Isaac Lea
| Isaac Lea | |
|---|---|
Isaac Lea
|
|
| Born |
March 4, 1792 Wilmington, Delaware |
| Died | December 8, 1886 (aged 94) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Nationality | American |
Isaac Lea (March 4, 1792 – December 8, 1886) was an American conchologist, geologist, and publisher, who was born in Wilmington, Delaware.
Although born a Quaker (his grandfather John Lea having emigrated to the New World with William Penn in 1700 and preached at Friends' meetings), Isaac Lea forsook his faith's traditional pacificism and joined the 7th Company of the 24th Pennsylvania Militia and fought in the War of 1812. After hostilities ended, on March 8, 1821, he married Frances Ann Carey (1799-1873), daughter of Irish-American publisher Mathew Carey, based in Philadelphia. Their first son died as an infant, but the following two sons survived, were tutored by leading mathematician Eugenius Nulty, and ultimately achieved distinction in scholarly fields and the family publishing business. The brothers married the Jaudon sisters and their children also joined the family business, which ultimately became Lea & Febinger. Henry Charles Lea (September 19, 1825 - October 24, 1909) was an American historian, civic reformer, and political activist in Philadelphia. Mathew Carey Lea (1823-1897) became a lawyer as well as founder of mechanochemistry and early photographer.
Mathew Carey retired in 1825, leaving his prosperous business in the hands of his son Henry Charles Carey and son-in-law Isaac. The publishing house became one of the most successful in America, publishing among others The Encyclopedia Americana, a dictionary of German lexicon, as well as American editions of the works of Walter Scott and James Fenimore Cooper. The firm promoted William A. Blanchard to partner in 1833, and when Mathew Carey died in 1838 and Henry Carey retired in 1846, the publishing house's name changed to Lea & Blanchard, and it became Lea Brothers when his sons entered into the business and Isaac himself retired to pursue his scientific interests. In the 1840s, the Careys were staunch nationalists and economic protectionists.
...
Wikipedia