and fancy goods, 242 Broad 
1858  -  Prov. Dir: James A. Eddy, 58 High 
1859  -  Prov. Dir: James A. Eddy, 89 Lockwood 
1860  -  Prov. Dir: James A. Eddy, hardware, h. 89 Lockwood
1861  -  Prov. Dir: James A. Eddy, hardware, h. 89 Lockwood 
1862  -  Prov. Dir: James A. Eddy, peddler, h. 89 Lockwood 
1863  -  Prov. Dir: James A. Eddy, peddler, h. 89 Lockwood 
1864  -  Prov. Dir: James A. Eddy, carpenter, h.89 Lockwood

1865 -  RI state census: James A. Eddy, 46, from Prov, no occupation given; Sarah W., 47, from Mass, James B., 20, of Prov, jeweler; Julia F., 16, of Prov.; Edwin L., 14, of Prov.; Imogene E., 12, of Prov.

1865/66  -  Prov. Dir:  James A. Eddy,  carpenter, h.89 Lockwood
1867  -  Prov. Dir: James A. Eddy, carpenter, h. 22 Providence
1869/70  -  Prov. Dir:  James A. Eddy, carpenter, h. Broad, cor. Square

1870  -  Fed Census,  Eddy, James. A., 50, carpenter; Sarah W., 52, keeping house; Julia F., 21, at home; Edwin L., 19 book-keeper; Imogene, 17 at home; Etta Fuller, 11, at school.

1874  -  Prov. Dir: James A. Eddy, carpenter, h. 297 Friendship
1878  -  Prov. Dir: James A. Eddy, carpenter, h. 8 West Clifford
1880/82/84/86  -  Prov. Dir: James A. Eddy, carpenter, h. 26 Laura

1887  - James A. Eddy dies on June 28, 1886, [RI death records] ; or May 28, 1886 [1887 Prov Dir]  or July 28, 1886 [ RI Cemetery database ], occupation given in death records was mechanic; cause of death uremia.

  SUMMARY

      James A. Eddy was born in 1819 in Providence's west-side, the son of Barnard Eddy who was a house carpenter by trade. James likely learned basic wood working skills from his father and may or may not have shown an interest or proficiency in the carpentry trade. It's possible he found either hard physical work or working with his father not to his liking, as at 19 yrs of age he began work as a clerk in Joseph Belcher's Hardware at 11 Broad Street. The following year he married a Sarah W. Hathaway from Massachusetts. On April 1, 1941 James entered into a co-partnership with Isaac S. Battey, who was two years older and also born in the same working class west-side neighborhood. They both were members of the small Pine Street 2nd Baptist church and were probably longtime friends.

     This new business was known as Battey & Eddy, Hardware Merchants & Plane Manuf. located at 5 Broad Street. The co-partnership notice states that they have "taken the store #5 Broad Street, Providence, RI, where they intend keeping a general assortment of Hardware, Planes, and Joiner's Tools".  In a classic case where good friends don't often prove good business partners, by the following directory in 1843,  James Eddy had taken over the Hardware business at 5 Broad and Isaac had moved on. The hardware business run by James A. Eddy at 5 Broad also failed shortly thereafter. One look at the time line above would seem to indicate someone who attempted several occupations, but failed to stick to anything for very long. In the end he fell back on what he may have learned first, that being carpentry, which he practiced for the last 20 years of his life.

     To date, there is to our knowledge only one plane known with the Battey and Eddy stamp, that being the example posted on this site.[see Battey & Eddy] We have seen at least seven examples of planes stamped James A. Eddy, and while we suspect there are more, it still appears to be a relatively scarce mark. Both would seem to support the very short existence of both Battey & Eddy, Hardware, 5 Broad and James A. Eddy, Hardware, 5 Broad.

     There is good reason to suspect that it was Isaac Battey that made the planes and James A. Eddy that worked the counter at 5 Broad. Although James A.Eddy continued to advertise himself as a hardware merchant and plane manuf., after taking over the business at 5 Broad, Eddy never describes himself as toolmaker or planemaker at any point that we have found to date, other than the hardware advertisement.  Examining details on the single Battey & Eddy plane, seven James A. Eddy planes, and numerous Isaac S. Battey planes have shown enough similarities to suggest that Isaac Battey may have made all the planes involved.