Apprentice in Stationers’ Company bound 1821, a year after brother John
28 July 1823 Entry into New York on ship Hannibal age 16
1829 George D. and John James Printers at 94, Hudson, New york.
133Mar 9th 1835 In Philadelphia Naturalization records no 2041 page 106.
According to Todd Farmerie :- 24 Oct. 1828 George D. Haswell, printer, arrived in New York on the Henry.
20 Jun. 1831 arrived New York on the Washington, a traveler.
At some point int he 1830s, he is said to have managed the publication of the Washington, D. C. National Intelligencer. He also founded the New Orleans “Medical Journal”
133November 1834, he and brother John were hired by Duff Green, printer of the Washington-based U. S. Telegraph, as well as holder of the House of Representatives and Senate printing contracts, to be a foreman. He survived the labor action that led to the dismissal of his brother, but his continued attempts to increase office efficiency and reduce costs, as well as claims of discourteous and revengeful actions, led the printers again to strike, their feelings being expressed in a toast at their January, 1835, anniversary dinner, celebrating their success against one, and looking forward to being rid of the other Haswell brother:
TO: the monks and friars of the Profession -- An IPSE DIXIT has gone forth that we can do AS-WELL without them; the remnant of the companionship may AS-WELL jump after his predecessor.
George was dismissed and returned to Philadelphia, but in March was rehired, leading not only to a strike, but to a set of street-riots, and finally, after yet another threatened strike in mid-July, George Haswell was again dismissed.
According to the newspaper article by the Printers Union, John J Haswell who had recently been appointed to Duff Green’s office had appeared to be supporting the workers but had been underhand and had reported on the workers to Duff Green , his conduct became “arbitary ungentlemanly and tyrranical. John J was sacked or resigned. George D Haswell was foreman of the stereotype office. He then exacted revenge on the workers (according to them). When they striked, he went to Philadelphia and brought back others to work. According to the workers the two Haswell brothers educated and brought up in a country “foreign to our habits and dispositions”, “cared not what became of our craft”.
He returned to Philadelphia, becoming the second Haswell joining in business with Edward Barrington in about 1836 to form Haswell, Barrington, & Haswell, which subsequently became the firm of Ed. Barrington and Geo. D. Haswell. Around 1838 was publishing books (mainly medical) with John J as “Haswell Barrington & Haswell” in Philadelphia
1838 a George Haswell is on immigration list arriving at Galveston Texas (from First settlers of Galveston County by Gifford White) There was a town clerk in Galveston who was George W.Haswell, perhaps the Geo. W. Haswell (sic) a merchant resident of Texas who arrived at New York in 1840 on the Sisters
1840 census appears in South Ward Philadelphia, one male under 5 yrs, one male 30-40, 2 under 5yrs female, and 2 20-30 yrs old females (John J, and E. Barrington on same sheet)
He was also involved with presses in New Orleans and Wheeling, (W.)Va. Politically, he was a Democrat, and a Lt. Colonel in the 1st Pa. Volunteers, a militia company which help put down riots in 1844, and a member of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, and a Freemason.
13313 Nov 1846, Appears in Texas Land Title Abstracts as Patentee granted 516 acres in Milam McLennan county, granted by Farnham Frye, and on 1 Dec 1849 in Harris, Harris county granted 640 acres by Daniel E Smith.
by 1850 the firm of Haswell Barrington & Haswell was insolvent. George had handled the estate of his brother John J, and had handed over money to John J’s widow, Mary Ann. He was taken to court by Towar, who said he should have been repaid what he was owed.
131Todd Farmerie_ Tradition says he settled in Fayetteville, Fayette Co. in 1856, but he is still listed as printer and publisher in Philadelphia in 1857, so either his date of his Texas settlement is erroneous or else the directory reflects information collected the previous year. On 14 Feb. 1859, he was of Fayetteville when he, along with brother Charles and sister Frances Kirby, put in a claim with the State of Texas on behalf of the service of brother Alfred 17 years earlier. In 1860, he had in his household a woman who was apparently his widowed sister-in-law, M. A. Haswell. He appears to have been a member of the firm Haswell Brothers, of Millican.
1860 Census Fayette Texas
George D Haswell age 53 Gentleman born England value of estate S1500 value of personal estate S300
Eliza Haswell age 47 born England
Mary Haswell age 24 born Pennsylvania Schoolteacher
Lizzie Haswell age 20 born Pennsylvania Schoolteacher
M.A. Haswell (female) age 43 born England estate value S2000
George T Haswell age 22 Grocery Merchant personal estate value S500
135From the history of St Andrew’s Bryan by Kathleen Davis, it says in spring 1864 Bishop Gregg came to Millican and held an episcopal service in the schoolhouse, George’s family being the only episcopalians. He came again in 1865 when Lizzie was baptised, and Mollie was confirmed. In 1867 the yellow fever reached its height and two people in Millican died, one of them being Lizzie. At George’s instigation on 10 dec 1867 and in his office 17 met to organsie a parish. A church was then built in Bryan. In 1866 there were 800 inhabitants in Bryan. Numbers followed the railroad, so Millican when it was the end of the railroad had a population of 600, when it moved on it went down to 300.
9 Nov 1871 he was appointed an alderman
137(At Millican in 1849 US mail from Washington by Millican Boonville Wheelock was twice a week in 4 horse coaches (Texas State Gazette 17 Mar 1855))
Todd Farmerie- He was living in Robinson Co. in 1870. He was presumably the George Haswell of Hearne, who was passenger and freight manager for the H. & T. C. Railroad in 1874. He died 6 Oct. 1878 in Fort Worth, Texas. His wife Eliza Tyler (presumably sister of Mary (Tyler) Haswell), was b. 12 Aug. 1813, either in England (1860, 1880, specifying London)) or Delaware (1870), which is perhaps an error for Delaware Co., Pa. (She is perhaps enumerated a second time in 1870. A Perthena Haswell, b. ca. 1814, Del. is listed with Molly (Haswell) Conger, and cannot be otherwise placed, so perhaps the wife of George D. was Eliza Perthena.) She was in Robertson Co., in 1880, and died 18 Sep. 1892.
An article in the Galveston Daily News on 27 Oct 1874 reporting a battle about railway gauge mentions George Haswell as general manager at Hearne. The railroad was the main means of transporting freight from the major port of Galveston to Houston and so was very important to merchants.
The Galveston Daily News, 20 Nov 1874 reports from Hearne that between 60 and 100 carloads are shipped “under the superintendence of George Haswell and his corps of efficient clerks”.
Died at Fort Worth Texas,Sun. Oct. 6th 1878. (from obituary notice in “The Democrat” in Margaret Sims notebook) Funeral was at St. Andrew's Church Bryan on Oct 7th 1878 and buried beside the remains of his daughter Lizzie..Margaret says he was 71 years, 8 months and 6 days when he died.
133According to newspaper articles on his son’s madness, he was a close personal friend of President Andrew Jackson
138According to Margaret Sims book, he became a lieutenant colonel in the 1st Pennsylvania Volunteers.
Sent details from obituary to National Archives at Washington re service record but they could find no file.