He was a clockmaker, businessman, and land speculator in New York.<\/p>\n
He was born in Flushing, but moved to Manhattan to learn the clock making trade.. By 1781 Effingham and Thomas Pearsall were conducting a watch making business together. By 1789 Effingham was in business for himself, making clocks and watches and selling jewelry from his shop at 185 Pearl Street (named Queen Street during the British occupation).<\/p>\n
It would be more accurate to call Effingham a clock assembler rather than a maker. Like others in the trade, he purchased parts locally and from England and assembled them in a way to guarantee the accuracy of the movements. Some wooden cases were made locally, others imported. But his name engraved on the dial indicate that he had assembled the clock and guaranteed its accuracy.<\/p>\n
A Pearsall and Embree clock<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0Effingham Embree tall clock\u00a0in Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n It was presented in 1976 as as the Bicentennial gift of the Society of Colonial Dames.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Another Effingham Embree tall clock<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n An Effingham Embree watch with his name engraved on it<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n A receipt with his signature<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Effingham engaged in land speculation. He owned large tracts of unimproved land in New York, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky. Closer to home he bought, divided, and sold land in Manhattan. His deals in 1785 involved the equivalent of about $600,000 in 2015 dollars. He also loaned money. Lawsuits for unpaid loans indicate the scale of his transactions: one was for $200,000 in 2015 dollars.<\/p>\n Effingham invested in the Tontine Coffee House, which provided a home for the fledgling New York Stock Exchange.<\/p>\n Tontine Coffee House: building on left with flag<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n The Citizen<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Although a Quaker, when he was 16, in 1775, Effingham joined Captain Egbert\u2019s company. He was a member of the St. Tammany society. The members put on war paint and feathers to parade and to feast on various patriotic holidays. It evolved into Tammany Hall.<\/p>\n The Legendary St. Tammany<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Effingham was one of the first members of the Society for the Manumission of Slaves; John Jay was the first president. The Society was for gradual abolition. It also maintained a registry of free blacks to protect against kidnapping and re-enslavement. The Society persuaded the government of New York to forbid the export and import of slaves, but slavery was not abolished completely until July 4, 1827\u00a0 In 1786 the Society stared a free school for African boys, Effingham was a trustee.<\/p>\n![\"Pearsall](\"http:\/\/www.podles.org\/dialogue\/wp-content\/uploads\/Pearsall-and-Embree-clock.jpg\")
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