William Coffin, Jr.

This man is the central figure in an “extended family” business that began in the Pine Barrens of southern New Jersey. The family roots go back to 1642 in Massachusetts, and genealogists claim the oldest traceable ancestor came with William the Conqueror from Normandy into England.

William shared his name with both his father (1775-1844) and grandfather (1733-79) but has been commonly identified by historians with the “Jr.” suffix.  The first William came from Nantucket to Burlington County, New Jersey in 1768. The second (referred to here as William Sr.) moved to Philadelphia but ferried back across the river in 1802 to settle in Longacoming (known today as Berlin). 

He bought some land to the south in Atlantic County that included a creekside sawmill and started building a furnace in 1819 to make glass. It had become a profitable business in that part of the state. The first glass furnace was fired 80 years earlier in Salem County, and another one that started during the Revolutionary War in Gloucester County developed into today’s borough of Glassboro. 

Over the years there were more than 200 glass manufacturers that operated at various times in South Jersey, and with good reason. There was plenty of wood to heat the furnace and plenty of silica sand to be liquified and flattened to make window panes. William Sr. named his place Hammondton after his mother’s family, the Hammonds (and later shortened to Hammonton). That was also the middle name of his youngest son at the time, John Hammond Coffin.

William Jr. was the oldest living child, big brother to eight siblings. His formal education was minimal but he learned best from the school of experience. He started working for his father as a laborer, then a clerk, a buyer of goods in Philadelphia, then as a financial accountant. His business acumen was enough for his father to make him a partner in 1823. Five years later Jr. gathered some investors together to help him start a glass works in Millville.

Meanwhile, Sr. bought some land near the Camden County line five miles north of Hammonton. This was to be the site of yet another glass facility. In 1824 the Coffin family had their ninth and final child, Edward Winslow Coffin, so Sr. chose to name his new place Winslow. The Coffin ancestors knew the Winslows of Massachusetts, descendants of Edward Winslow, a passenger on the Mayflower. 

A village didn’t grow up around the glass works there like it did in Hammonton, but the area was incorporated in 1845 as Winslow Township, the southernmost township in Camden County. Today, 80 percent of it is in the Pinelands National Reserve.

Jr. was the one who fell the first trees to make a clearing and build the site, along with the first house for himself. Was his pride hurt that his father didn’t name the place after him? Not likely. It was enough that he shared his name with five ancestors (none of whom had a middle name). And they probably both agreed that a name like Coffinville wouldn’t do. 

What his father did do was something better, making him a partner and calling the business William Coffin Jr. & Co. Perhaps that was his wedding present after Jr. got married in 1829 to Ann Dean. They later had two daughters.

Sr. decided to retire in 1933 but he had to look no farther than his family for potential management personnel. He put a younger son named Bodine in charge of the Hammonton works for several years. Then a daughter married a man named Thomas Jefferson Perce in 1930, so Sr. left the Winslow business to Jr. and his new brother-in-law. It didn’t last, however, since Thomas died in 1835 and Jr. became the sole owner. 

There was another daughter, however, who recently married Alexander Hay, so Jr. sold a half interest to him in 1838. They worked well together for nine years. In addition to windows, glass containers like these Coffin & Hay flasks were popular sellers. Alexander also bought a half-interest in the Hammonton works to help rebuild it after a fire. 

Having a large family helped to provide the Coffin businesses with a broad talent pool. By mid-century their glass works provided a good livelihood for hundreds of families and spurred economic development in the region.

After 28 years in the glass business and two little girls at home, William was ready for a new challenge. In 1847 he sold his interest to his brother Edward. After four years, Edward sold out to Alexander, who ran it all until his death in 1881. A fire in 1892 put an end to the entire enterprise.

But William wasn’t retired, just re-purposed. This excerpt from a biography mentions a partnership with a man whose job title was Melter/Refiner at the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia. Together they started the business of refining nickel, and advocated the use of nickel in coinage. It became known as Camden Nickel Works. Ten years later it was renamed American Nickel Works when Joseph Wharton took over. His fortunes would later establish the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

William also stayed busy in the 1850s with other projects. He was a partner in the company that established the Brooklyn Gas Works, and later founded the gas works in Buffalo, New York. The 1850 census lists the value of his real estate holdings at $50,000, including the new home they occupied in Haddonfield, New Jersey. 

By 1860 they moved to 20th and Chestnut Streets in Philadelphia. On that census his real estate was worth $80,000 (or over $3 million today) and he had personal property valued at $72,000. Amanda, the oldest daughter, was now 20 and Frances was 15. A few years later,  “Fannie” married but she died at age 23 from tuberculous meningitis. Hers was the first grave in the Coffin family plot in Section 112. That section was owned by the First Baptist Church of Philadelphia so that must have been their church home.

Four years later, pulmonary tuberculosis took William’s life. Reflecting his humble nature, there was only a simple death notice printed in the classifieds. Reflecting his wisdom in fiscal matters, he left a detailed will using a trust company as co-executor with Ann to ensure his family’s financial security. 

Amanda never married and died in 1889, followed by Ann four years later. They have the same style grave marker as William’s, which resembles a cradle grave, only without a space for plantings between the headstone and footstone.