Daniel McLean (businessman)

Daniel McLean (MacLean or McClean) (October 2, 1770 in New Jersey – February 8, 1823 in Alexandria, Virginia) was a successful businessman in banking trade who owned one of the earliest sugar refineries in Alexandria, Virginia. He was also a chief benefactor of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Alexandria, Virginia. McLean's father, Donald McLean, was born in Isle of Mull, Argyll, Scotland.

Daniel McLean
Born(1770-10-02)October 2, 1770
New Jersey
Died(1823-02-08)February 8, 1823
Alexandria, Virginia
OccupationMerchant
Known forOwner of "Old sugar house" and the first Vestryman at St Paul's Episcopal Church

Daniel McLean married Lucretia Hodgkinson, daughter of Bethanath Hodgkinson and Catherine Zimmerman. Daniel and Lucretia McLean were the parents of several children, including Wilmer McLean whose house in Appomattox, Virginia the Civil-War Peace Treaty was signed under.[1]

Biography

Not long after marrying, Daniel and his wife moved to Alexandria, Virginia, where Daniel soon established a bakery. They bought some property in the south side of Old Town. In 1804, Daniel was a vestry at Gen. George Washington's Christ Church,[2] where Daniel owned the cemetery lot on the church's yard.[3] It was not long and Daniel McLean became a well established businessman in Alexandria while owning one of the two sugar refineries in Alexandria, located on 111 - 123 North Alfred Street.

When Daniel died, his son-in-law, James D. Kerr, also of Scottish descent and who also had a business partnership with the McLeans, was the trustee of his estate.[4] He later bought the Old Sugar House, where he and his family resided until 1847 when the house was finally auctioned. The refineries no longer exist.

On January 23, 1810, Daniel became the first vestry of the St. Paul's First Episcopal Church in Alexandria, Virginia.[5] Because he gave a deed of life of his property on Fairfax Street to St Paul's Episcopal Church[6] and paying St. Paul's Church debt, at the time some $3,500,[7] his family pew was preserved inside St. Paul's Episcopal Church.[8]

Early Families of Alexandria, VA

Daniel and his wife, Lucretia McLean had several children, all born in Alexandria. Some died at young age before marrying while others married into other early families of the area.

  • Samuel McLean (1797–1881) was the Consul for Trinidad de Cuba,[9] marrying to the Smoot family first and later to the Williams family of Louisiana.
  • Eliza McLean (1800–1854), the oldest daughter of the couple, married into the Alexander Family to whom the name of the city (Alexandria) was coined.[10]
  • Lucretia McLean (1802–1881) Married into the Kerr Family, a traditional family among old-Scottish family clans.[11]
  • Catherine McLean (1807–1859) married to the Hooe Family of the first mayor of the incorporated Alexandria---1779 (i.e. Robert Townsend Hooe's family).
  • Hannah Agnes McLean (1810–1886) married to the Cleary Family[11]
  • Anthony McLean (1812–1893) worked for the Treasury Department[12] having married to the Mackason family
  • Wilmer McLean (1814–1882), of "The McLean Home" in Virginia's National Park at Appomattox, VA.[13] married to the Hooe family related to his brother Samuel McLean's second wife.[14] Wilmer was a US Federal Marshal during the US Federal Census for Fairfax County, VA, in 1850.

See also

References
  1. Cauble, Frank P., "Biography of Wilmer McLean, Published by H. E. Howard, Inc., Lynchburg, VA, 1987
  2. [DeedBook C2:255, Circuit Court, Alexandria, VA, microfilmed at the Alexandria Library.]
  3. "Christ Church". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on 2007-12-26. Retrieved 2008-02-18.
  4. Daniel McLean's will, Willbook-3/87, Microfilm00346A Alexandria Library, Va
  5. Meade, William, "Old Churches, Ministers and Families of Virginia," Vol II, J. B. Lippincott, Philadelphia, 1857]
  6. Kaye, Ruth Lincoln, "The History of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Alexandria, VA, 1809-1984, Springfield, Va., Goetz Print Co., 1984.
  7. [DeedBook A31, Circuit Court, Alexandria, VA---microfilmed at the Alexandria Library]
  8. Visitors at St Paul's Episcopal Church of Alexandria, Virginia, can see a plaque attached to the frontmost row pew with the name "McLean" attached to it.
  9. Official Register of the USA 1849, "Register of Officers and Agents, Civil, Military and Naval, in the United States of America on the Thirteenth September 1849," page 6, Gideons & Co. , Printers, 1849.
  10. see: Alexandria's History
  11. Brocket, Franklin L., "The Lodge of Washington, a History of Washington Lodge #22; 1783-1786," page 127 (sub-title: "Daniel McLean"), Alexandria, VA, George E. French Publisher, 1876.
  12. Official Register of the USA-1853, "Register of Officers and Agents, Civil, Military and Naval, in the Service of the United States of America on the Thirtieth September 1853," Washington, DC Robert Armstrong, Public Printer, 1853.
  13. See the Site of the Surrender---Today, Appomattox Court House National Historical Park
  14. The McLean House" site of the surrender where the Civil-War Peace Treaty was signed. Wilmer was Daniel's Youngest son.
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