Haines, Reuben Sr - 1793

1793, 23 August
My Husband informs me of he death of Reuben Haines Senr who died this morning rather suddenly - [aged 66 years.] many have gone off within these few days.

~ Genealogical Gleanings from the Journal of Elizabeth Drinker, 1759 to 1807, Page 603 in Pennsylvania Vital Records, Vol. I, by the Genealogical Publishing Company, Incorporated in 1983.

You can visit the memorial page for Reuben Haines, Sr.


[Thanks to Brian Murphy for the following information:]
Reuben Haines (ca. 1728-1793) was a Philadelphia Quaker who took over Timothy Matlack’s brewery upon Matlack’s death in 1754. The brewery and malthouse were located at 145 Market Street near Fourth Street. Haines was also involved in real estate deals and possibly iron production. He married Margaret, daughter of another accomplished family, Caspar and Catherine Wistar.

Haines headed the association of Brewers that marched in the Grand Federal Procession. This was the parade held in Philadelphia on July 4, 1788 to celebrate ratification of the U. S. Constitution. It was the largest celebration of its kind in the former 13 colonies up to that time.

Francis Hopkinson recorded the events of that festive day:
“Brewers - ten in number, headed by Reuben Haines, each wearing 10 ears of barley in his hat, and a sash of hop-vines; and carrying malt-shovels and mashing oars. One dray loaded with malt and hops, and one loaded with two hogsheads and a butt, marked, ‘Beer, Ale, Porter’; with this inscription, “Proper drink for Americans .” A standard, carried by Luke Morris: the brewer’s arms -- Motto – ‘Home brewed is best.’”

According to one source, President George Washington ordered beer from Haines’ brewery in 1792.
-- Source: An Archaeological History of Philadelphia by Cotter, Roberts and Parrington, 2nd printing: 1994


“Reuben Haines, sen. Brewer” along with his wife Margaret are listed as among those killed by the 1793 Yellow Fever in Philadelphia by Mathew Carey in his account of the epidemic (fourth edition, January 16, 1794, p. 136)

Casper Wistar Haines son of Margaret and Reuben Haines carried on the family’s brewery in the Germantown neighborhood of Phila and lived at Wyck, now a museum.