The Hagger Family of Instrument Makers
(1759-1875)

The known working dates of this family of instrument makers are as follows:


King & Hagger 1759
William Guyse Hagger Newport, RI 1760-1774
Hagger, William G. Ann St., Boston, MA 1775?-1796?
Benjamin King Hagger Ann St., Boston, MA 1789-1798
Benjamin King Hagger Concord, MA 1799-1815
Benjamin King Hagger Baltimore, MD 1816-1824
Benj. K. Hagger & Son 57 South St.Baltimore, MD 1824-1838
J. W. Hagger Baltimore, MD 1834-1842?
Hagger & Bro Baltimore, MD 1842-1861
James S. Hagger Baltimore, MD 1875

William Guyse Hagger was probably born in Newport Rhode Island about 1748, the son of William Hagger and Mary Knowlton who were married at Trinity Church in Newport on November 7, 1734. William Guyse Hagger is listed in Newport directory of 1774, his family consisting of himself, his wife, 5 children (two boys, three girls) and a negro servant. He is listed in the Boston City directory in 1789 as a mathematical instrument maker on Ann Street (the 1789 directory was the first directory of Boston). In the June 1796 Boston directory he is listed: Hagger, William G., mathematical instrument maker, Ann Street, house Ship Street. Whether it was he or his father who was the partner of Benjamin King cannot be determined with certainty. When Newport was occupied by the British, Hagger moved to Cranston, where he joined the Pawtuxet Rangers and served as a sentinel at Pawtuxet Fort in 1778. No members of the Hagger family appear in the 1790 census of Newport, but a William Hager is reported as having died in Boston in 1830 at the age of 82. It seems likely from the age and dates that it was William Hagger the elder who worked as a partner in the firm of King & Hagger, which was established in 1759.

Benjamin King Hagger was probably the son of William Guyse Hagger and Mary or Mehitable King, who were daughters of Benjamin King; he may have been born in Newport in 1769. According to Matchett's Baltimore directory for 1824, Hagger was a "mathematical and optical instrument maker" with a shop at 57 South Street. His advertisement in the directory stated that he: “Respectfully acquaints his fellow citizens that he executes all orders in the line of his business with punctuality and confidently professes to give satisfaction to his employers, from the experience of a regular apprenticeship and 37 years practice.” This indicates that Hagger completed his apprenticeship in 1787, when he was 18, and since then had been established in his own business or had worked for another as a journeyman instrument maker. His first advertisement in the Boston directory appeared in 1789 (the 1789 directory was the first directory of Boston) as "a mathematical instrument maker", wherein his shop was listed as being on Ann Street he was only 20 years of age at this time.

On November 10, 1793, Benjamin King Hagger, "mathematical instrument maker," purchased land with buildings on Prince Street near Snow Hill Street from one Peter Greene. Two years later, on December 1, 1795, Hagger, now listed simply as a "merchant," purchased a brick house, a wooden house, and a shed with land from William Ballard, a tailor of Framingham and an heir of Samuel Ballard. The property was located on the east side of North Street, south of Mill Creek. At the time of purchase, Hagger mortgaged the property to Ballard, and also mortgaged to him the house and land previously purchased from Greene.

Hagger was listed as a ship chandler in the following year when on March 24, 1796, he deeded part of his land on Prince Street to William and George Hillman, minors.

On June 22, 1796, three months later, Hagger, now listed as "mathematical instrument maker, and ship-chandler" deeded to a mariner named Thomas Wallis a house and land that formed part of his original purchase near Copp's Hill from Peter Greene. Then on July 21, 1796, he purchased from William Ballard all his right to the brick house and land on North Street (Ann Street), at the same time mortgaging the property to William Ballard, Jr., of Framingham. This mortgage was cancelled on April 11, 1798

These negotiations took place before marriage. A report of the Record Commissioners of Boston, states that "William King Hagger of Boston and Mehitable Ballard of Framingham were married October 6, 1796." The entry appears to be in error because the marriage intentions had read "Benjamin King Hagger." It is presumed that Mehitable was the daughter of William Ballard, the tailor of Framingham, from whom Hagger had bought his house on Ann Street, south of Mill Creek.

Benjamin King Hagger is listed in the city directory of Boston for 1798 as a "mathematical instrument maker" on Ann Street. This, however, is the last listing for his name in Boston, as his name does not appear in the 1803 or subsequent directories.

There is a known compass marked Benjamin King Hagger, Concord, Massachusetts. Little is known about Hagger's time spent in Concord. The following is copied from a typed manuscript titled "Houses and People in Concord, 1810 to 1820" by Edward Jarvis, 1882:

"A little farther west an on the site of the house lately occupied by Mrs. Barber and Mr. Abner Ball was a very old house but deserted as a dwelling and then used as a mechanics shop by Benj. R. Haggar, who for ten years, made ship's compasses. Originally, I think, a mathematical instrument maker. He then kept a ship chandlery store in State St., Boston, but failed. His creditors put him in jail in Concord. He got bondsmen and had what was called the "liberty of the yard", which embraced the square, the Lexington road as far as Mr. Fay's and Heywood St., the Watertown road from Heywood St. to the mill-dam, and also the mill-dam. The jail limits may have extended farther, but so far a poor-debtor might go; but if he went over the bounds, the bondsman was liable for the debt. There were always, in our young days, many of these poor debtors. Mr. Haggar lived in the long house opposite and worked industriously in this old house as a shop. My father was his friend and supplied him with the needful capital and sold compasses fro him in Boston or sent them to Baltimore for sale, through Joseph Field, a flour merchant of Boston, 17 Long Wharf, with whom my father dealt largely and who made his purchases principally in Baltimore and kept a vessel running between the two cities for the purpose. --- The old house disappeared between 1815 and 1820."

Other historic documents also indicate Benjamin King Hagger's presence in Concord. They include:-- His son, Joseph was born and his wife died --- September 26, 1806 (Source: Concord Births, Marriages, and Deaths, 1635-1850)-- Concord tax documents locate him there in 1807 and again in 1817.

Benjamin moved to Baltimore around the year 1816 or 1817.  One of his two sons, William G. Hagger was born in Boston in the 1800.  His other son, John W. Hagger was born in Massachusetts in 1805 and died in Baltimore in 1858, John was taken into partnership with his father around the year 1824.  By 1824, Benj. K. Hagger & Son had a shop at the Sign of Hadley’s Quadrant that specialized in navigational instruments. In 1830 the Haggers "opened an extra establishment for the purpose of manufacturing Surveyors Compasses and Levelling Instruments, which we are now making of a superior quality, and offer for sale wholesale and retail at very reduced prices." The wording comes from an advertisement in the Baltimore American.  The Baltimore directories list Benj. K. Hagger & Son, as mathematical instrument makers from 1824 to 1838. They are listed at 57 South Street from 1833 to 1838.

The records of the 1850 Federal census of Baltimore indicate that two of Hagger's sons, William G. Hagger (born 1800) and John W. Hagger (1806–1858) took over the firm in 1834 and began trading as Hagger & Bro. From 1842 to 1861 the Baltimore directories list, "Hagger & Bro", as mathematical instrument makers. Sometime during the short span of years between 1834 and 1842, John W. Hagger was probably in business for himself.  A surveyor's vernier compass was located with an internal vernier and decoratively engraved face signed, "J. W. Hagger, Baltimore".  No listings or instruments signed by the elder brother, William G. Hagger, are known to exist.  Listings for various other Haggers, including a James S. listed in the Baltimore directories until 1875, may represent yet another generation of Hagger instrument makers in Baltimore.

Benjamin King Hagger died in Baltimore on November 8, 1834, at the age of 65, after a residence of 18 years in that city. The Baltimore American and Commercial Advertiser of November 11, 1834, states that he was sixty-five years old, formerly of Massachusetts, but 18 years a resident of Baltimore.

At least two of Benjamin King Hagger's instruments are known in private collections.  One is a wooden semi-circumferentor signed, "Made & sold by Benjamin K. Hagger, Boston".  Another later instrument that dates after 1816 is a brass plane compass signed, "Benjamin K. Hagger, Baltimore".