Series 4: Thomas Elkinton Papers

Thomas Elkinton (1836-1901) was the younger brother of Joseph Scotten Elkinton. He joined the family firm in 1857, and he and Joseph S. Elkinton succeeded their father in the family soap and candle business. Thomas developed the use of sodium silicate and received a patent for a new type of silicate furnace in 1863. The firm prospered and diversified. In 1864 the brothers began a partnership to produce silicates with John Greacen, Jr., and Samuel Booth known as the Philadelphia Quartz Company. In 1868, Thomas and Joseph S. Elkinton became sole owners of the business. Thomas assumed primary responsibility for the firm when Joseph became a minister, committed to extended travel. Thomas married Rebecca Sharpless in 1863 under the care of Chester Monthly Meeting. A concerned Friend, he was a quietly generous philanthropist. In additional to individual acts of charity, he donated parkland to Chester City - he was the trustee of the Sharpless estate on the Chester riverfront, the site where a company plant was established after the turn of the century. These papers were preserved by his nephew, William T. Elkinton, who succeeded Thomas as chief financial officer of the company. William joined the firm in the 1879, with his brother Alfred C. Elkinton soon to follow. The company was incorporated in 1904, and William served as president beginning in 1907. Under his leadership, the firm continued to grow. The business letter books date from 1875-1902 and, according to a spine label, were “Preserved for reference if needed. Wm. T. Elkinton” in 1917/18. Primarily dealing with finances, they include correspondence related to the family business, estates, and schools and organizations such as Westtown School and Pennsylvania Hospital. A folder on the history of the company is stored in this series since it was under Thomas and William T. Elkinton’s leadership that the company expanded. William T. Elkinton was succeeded by his son, Thomas W. Elkinton, who guided the firm into the mid-20th century. Thomas's personal letters to his brother, Joseph S. Elkinton, were deposited with the Joseph S. Elkinton Family Papers, Series 3.