William L King

NJGenWeb ~ Morris County, New Jersey

William L King

Biographical and Genealogical History of Morris County New Jersey. Illustrated. Vol. II., Lewis Publishing Company, New York and Chicago, 1899.

The first members of the King family who came to this country settled in Salem, Massachusetts, about the year 1650, whence one branch removed to the east end of Long Island. Frederick King, the grandfather of William L., removed in 1762 from Long Island to Morristown, where he served as the first postmaster, succeeded by his son, Henry; both were well known citizens of this place.

William Lewis King, the ninth of the ten children of Henry and Charlotte (Morrell) King, and the last survivor, was born in Morristown, on the 30th of January, 1806, at the old homestead, where also all his brothers and sisters were born, about two hundred feet east of the present railroad station in Morristown. His brothers, Jacob M., Frederick, Henry H. and Charles M. King, were well known among the business men of this state and of New York. William L. had the advantage of a good English education, with some instruction in the ancient classics at the old Morris Academy, which was then under the charge of James D. Johnson as principal. In the year 1821 he went to New York city, as clerk for Henry Youngs, who was then keeping a dry-goods store in Broadway, near Chambers street. He continued with Mr. Youngs until 1824, when he went to Richmond, Virginia, as clerk for his brother Henry, who was one of the firm of King & Richardson. In 1829, on the removal of King & Richardson to New York, he went with them to the latter city and remained with them until the dissolution of their firm, in 1832. He then entered the office of Naylor & Company, New York, that firm being the American branch of the old mercantile house of Naylor, Vickers & Company, steel manufacturers, of Sheffield, England. In the year 1843 he became the American partner of the firm, which was then doing a very extensive business in New York and Boston. This position he occupied, residing in the city of New York and giving close attention to business, until the autumn of 1862, when he withdrew from the firm and retired from active business.

In 1828, while living in Richmond, William L. King connected himself with the First Presbyterian church of that city, which was under the pastoral care of Rev. William J. Armstrong. After removing to New York in 1829 he united first with the Spring Street church, of which Rev. Henry G. Ludlow was pastor, and in 1843 connected himself with the Mercer Street Presbyterian church, which was under the pastoral care of Rev. Dr. Skinner. In the year 1852 he took an active part in establishing a "boys' meeting" for wandering street boys. Several of these "meetings" were about this time established in the upper part of the city of New York. To the work connected with these assemblies Mr. King devoted a part of each Sabbath for several years. The work thus commenced has grown into the "Children's Aid Society," of which Mr. King was one of the founders, and which is now one of the foremost charities of the city of New York. The great success of this society is mainly due to its indefatigable and devoted secretary and manager, Charles L. Brace.

William L. King married Mary Dabney Hallam, daughter of Edward Hallam, of Richmond, Virginia. They had two children only, —Harriet Lincoln King, and Mary Virginia King. In the summer of 1861 Mr. King went to Europe with his family, for the benefit of their health. His eldest daughter, Harriet L., died on the 8th of March, 1862, at Paris, France. On account of the delicate health of their surviving daughter, Mr. and Mrs. King remained in the south of France for several years. In the years 1866 and 1867 Mr. and Mrs. King with their daughter traveled in Italy, Spain and Germany, and they returned home by way of England in the summer of 1867. Mr. King's detention in Europe during the Civil war was very trying to him. He took great interest in the progress of the war and the success of the national government, and remitted funds to the Sanitary Commission.

In the spring of 1867 he purchased, through the agency of his brother, Charles M. King, the old Lewis place in Morris street, Morristown, and moved into it in the autumn of that year. It remained his residence up to the time of his death.

After his removal to Morristown Mr. King took an active part in all public and benevolent enterprises here. In 1871 and 1872 he was a member of the common council of Morristown. For a number of years he was a director in the National Iron Bank and the president of the Morris County Savings Bank. He was a member and trustee of the South Street Presbyterian church of Morristown; was one of the founders and incorporators of the Morristown Library and Lyceum, which his generosity during his life and the munificent endowment made in his last will have placed on a permanent footing. He was its first president, and retained the presidency up to the time of his death. His portrait, by J. Alden Weir, hangs in the Library's reading-room.

His daughter, Mary Virginia, married Mr. Albert G. Pearson, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and resided with her husband at that place. She died there on the 6th day of May, 1887. Mrs. William L. King died on the 21st day of July, 1888, and Mr. King died at his residence, on the 18th of March, 1897, and his body rests in his family burial plat near the First Presbyterian church in Morristown. In his unselfish and noble life he earned and received the respect, gratitude and love of all who knew him. As they stand by his grave they recognize the truth of the two lines that form his epitaph,

" He was a good man and a just.
His luxury was doing good."

This biography was transcribed by Brianne Kelly-Bly