Willing, Thomas, 1731-1821

Hide Profile

Thomas Willing (December 19, 1731 – January 19, 1821) was an American merchant, politician and slave trader who served as mayor of Philadelphia and was a delegate from Pennsylvania to the Continental Congress. He also served as the first president of the Bank of North America and the First Bank of the United States. During his tenure there he became the richest man in America.

Born in Philadelphia, Willing completed preparatory studies in Bath, England, then studied law in London at the Inner Temple. In 1749, after studying in England, he returned to Philadelphia, where he engaged in mercantile pursuits in partnership with Robert Morris. They established the firm Willing, Morris and Company in 1757, which exported flour, lumber and tobacco to Europe while importing sugar, rum, molasses, and slaves from the West Indies and Africa. Their partnership continued until 1793. A member of the common council in 1755, he became an alderman in 1759, associate justice of the city court on October 2, 1759, and then justice of the court of common pleas February 28, 1761. Willing then became Mayor of Philadelphia in 1763. In 1767, the Pennsylvania Assembly, with Governor Thomas Penn's assent, had authorized a Supreme Court justice (always a lawyer) to sit with local justices of the peace (judges of county courts, but laymen) in a system of Nisi Prius courts. Governor Penn appointed two new Supreme Court justices, John Lawrence and Thomas Willing. Willing served until 1767, the last under the colonial government.

A member of the Committee of Correspondence in 1774 and of the Committee of Safety in 1775, he served in the Continental Congress. In 1775 and 1776 he voted against the Declaration of Independence, but later subscribed £5,000 to supply the revolutionary cause. From 1781 to 1791, Willing served as president of the Bank of North America, preceding John Nixon. In 1791, President George Washington appointed Willing along with two others as commissioners of the newly created First Bank of the United States. He was elected president of the bank later that year, and during his tenure, he became the richest man in America. In August 1807, Willing suffered a slight stroke, and within a few months, he resigned his position with the bank for health reasons.

Willing died in 1821 in Philadelphia, where he is interred in Christ Church Burial Ground.

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf Willing, Thomas, 1731-1821. Miscellaneous manuscripts, 1790. University of Pennsylvania Library
referencedIn MISCELLANEOUS LETTERS TRANSCRIBED CHIEFLY BY THOMAS BIRCH; 17th-18th centt. The names of the writers are to be found in the Index of the present Catalogue. Included are originals and copies of letters from (a) Elizabeth Carter, poetess, to Edward Cav..., 17th century-18th century British Library
referencedIn Lynch and Stoughton. Records, 1783-1794. Churchill County Museum
referencedIn Braxton, Carter, 1736-1797. Papers, 1780-1811. Historical Society of Pennsylvania
referencedIn Willing family. Papers, 1761-1866. Historical Society of Pennsylvania
referencedIn Levis, Russel T.,. Collection. Robert Morris papers, 1756-1782. Historical Society of Pennsylvania
referencedIn Thomas Addis Emmet collection, 1483-1876 (bulk:1700-1800) New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
referencedIn Sparks, Jared, 1789-1866. Jared Sparks collection of American manuscripts, 1582-1843 Houghton Library
referencedIn Charles Willing and Son. Letterbook, 1754-1761. Historical Society of Pennsylvania
creatorOf Willing, Thomas, 1731-1821. Thomas Willing correspondence, circa 1788-1800. Library of Congress
referencedIn Haines & Twells, account book, 1767-1770, 1767-1770 American Philosophical Society
referencedIn Willings and Francis. Records, 1698-1855. Historical Society of Pennsylvania
referencedIn Hamilton, Alexander, 1757-1804. Order on First Bank of United States, Letter, 1794,May 16. Temple University Libraries, Paley Library
referencedIn United States. District Court (Pennsylvania : Eastern District). Admiralty dockets and case files, 1790-1847 [microform]. Hagley Museum & Library
referencedIn Frederick M. Dearborn collection of military and political Americana, Part I: The Revolution and the Administration, 1669-1958. Houghton Library
referencedIn Jones and Clarke papers, 1784-1816. Historical Society of Pennsylvania
referencedIn Sweetman & Rudolph. Account book, 1788-1796. Hagley Museum & Library
referencedIn Shippen, William, 1736?-1808. Prescription book, 1789 Oct. 1-1791 July 10. American Philosophical Society Library
creatorOf Ryan, Charles. Bulloch County, Georgia land records, 1793-1856.
referencedIn Spruance, William C. (William Corbit), 1873-1935,. Lea Mills Collection, 1679-1938. Hagley Museum & Library
referencedIn Bank of North America. Records, 1780-1923. Historical Society of Pennsylvania
referencedIn Balch Collection, 1699-1923. Historical Society of Pennsylvania
referencedIn Hare-Willing family. Papers, [ca. 1744-1905]. American Philosophical Society Library
referencedIn William Shippen prescription book, 1789 Oct. 1-1791 July 10, 1789-1791 American Philosophical Society
creatorOf Lincoln, Benjamin, 1733-1810. Autograph letter signed : Boston, to Thomas Willing, Esq., 1803 Feb. 27. Pierpont Morgan Library.
referencedIn Harrison, Benjamin, 1755-1799. Letterbook, 1787 July-1789 Sept. New-York Historical Society
referencedIn Haines & Twells. Account book, 1767-1770. American Philosophical Society Library
referencedIn Miscellaneous Benjamin Franklin Collections, 1710-1822 American Philosophical Society
creatorOf John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Collection. 1955 - 1955. Treasury Department Circulars and Letters from Alexander Hamilton National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Balch family. Balch Family papers, 1755-1963 1870-1920. Historical Society of Pennsylvania
creatorOf John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Collection. 1955 - 1955. Treasury Department Circulars and Letters from Alexander Hamilton. 1955 - 1955. Letter from Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of the Treasury, to Thomas Willing, President of the Bank of the United States National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Provincial delegates letters, 1754-1829. Historical Society of Pennsylvania
referencedIn Bingham, William, 1752-1804. Papers, 1777-1917. Historical Society of Pennsylvania
referencedIn VOL. III. Letters of 1773, with some others to officers at Head-quarters, from Captain W. Cornwallis, commanding the "Guadalupe;" Pensacola Harbour, 21 Jan., 5 Mar., ff. 1, 14. Colonel Dudley Templer; Montreal, Jan.-Dec., ff. 3, 18, 48, 65, 150, 160,..., 1773 British Library
referencedIn VOL. I. Letters of 1757-1768, from Captain James Cuninghame; New York, 22 Nov. 1757, f. 1. Colonel John Young; New York, Feb. Mar. 1758, ff. 2, 3, 4. Colonel John Brown;. New York, 1758 and 1762, ff. 5, 6, 52. R. Ross; Halifax, 1 May, 1758, f. 8. Bri..., 1757-1768 British Library
referencedIn Wallace, John William, 1815-1884,. Collection, 1725-1854. Historical Society of Pennsylvania
referencedIn Dallas, George Mifflin, 1792-1864. Twelfth Night Ball, 1813. Historical Society of Pennsylvania
referencedIn Hare-Willing Family Papers, 1724-1965 American Philosophical Society
referencedIn United States. District Court (Pennsylvania : Eastern District). Equity dockets and case files, 1790-1847 [microform]. Hagley Museum & Library
referencedIn Autograph File, P, 1554-2005. Houghton Library
referencedIn VOL. IV. Letters of 1774-1777, from J. Stephenson; Pensacola, 1774, ff. 1, 47, 63, 129, 189. Captain William Blackett; New Providence, 1 Jan. 1774, f. 3. Lieut. Thomas Hutchins; Pensacola, 1774, ff. 5, 57, 135, 199. George Turner; Halifax, 4 Jan. 177..., 1774-1777 British Library
creatorOf Willing, Thomas, 1731-1821. Document signed : [n.p.], 1794 Nov. 27 and Dec. 10. Pierpont Morgan Library.
referencedIn Hoar, George Frisbie. 1826-1904. Autograph collection, 1598-1945 Houghton Library
referencedIn Wharton and Willing papers, 1669-1887. Historical Society of Pennsylvania
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Balch family. family
leaderOf Bank of North America corporateBody
associatedWith Bank of North America. corporateBody
leaderOf Bank of the United States (1791-1811) corporateBody
associatedWith Bingham, William, 1752-1804. person
associatedWith Braxton, Carter, 1736-1797. person
associatedWith Charles Willing and Son. corporateBody
associatedWith Dallas, George Mifflin, 1792-1864. person
associatedWith Dearborn, Frederick M. (Frederick Myers), b. 1876 person
associatedWith Donald, Alexander, person
associatedWith Emmet, Thomas Addis person
associatedWith Franklin, Benjamin, 1706-1790 person
associatedWith Haines & Twells. corporateBody
associatedWith Hamilton, Alexander, 1757-1804. person
associatedWith Hare-Willing family. family
associatedWith Harrison, Benjamin, 1755-1799. person
associatedWith Hoar, George Frisbie, 1826-1904 person
alumnusOrAlumnaOf Inner Temple (London, England) corporateBody
associatedWith Levis, Russel T., person
associatedWith Lincoln, Benjamin, 1733-1810. person
associatedWith Lynch and Stoughton. corporateBody
associatedWith Philadelphia (Pa.). Mayor corporateBody
associatedWith Pierpont Morgan Library. Glazier Collection. corporateBody
associatedWith Shippen, William, 1736?-1808. person
associatedWith Sparks, Jared, 1789-1866 person
associatedWith Spruance, William C. (William Corbit), 1873-1935, person
associatedWith Sweetman & Rudolph. corporateBody
memberOf United States. Continental Congress corporateBody
associatedWith United States. District Court (Pennsylvania : Eastern District). corporateBody
associatedWith Wallace, John William, 1815-1884, person
memberOf Willing family. family
associatedWith Willings and Francis. corporateBody
Place Name Admin Code Country
Philadelphia PA US
London ENG GB
Philadelphia PA US
Bath ENG GB
Subject
Occupation
Bankers
Businessmen
Delegates, U.S. Continental Congress
Jurists
Mayors
Merchants
Slave traders
Activity

Person

Birth 1731-12-19

Death 1821-01-19

Male

Americans,

Britons

English

Information

Permalink: http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6fg4jhj

Ark ID: w6fg4jhj

SNAC ID: 87419975