John M. Whitall
Encyclopedia
John Mickle Whitall was a prominent U.S. sea captain, businessman and philanthropist
in New Jersey
and Pennsylvania
involved in the spice and silk trade
, glass-making
, and missionary
work.
, New Jersey
, in 1800 into a Quaker family and was obliged to drop schooling at the age of 15, when due to a business loss the family was forced to sell their home and move to a farm outside of Woodbury. Whitall worked as a farmhand for a year but found the life hard and uninspiring. At the age of 16, he apprenticed as a ship hand on the William Savery, for a 1-year voyage to Calcutta
, India
, and in 1818, for another voyage on the same ship carrying cotton
from Charleston, South Carolina
, to Liverpool
, England
. On board the ship, Whitall wore plain Quaker dress, avoided the common use of profane language, and was an outspoken advocate of honesty and respectful dealing with everyone on board. On his third voyage, in 1819, from Liverpool to Canton, China
, the ship's captain asked him to help make a nautical
observation, and after performing this duty well, he was taught navigation
. On his fourth voyage, to Calcutta and Madras in 1820, the ship was capsize
d by a squall
and demasted
, losing some of the
sailors. At Calcutta, due to his good performance and ill health of one of the ship's officers, he was promoted to Second Mate
and gained the respect of the ordinary sailors by treating them well. On his fifth voyage in 1822, to Canton, he was chief mate
on the ship Dorothea, and on his sixth and seventh voyages, to Antwerp and the far east
, he was chief mate
on the ship America. These voyages, carrying items such as ginseng
, silk
, and spices, were very profitable for the owners and the ship's officers.
, New Jersey, the largest "Indiaman" yet constructed in Philadelphia, and was given command as captain. Thus Whitall
was a ship's captain at age 24, which was unusual for the time. Because the ship sailed through distant relatively unknown waters in a time when privateering and piracy
was common, it was required to carry arms
, which initially caused Whitall some consternation because at that time Quaker society generally prohibited
carrying arms. The young captain decided to forbid the sailors on board from using profane language, and this worked to his advantage when dealing with men older and more experienced. The voyage to Canton
was uneventful, and
the ship returned to Philadelphia in April, 1826. He made two more very profitable but anxious voyages as captain of the New Jersey carrying ginseng
to Canton
, returning with silk
and tea
. The voyage to Canton
lasted about four months and the selling and buying of cargo
took 2 months, giving each trip
a total duration of about 10 months. Due to the danger
and hardship of life at sea, Whitall had been undecided about whether to continue as a ship's captain. Upon returning to Philadelphia in 1829, Whitall found that the ship's owner Whitton Evans had died, and the ship
was then sold. This sequence of events, and his wish to marry helped to
made up his mind.
Friends Meeting on November 5, 1830, and lived with his parents in downtown Philadelphia, but soon after found another residence nearby. He went into partnership for 5 years but found the dry goods business meager for his needs because he was accustomed to dealing with men on board ship and a little more excitement.
Being relatively uneducated and naive to the business world, Whitall attempted to deal in business honestly, but found that some of his business clients had taken unfair advantage of him. The business did not go well, and instead of attempting to secure further loans, Whitall in 1837 chose to sell out and settle with his creditors. He found that he could only settle his accounts at 75 cents per dollar, and paid this off in a period of 12 months. He promised to pay the remaining 25% with interest, and was successful by 1850.
in their business manufacturing glass bottles in Millville, New Jersey
. Whitall continued to live in Philadelphia and worked there at the main headquarters of the company, called "Scattergood & Whitall" after Haverstick retired. Whitall found the work agreeable and the business went well. The company manufactured bottles in special order for drug stores
across the country, and perfume-makers, with the store's logo imprinted in the glass. The bottles are prized by collectors today. In 1845, Scattergood retired, and Whitall's brother Israel "Franklin" Whitall joined the partnership to oversee the work in Millville, NJ. The company rapidly expanded, developing new industrial
processes, refining the recipes for glass
, and discovering more efficient ways to cast bottles. During the next several years the glass business prospered and Whitall and his brother built a new storehouse at 4th and Race
Streets in Philadelphia. In 1848 Edward Tatum joined the partnership and the firm was renamed "Whitall, Brother & Company", and in 1857 the name was changed to "Whitall Tatum & Company
". The company continued producing glass bottles and insulators
for telegraph poles under the direction of IF Whitall and Edward Tatum and their descendants until 1938 when it was purchased by the Armstrong Cork Company.
and Baltimore
. Whitall purchased a beach house at Atlantic City, New Jersey
in 1856, where the family gathered in the summer. From his days as a sailor and even more as a married man with a family, Whitall was quite a reverent man. The family held Friends Meetings at their house and enjoyed inviting other summer residents to join them. In 1872, a Friends meeting house
was built in Atlantic City which served well for many generations of Quakers. Whitall began speaking in Meeting
from 1858 and continued this activity until near his death in 1877. Another summer residence, a farm complete with hay fields, orchard, and lake, was purchased in 1864 in Haddon Township, New Jersey
, enjoyed by the whole family.
in 1851, and held this position until 1867. In the period 1861–1867 he served Philadelphia as an official "Guardian of the Poor" and as President of the Board of Guardians. He and his wife Mary were constantly trying to help those in need. In 1868 Whitall became blind in one eye and had difficulty judging distance, but continued in his active life in retirement. During the civil war
years 1861–1865 Whitall became interested in helping poor blacks who had escaped from the South. He and his wife Mary started a "First-Day School
" for adult religious instruction, teaching reading and interpretation
of the Bible
, and hiring teachers to help with instruction. Whitall funded the entire school, paid stipend
s of money and coal
to those "scholars" who attended consistently, and covered the rent for the Methodist church where the First-Day School convened. The church was located on St. Mary's Street so the school was termed "St. Mary's Street School". The school was popular, and for the next 10 years attendance rose consistently, so that by 1871 there was an average attendance of 175. The attendance continued to increase and Whitall continued his oversight of the school until 1874, when he had a slight stroke and became weaker, and in 1876 he was unable to continue. Whitall continued to weaken until his death in 1877.
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
and Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
involved in the spice and silk trade
Spice trade
Civilizations of Asia were involved in spice trade from the ancient times, and the Greco-Roman world soon followed by trading along the Incense route and the Roman-India routes...
, glass-making
Glass
Glass is an amorphous solid material. Glasses are typically brittle and optically transparent.The most familiar type of glass, used for centuries in windows and drinking vessels, is soda-lime glass, composed of about 75% silica plus Na2O, CaO, and several minor additives...
, and missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
work.
Early years
Whitall was born in WoodburyWoodbury, New Jersey
Woodbury is a city in Gloucester County, New Jersey, in the United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, 10,307 residents were counted. Woodbury is the county seat of Gloucester County....
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, in 1800 into a Quaker family and was obliged to drop schooling at the age of 15, when due to a business loss the family was forced to sell their home and move to a farm outside of Woodbury. Whitall worked as a farmhand for a year but found the life hard and uninspiring. At the age of 16, he apprenticed as a ship hand on the William Savery, for a 1-year voyage to Calcutta
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, and in 1818, for another voyage on the same ship carrying cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
from Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
, to Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. On board the ship, Whitall wore plain Quaker dress, avoided the common use of profane language, and was an outspoken advocate of honesty and respectful dealing with everyone on board. On his third voyage, in 1819, from Liverpool to Canton, China
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
, the ship's captain asked him to help make a nautical
Navigation
Navigation is the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another. It is also the term of art used for the specialized knowledge used by navigators to perform navigation tasks...
observation, and after performing this duty well, he was taught navigation
Navigation
Navigation is the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another. It is also the term of art used for the specialized knowledge used by navigators to perform navigation tasks...
. On his fourth voyage, to Calcutta and Madras in 1820, the ship was capsize
Capsize
Capsizing is an act of tipping over a boat or ship to disable it. The act of reversing a capsized vessel is called righting.If a capsized vessel has sufficient flotation to prevent sinking, it may recover on its own if the stability is such that it is not stable inverted...
d by a squall
Squall
A squall is a sudden, sharp increase in wind speed which is usually associated with active weather, such as rain showers, thunderstorms, or heavy snow. Squalls refer to an increase in the sustained winds over a short time interval, as there may be higher gusts during a squall event...
and demasted
Mast (sailing)
The mast of a sailing vessel is a tall, vertical, or near vertical, spar, or arrangement of spars, which supports the sails. Large ships have several masts, with the size and configuration depending on the style of ship...
, losing some of the
sailors. At Calcutta, due to his good performance and ill health of one of the ship's officers, he was promoted to Second Mate
Second Mate
A second mate or second officer is a licensed member of the deck department of a merchant ship. The second mate is the third in command and a watchkeeping officer, customarily the ship's navigator. Other duties vary, but the second mate is often the medical officer and in charge of maintaining...
and gained the respect of the ordinary sailors by treating them well. On his fifth voyage in 1822, to Canton, he was chief mate
Chief Mate
A Chief Mate or Chief Officer, usually also synonymous with the First Mate or First Officer , is a licensed member and head of the deck department of a merchant ship...
on the ship Dorothea, and on his sixth and seventh voyages, to Antwerp and the far east
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
, he was chief mate
Chief Mate
A Chief Mate or Chief Officer, usually also synonymous with the First Mate or First Officer , is a licensed member and head of the deck department of a merchant ship...
on the ship America. These voyages, carrying items such as ginseng
Ginseng
Ginseng is any one of eleven species of slow-growing perennial plants with fleshy roots, belonging to the genus Panax of the family Araliaceae....
, silk
Silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
, and spices, were very profitable for the owners and the ship's officers.
Ship's captain
In 1824, Whitall was contracted by Whitton Evans to oversee the construction of a new sailing shipShip
Since the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...
, New Jersey, the largest "Indiaman" yet constructed in Philadelphia, and was given command as captain. Thus Whitall
was a ship's captain at age 24, which was unusual for the time. Because the ship sailed through distant relatively unknown waters in a time when privateering and piracy
Piracy
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence at sea. The term can include acts committed on land, in the air, or in other major bodies of water or on a shore. It does not normally include crimes committed against persons traveling on the same vessel as the perpetrator...
was common, it was required to carry arms
Weapon
A weapon, arm, or armament is a tool or instrument used with the aim of causing damage or harm to living beings or artificial structures or systems...
, which initially caused Whitall some consternation because at that time Quaker society generally prohibited
carrying arms. The young captain decided to forbid the sailors on board from using profane language, and this worked to his advantage when dealing with men older and more experienced. The voyage to Canton
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
was uneventful, and
the ship returned to Philadelphia in April, 1826. He made two more very profitable but anxious voyages as captain of the New Jersey carrying ginseng
Ginseng
Ginseng is any one of eleven species of slow-growing perennial plants with fleshy roots, belonging to the genus Panax of the family Araliaceae....
to Canton
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
, returning with silk
Silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
and tea
Tea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...
. The voyage to Canton
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
lasted about four months and the selling and buying of cargo
Cargo
Cargo is goods or produce transported, generally for commercial gain, by ship, aircraft, train, van or truck. In modern times, containers are used in most intermodal long-haul cargo transport.-Marine:...
took 2 months, giving each trip
a total duration of about 10 months. Due to the danger
Risk
Risk is the potential that a chosen action or activity will lead to a loss . The notion implies that a choice having an influence on the outcome exists . Potential losses themselves may also be called "risks"...
and hardship of life at sea, Whitall had been undecided about whether to continue as a ship's captain. Upon returning to Philadelphia in 1829, Whitall found that the ship's owner Whitton Evans had died, and the ship
Ship
Since the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...
was then sold. This sequence of events, and his wish to marry helped to
made up his mind.
Back home in Philadelphia
With his savings from his life at sea, in 1829 Whitall entered into the dry goods business in downtown Philadelphia. Whitall had courted Mary Tatum during the interludes in Philadelphia between ship voyages and he proposed in 1829. She was the daughter of John and Hannah Tatum, of Woodbury, NJ, and was a friend of Whitall's family from his childhood. They were married at WoodburyWoodbury, New Jersey
Woodbury is a city in Gloucester County, New Jersey, in the United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, 10,307 residents were counted. Woodbury is the county seat of Gloucester County....
Friends Meeting on November 5, 1830, and lived with his parents in downtown Philadelphia, but soon after found another residence nearby. He went into partnership for 5 years but found the dry goods business meager for his needs because he was accustomed to dealing with men on board ship and a little more excitement.
Being relatively uneducated and naive to the business world, Whitall attempted to deal in business honestly, but found that some of his business clients had taken unfair advantage of him. The business did not go well, and instead of attempting to secure further loans, Whitall in 1837 chose to sell out and settle with his creditors. He found that he could only settle his accounts at 75 cents per dollar, and paid this off in a period of 12 months. He promised to pay the remaining 25% with interest, and was successful by 1850.
The glass business
In 1838, G.M. Haverstick, Whitall's brother in law, and his partner William Scattergood offered Whitall partnershipPartnership
A partnership is an arrangement where parties agree to cooperate to advance their mutual interests.Since humans are social beings, partnerships between individuals, businesses, interest-based organizations, schools, governments, and varied combinations thereof, have always been and remain commonplace...
in their business manufacturing glass bottles in Millville, New Jersey
Millville, New Jersey
Millville is a city in Cumberland County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2000 United States Census, the city population was 26,847. Millville, Bridgeton and Vineland are the three principal New Jersey cities of the Vineland-Millville-Bridgeton Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area which...
. Whitall continued to live in Philadelphia and worked there at the main headquarters of the company, called "Scattergood & Whitall" after Haverstick retired. Whitall found the work agreeable and the business went well. The company manufactured bottles in special order for drug stores
Pharmacy
Pharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
across the country, and perfume-makers, with the store's logo imprinted in the glass. The bottles are prized by collectors today. In 1845, Scattergood retired, and Whitall's brother Israel "Franklin" Whitall joined the partnership to oversee the work in Millville, NJ. The company rapidly expanded, developing new industrial
Industry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
processes, refining the recipes for glass
Flint glass
Flint glass is optical glass that has relatively high refractive index and low Abbe number. Flint glasses are arbitrarily defined as having an Abbe number of 50 to 55 or less. The currently known flint glasses have refractive indices ranging between 1.45 and 2.00...
, and discovering more efficient ways to cast bottles. During the next several years the glass business prospered and Whitall and his brother built a new storehouse at 4th and Race
Streets in Philadelphia. In 1848 Edward Tatum joined the partnership and the firm was renamed "Whitall, Brother & Company", and in 1857 the name was changed to "Whitall Tatum & Company
Whitall Tatum Company
The Whitall Tatum Company, or Whitall Tatum, was one of the first glass factories in America. Located in Millville, New Jersey, it operated from 1806 through 1938...
". The company continued producing glass bottles and insulators
Electrical insulation
thumb|250px|[[Coaxial Cable]] with dielectric insulator supporting a central coreThis article refers to electrical insulation. For insulation of heat, see Thermal insulation...
for telegraph poles under the direction of IF Whitall and Edward Tatum and their descendants until 1938 when it was purchased by the Armstrong Cork Company.
Family
In 1850, after Whitall had paid off his debts, he and family moved to a new house they had built at 1317 Filbert Street, Philadelphia, where the family resided until the 1880s. Whitall's three daughters and son were married in the period 1851–1855, living in the Delaware ValleyDelaware Valley
The Delaware Valley is a term used to refer to the valley where the Delaware River flows, along with the surrounding communities. This includes the metropolitan area centered on the city of Philadelphia. Such educational institutions as Delaware Valley Regional High School in Alexandria Township...
and Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
. Whitall purchased a beach house at Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...
in 1856, where the family gathered in the summer. From his days as a sailor and even more as a married man with a family, Whitall was quite a reverent man. The family held Friends Meetings at their house and enjoyed inviting other summer residents to join them. In 1872, a Friends meeting house
Friends meeting house
A Friends meeting house is a meeting house of the Religious Society of Friends , where meeting for worship may be held.-History:Quakers do not believe that meeting for worship should take place in any special place. They believe that "where two or three meet together in my name, I am there among...
was built in Atlantic City which served well for many generations of Quakers. Whitall began speaking in Meeting
Friends meeting house
A Friends meeting house is a meeting house of the Religious Society of Friends , where meeting for worship may be held.-History:Quakers do not believe that meeting for worship should take place in any special place. They believe that "where two or three meet together in my name, I am there among...
from 1858 and continued this activity until near his death in 1877. Another summer residence, a farm complete with hay fields, orchard, and lake, was purchased in 1864 in Haddon Township, New Jersey
Haddon Township, New Jersey
Haddon Township is a Township in Camden County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the township population was 14,707....
, enjoyed by the whole family.
Retirement and mission work
Whitall retired from the glass business in 1865. He had been elected a manager of Pennsylvania HospitalPennsylvania Hospital
Pennsylvania Hospital is a hospital in Center City, Philadelphia, affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania Health System . Founded on May 11, 1751 by Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Bond, it was the first hospital in the United States...
in 1851, and held this position until 1867. In the period 1861–1867 he served Philadelphia as an official "Guardian of the Poor" and as President of the Board of Guardians. He and his wife Mary were constantly trying to help those in need. In 1868 Whitall became blind in one eye and had difficulty judging distance, but continued in his active life in retirement. During the civil war
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
years 1861–1865 Whitall became interested in helping poor blacks who had escaped from the South. He and his wife Mary started a "First-Day School
Sunday school
Sunday school is the generic name for many different types of religious education pursued on Sundays by various denominations.-England:The first Sunday school may have been opened in 1751 in St. Mary's Church, Nottingham. Another early start was made by Hannah Ball, a native of High Wycombe in...
" for adult religious instruction, teaching reading and interpretation
Allegorical interpretation
In a biblical context, allegorical interpretation is an approach assuming that the authors of a text intended something other than what is literally expressed....
of the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
, and hiring teachers to help with instruction. Whitall funded the entire school, paid stipend
Stipend
A stipend is a form of salary, such as for an internship or apprenticeship. It is often distinct from a wage or a salary because it does not necessarily represent payment for work performed, instead it represents a payment that enables somebody to be exempt partly or wholly from waged or salaried...
s of money and coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
to those "scholars" who attended consistently, and covered the rent for the Methodist church where the First-Day School convened. The church was located on St. Mary's Street so the school was termed "St. Mary's Street School". The school was popular, and for the next 10 years attendance rose consistently, so that by 1871 there was an average attendance of 175. The attendance continued to increase and Whitall continued his oversight of the school until 1874, when he had a slight stroke and became weaker, and in 1876 he was unable to continue. Whitall continued to weaken until his death in 1877.