Paul Revere moves his Hardware Store and Silver Shop

Massachusetts Centinel – Wednesday, June 6, 1787

This issue of the Massachusetts Centinel contains an advertisement that notes the new address of Paul Revere's hardware store and silver shop. It provides information on his wares and the wide variety of silver work produced and sold by Revere and Son. Ben Edwards was 22 when he would have read this advertisement for his brother-in-law's business. Almost five years earlier, on July 25, 1782, Ben's older sister Sally had married Paul Revere's oldest son, Paul Jr. By the 1780s, Paul Jr. had taken charge of the day to day operations of his father's silver shop. At the time this ad was printed, Paul Jr. (1760-1813) and Sally Edwards Revere (1761-1808) had two children and lived in the North End of Boston. They would eventually have 12 children.

Paul Revere (1734-1818) began his career as an apprentice in his father's silver shop that was located on Fish Street at the head of Clark's Wharf. After his father's death in 1754, the business was continued by Paul's mother Deborah Revere, Paul and Thomas Revere. In 1757, Paul began a year of service in the French and Indian War. He returned to run the silver shop at the Clark's Wharf location. Over the years, Revere relocated his shop several times. From Clark's Wharf he moved to a location in the south part of town opposite Liberty-Pole (currently Washington and Essex streets). Revere had a hardware store at this address in 1783 and likely ran his silver shop here as well. From here, the shop moved to Dock-Square (according to the American Herald, January 30, 1786.) The Massachusetts Centinel, June 6, 1787, advertises the next relocation from Dock-Square to No. 50, Cornhill. In 1788/89 the silver shop was located on Anne Street.