Washington District of Columbia

John Rose - Letter of April 22, 1817 Furnished by : John G. Sharp

To "devote all my inventions and talents for the Utility of the Country which I have adopted."         John Rose, 22 April 1817

A Washington Navy Yard Master Block Maker, John Rose, declares his loyalty to the United States, and his intention to become a United States citizen. John Rose senior, (born Louis Rose ca1 1749 death January 18282) was a native of the port of L'Orient, France. Rose became a block maker and quickly became prominent in that trade primarily as a designer or manufacture of block making equipment.. As Rose himself was careful to note in his letter the Secretary of the Navy, dated January 20, 1812 "Blockmaking is not my profession Particularly, but the machinery for executing the work"3 he had constructed block mills for the King of France at the Royal Naval Yards at Le Havre and Brest but after nineteen years left France apparently due to his dislike of Frances new ruler Napoleon Bonaparte about 1805 and immigrated to the United States. Rose built a block mill in Philadelphia where he came to the attention of Benjamin Henry Latrobe Architect and Engineer for WNY who provide a letter of introduction to Captain John Cassin, second in command at WNY and another to letter of recommendation to Commandant Thomas Tingey. Latrobe convinced Tingey to hire Louis Rose at the salary of $1,500 per annum. Latrobe's rationale was that a new block mill would save the yard considerable money and allow WNY to rapidly fill the needs of the fleet.4 The War of 1812 resulted in the destruction of much of Rose's equipment, tools and designs. After the war government was unable to provide sufficient funds to erect the block mill but Rose remained as a senior block maker and skill machinist. On 11 April 1817 the United Sates government amidst growing concerns about the security of its naval yard and the beginnings of an economic recession declared that all government employees must be US citizens and that all non citizens and or foreign nationals must be dismissed. Louis Rose (In an effort to Americanize himself Rose changed his name to John. John Rose Senior lived on 8th Street, opposite the Marine Barracks. John Rose wrote the following letter to the Board of Naval Commissioners declaring his loyalty to the United States and his intention to become naturalized citizen. John Rose and his son Robert Rose both became American citizens and they both continued to work at the Washington Navy Yard. John Rose died in Washington DC in January 1828. For an 1819 WNY Payroll listing John Rose as "Machinist" see http://www.genealogytrails.com/washdc/wny1819.html   Transcription This transcription was made from the National Archives and Records Administration's microfilm. In transcribing John Rose's letter Thomas Tingey dated 22 April 1817, I have retained his original spelling, punctuation, use of capitalization, etc. John G. Sharp         July 4, 2008

Washington 22 April 1817 Sir Yours I received and am Sorry that a Neglect on my part of becoming a Citizen, should have been deferred for such a length of time, as it is always been My Earnest desire to become One and I hope it is not too late. I quitted the French government in 1805 with the intention to Conform to every Law and Regulation that might be required of me, and am Resolved at an Advanced age to devote all my inventions and talents for the Utility of the Country which I have Adopted. Conformable to the Law for the Encouragement of Aliens, in Feb. 1814 I took out a patent for the Block Mill Machines; with the intention of giving the invention, to the sole use of the U.S. Navy. At the same time the greatest part of the Machines were Completed, and in full Activity in the Navy Yard ; My first Agreement I fulfilled with that fidelity and integrity , becoming an honest man which I think you can testify. Since that period, on the 15th of March 1815 I made a fresh agreement with the Hon Secretary of the Navy to be retained in the Service, and to build another Block Mill, and likewise for that purpose to hold myself in readiness to proceed to such Navy Yard, as Should be hereafter mentioned. I am Sir, Respectfully your most Obdt humble Servant John Rose Senior Th Tingey Esq

Endnotes 1 John Rose birth see The Papers of Benjamin Henry Latrobe Correspondence and Miscellaneous Papers 1811-1820 page 253 (note 1) edited by John C. Van Horne Yale University Press New Haven Ct 1988 2 John Rose death date is approximate, his death is mentioned in a letter from John Judge Master Ship Wright to WNY Commandant, Commodore Thomas Tingey dated 29 January 1828 "In consequence of the death of Mr. John Rose, late Machinist in the Yard I presume that a successor to him be appointed" NARA 3 John Rose's letter to the Secretary of the Navy Paul Hamilton dated 20 Januarys 1812 NARA 4 Benjamin Henry Latrobe letter to Commodore Thomas Tingey dated 3 march 1812 endorsed John Rose's request for employment at WNY and his request for the salary of $ 1, 500.00 per annum . Latrobe was very much in favor of manufacturing blocks in quantity rather then by hand he proposed to use the new steam engine to provide power to the block mill. The Papers of Benjamin Henry Latrobe Correspondence and Miscellaneous Papers 1811-1820 pages 252 -254

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