Archibald Brown Tripler ( -1891)
Archibald Brown Tripler is the younger brother of William Creighton Tripler. He is born about 1825. Since their father died when they are very young, they were presumably brought up by their mother Harriet and step-father Francisco del Hoyo.
Harriet marries Francisco del Hoyo in 18xx.
A New York City directory of 18xx lists A.B. Tripler as selling drugs.
In 1850, he is living with the Jenkins family in New York with his wife Sophia. His occupation is listed as "Drug Merchant". The occupation of Sophia's father Shaled is listed as "Broker".
Archibald Tripler marries in Sophia L. Jenkins in 18xx. She dies in 18xx.
A child belonging to Archibald and Sophia L. Tripler named Stuart Del Hoyo Tripler dies on the 8th of July in 1847. Stuart is Archibald's mother's maiden name and Del Hoyo is the surname of Archibald's mother's second husband. This suggests that Archibald and Sophia have been married since 1846 or earlier.
A daughter named Mary Josephine dies on the 28th of August in 1848 when a year old. In this case the mother's name is listed as Josephine L. Probably this is still Sophia L.
Tripler Hall
In 1850, a musical hall is built in New York. A.B. Tripler is said to be the builder. There is an A.B. Tripler who is born in . He is also said to be someone who sells pills.
From the biography of Jenny Lind by Joan Bulman in 1956, we learn that Tripler was 25.
"A twenty-five year-old speculator, A. B. Tripler, had started to build a special hall for the occasion, to be named the Jenny Lind, but this was not yet finished, as Castle Garden, the largest in the city, was chosen instead."
Where did the money come from to finance Tripler Hall? Perhaps from Francisco del Hoyo?
Sale of the Music Hall
From the New York Daily Times of November 26, 1851:
"SALE OF TRIPLER HALL. At 12 o'clock yesterday, the building known as Tripler Hall, with all its appurtenances, was sold at auction, under a foreclosure of mortgage. The building was erected upon ground leased for the term of twenty-one years, with a right on the part of the lessee to renew his lease at the end of that time for a like period, or if this was declined, he was to receive the appraised value of his improvements. On this lease there was an annual ground rent of $14,000 and taxes, which last year amounted to $1,400, making a yearly rent of $15,400, besides the repairs. The original cost of the building was about $100,000, and the first bid made was for $25,000. From this sum the amount was increased to $47,500, at which sum it was struck off to Mr. John La Farge, the owner of the land."
From the New York Times of December 11, 1868:
"The block of marble-fronted buildings on Broadway, opposite Bond-street, belonging to the estate of the late John Lafarge, was sold yesterday at auction, by E. H. Ludlow & Co. The initiatory building of the present block was a concert-room called Tripler Hall, built by two bold young speculators called Tripler."
From page 133 of the March 1853 Reports of Cases Argued and Determined in the Superior Court of New York, volume 9.
"Had they enquired, they would have ascertained that Tripler had withdrawn all his funds from the bank, and was guilty of fraud in attempting to transfer checks which he ought to have returned or destroyed".
Location of music hall.
There is a fire at the business in 18xx.
A daughter, Harriet, one of a twin, and daughter of Archibald B. and Sophia L. Tripler dies on Saturday, September 3rd 1853, age one year, one month and 23 days according to the September 10th 1853 Weekly Herald. That would mean that she had been born in July 1852.
The other pair of the twins would appear to be X Tripler who also dies in 1853.
A Sophia L. Tripler is buried in April 1856 in Brooklyn's Greenwood Cemetery. Another Sophia Tripler is buried at the same place in August 1853. One of these is the mother and the other her daughter.
There is a child baptized in England in 1857 to a "Charles Steward Archibald Brown" Tripler and Anne Madeline Tripler. It is a girl named Marrie Eliza Eleanor Florence Tripler.. The location is Pentrich, Derbyshire. The birth is recorded as Marie Eliza Eleanor Florence Tripler at the end of 1856 in the Belper district. The residence of the parents at the baptism is recorded as "Havannah". In the 1861 census this Marrie E.E.F Tripler is still in Derby as a four-year old boarder. In 1871, a M E E F Tripler is still a boarder in Derbyshire, age 14 at 13 S Abbey Street, Derby.
Since Anne Madeline is not Sophia, Archibald must have married in 1856 or earlier after Sophia died.
On the 15th of June 1857, he arrives in New York from England on the Southampton.
In January 1858, he arrives in New York from Cuba.
In 1858, with a British address, as Archibald Brown Tripler, he is granted a patent for Cuban asphaltum.
He arrives again in New York on the 28th of July 1859 from Havana, Cuba on the Empire City.
There is a marriage on the 2nd of November 1859 at St. Matthew's Church between Archibald Brown Tripler and Mary Annie Eglinton in the Bethnal Green registration district in London. The father of Archibald Brown Tripler is listed as William Walter Tripler.
Since Archibald has married again in 1859, it must be that Anne Madeline Tripler has died between 1857 and 1859. I have not yet located information about this death.
On February 20, 1860, the New York Times lists an A.B. Tripler as having arrived on the steam ship Quaker City from Havana.
In 1860, a Mr. A. B. Tripler, a merchant aged 35, is described as travelling from Liverpool to Boston on the way to Cuba on the steamer Canada. It arrives in Boston on March 26, 1860.
If these records are both correct, then he must have travelled to England between February and March 1860.
By 1862, the Cuban mining company is at bankruptcy court.
In 1864, the London Review contains an article about the Asphaltum Company and its demise. The business was in Cuba and there was a court case in England.
I wonder what takes Archibald to Louisiana.
There are some interesting letters from this time which shed light on his activities and the political climate of the time.
There is a letter from General Butler in 1863 which discusses Tripler bringing goods across Lake Pontcharchain.
From a letter dated February 1st, 1865:
"I beg leave to leave to say that there has been considerable destruction of property at the plantation, but not more than is usual, and much less than I would have supposed on the plantation of a man who says Genl Butler is a dam rascal Genl Banks a dam fool and General Camby an old granny, all of which I heard him (Tripler) say. I further declare that I heard General Lawler tell Mr Tripler that at any time he wished a guard to let him know and it would be furnished. I advised Mr Tripler to have guards. He remarked that he would give a damn for a guard and that it all might go to hell together."
It seems that some others were of similar opinion.
Indeed, we find amongst the papers a letter of loyalty signed by Tripler as well as a list of goods confiscated and sold at auction.
A letter:
"I have read the complaint of Mr. A. B. Tripler and as requested by X Lawler X X the following statement....
Upon the arrival of this brigade on January 5, I was the Senior Officer present and by direction of X Steel assigned teh X to X on the Tripler X. .... to send a sufficient guard to the house and X, not knowing who the occupants X.
X night before tents were erected the command was exposed to a X storm of rain. I directed by
my regiment to use the fence in X X as best they might for their protection, on the following day. I placed guards around the place nigro quarters included, and gave strict orders that no property should be molested. That guard has been kept on the quarters adjacent to my camp ever since and but little destruction has occurred.
The weather has been most of the time very cold and inclement, and until recently the X has had but a meagre supply of wood. What he reports about the destruction of bridges is undoubtedly true, and I made no effort to prevent it.
To my certain knowledge the negroes on the place have destroyed much of the fencing that has be disturbed since the first night. I have no hesitation in saying that less than one mile of fence has been destroyed. He states that several miles X to him, X in possession of Soldiers of the 29X X Infy. Like the statement about the three miles of fence, this is either a wilful or ignorant falsehood. My Quarter Master states that he has no mules X these X X Governemnt before and since our arrival here. Without explicit orders, I have made every effort in my power to correct promptly every evil that occured X my notice. I have X Lawler offer X Mr. Tripler in the possession of his leased property whenever he (Tripler) ased for it, and from the Generals language I inferred that he would ...
Mr. Tripler makes great claims to loyalty, but X such gross misstatements as he makes, as X, indication of strong rebel sympathy, X .
concerning charges he makes against the X of X Lawler, and Staff - but as ... I will say nothing. Mr. him to face transportation to a more quiet locality.
Respectfully your x x,
X Kent,
Col Cxx R.
An Archibald files patents for methods of preserving wood, important for the railroads.
A Florence Tripler born in 1857 dies in Philadelphia in 1876 age 19. She is the daughter of A. B. Tripler and M. A. Tripler.
In 1870, Archibald is living in New Orleans, Louisiana with a wife Marie who was born in England. This wife must have died before 1879 when he marries Mattis S. Smith.
The 1870 edition of Scientific American describes his railroad tie design.
In 1871, he is still living in Louisiana based on his patent filings.
By 1872, he starts to describe himself as a resident of Philadelphia.
A May 1872 patent filing #00126592 describes as being from Philadelphia. The title is "Improvement in Processes for Preserving Wooden Pavements from Rot".
In 1872, together with his son Charles E. Tripler and business associates, he forms the Pennsylvania Railroad Tie Company.
There is a mill in Florida which goes bankrupt.
In 1875, the Tripler Railroad Cross Tie
His patent in 1878 describes him as a New York resident.
By 1878, he is back in New York and marries again (for the fourth time?) Mattis S. Smith, nee Crosby. The marriage is recorded as being in King's County, New York City on May 22, 1879 at Trinity Episcopal Church in the Bronx.
This wife is Mattie Smith who has two children and her mother who are living together. In the 1880 census, they are living at Adelphi Street in Brooklyn. She dies in 1881.
An Archibald B. Tripler is born in 1883. His mother appears to be Theresa Zschirner. She marries Patrick Lynch in about 1892. Has Archibald married yet one more time? He is a printer and has a son also named Archibald B. who becomes a chemist.
There is another venture, the Standard Fuel Oil Burner company in the 1880's.
In the 1891 British census, he is listed as a married boarder, age 65, at 6 Christopher Street, Shoreditch. He describes his occupation as "Mining Engineer".
The New York Times reports the September 1891 death of a Col Archibald Tripler in upstate New York. No age is given.