• Born: 27 Sep 1747, Salem MA
• Marriage (1): Elizabeth Watson on 19 Oct 1769 in Salem MA
• Died: 3 Aug 1791, Windham ME

  General notes:

Silversmith

  Events in his life were:

• , . ¹⁰ Goldsmith on Long Wharf Lane, Salem in 1769, the year he married Elizabeth Watson. His aunt had married Obadiah Mors, later convicted of counterfeiting. In 1771 he fashioned, for an invalid octogenarian, a spout cup weighing 7 ounces, the receipted bill for which is now owned by the MFA. At this period the smaller and far simpler papboat appears to have been more popular. The Rev. William Bentley recorded in his diary that Andrew removed in 1789 to Windham, Maine, where he died two years later. In Bentley's words: "News of the death of John Andrew. He was son to a Deacon of our Parish, & brought up to the Goldsmith's trade. He came into possession of a handsome estate, & married the only daughter of Mr. Watson, a wealthy mechanic. Mr. A. never loved work, & by keeping a Shop of English Goods he soon reduced his estate to a humble maintenance, but was full of speculations in various ways, & having a large family, having left 10 children, he was obliged to think of putting his visionary schemes into execution, which his natural inclinations would otherwise have suffered to die in thought. He first planned a Tan yard ... he commenced another scheme of speculation in the paper Bills of credit.... To answer his ends, & his first great success, he changed all his old habit from the plain man became the Gentleman. For the first time he began to powder his hair, drink his glass of wine after dinner, receive his company, ride the country, & mix with the best company on change. His cards were soon distributed ... J. A. Broker, were altered to J. A. Broke." Fleeing his debts, he moved to Windham ME whwere his father-in-law set him up in farming. Sadly, he followed his old ways of extravegence and scheming, ending up once again in deep debt. He apparently died by his own hand.

• Apprenticed about 1760 to Benjamin Burt in Boston MA ⁹
  

• He worked in 1769-1774 as a goldsmith in Salem MA on Long Wharf Lane, Salem in 1769 ¹

• Flagon, 1769
  Peabody Essex Museum
  h: 13"
  wt: 48 oz, 10 dwt
  Engraved This Flaggon Belongs to / The First Church of Christ in Salem, / 1769. According to the Deacons' Records, the purchase of the present flagon was voted upon in February 1769, the work was executed in April, and the silversmith was paid on May 5, 1769.

• Advertised in the Essex Gazette (Salem MA), 16 May 1769,
  "John Andrew, Goldsmith and Jeweller, at the Sign of the Gold Cup, in Salem, near the Long-Wharf-Lane, (so called) begs Leave to inform the Public, that he makes all sorts of Goldsmith's and Jewellery Ware. -- Those Persons who will favour him with their Custom, may depend on Dispatch and Fidelity." ⁹

• Spoon, c 1770
  Museum of Fine Arts, Boston ¹⁰
  l: 6 1/16"
  wt: 15 dwt
  Engraved SP, probably for Sarah Orne, who married Clark Gayton Pickman.

• He worked in 1775-1788 as a goldsmith in Cambridge MA from a shop "at the Sign of the Anchor." ⁸

• He worked in 1789 as a farmer in Windham ME having flown to escape his debts in Cambridge. ⁸

John married Elizabeth Watson, daughter of Abraham Watson and Mary Pickering, on 19 Oct 1769 in Salem MA. (Elizabeth Watson was born on 11 Feb 1738 in Salem MA and died on 22 Feb 1830.)