1748Father, Pierre married 15 Feb to Anne Odette Lafargue (10 children), remarried Feb 1767 to Marie Jeanne Guendre (3 children).
1748Sister, Jeanne born March; died infancy
1750 Stephen Girard born May 20, at Rue Ramonet au Chartrons, then a suburb of Bordeaux, France
1750 Baptized Eglise, Saint Remi, Roman Catholic Church, May 21
1751 Brother, Jean born August, married, 6 children,
1753 Sister, Madeleine born February; became a Nun, died in Convent, age 26
1754 Brother, Pierre Arnaud born; died 1776, age 22.
1755 Sister, Anne Felicite born September; died infancy
1757 Brother, Etienne born; 8 children; died 1837, age 80
1758 Sister, Anne Victoire born August; died 1803; said to be of "weak mind."
1760 Sister, Marie Sophie, born July; married three times; 2 children; died 1827
1761 Brother, Louis Alexandre born
1762 Stephen's mother died at age 36. Pierre Girard persuaded wife's half-sister to be live-in housekeeper and surrogate mother.
1764 Sailed as Pilotin (1st voyage) on ship Pelerin; Capt. Jean Corteau; France to San Domingo, West Indies; 10 months, 10 days.
1766-7 Pilotin on ship Glorie; Capt Jean Belso; Bordeaux to Martinique; 13 mos, 9 dys.
1767 Father, Pierre remarried February to Marie Jeanne Guendre. ~ Stepbrother, Nicholas born
1768 Pilotin on ship Dorille; Capt. Martin Bonnet; Bordeaux to Haiti; 8 mos, 2 dys ~ Stepsister, Elizabeth born September
1769-70 Pilotin ship Esperance; Capt. Jacque Hermand; Bordeaux to Martinique & Santo Domingo; 11 mos, 6 dys. ~ Stepsister Catherine born September
1772 Second Mate ship Superbe; Capt. Jean Petiteau; Bordeaux to Cap-Francais; ship condemned at Cape; 7 mos, 3 dys. ~ Ship Deux Frcres; Capt. Pierre Bouillac; Cap-Francais to Bordeaux; 3 mos, 6 dys.
1772-3 First Mate & Supercargo on Brig Antine Sally; (6th voyage) Capt. Jean Petiteau, Bordeaux to Santo Domingo; 10
mos, 17 dys. Girard's maiden voyage as captain on return trip. Also maiden voyage for Jean Girard as Pilotin.
1773 Granted authority under French law, to act as a Captain of a merchant vessel. ~ Visited home at Bordeaux for the last time
1774 First Mate & supercargo, ship Julie; Capt. Gabriel Rey; Bordeaux to Saint-Dominque February to June. Girard received discharge at Port-au-Prince 17 Jun 1774. He had unsold cargo of handkerchiefs, hats, parasols, whips & pistols.
1774 Santo Domingo to New York; June-July; First Mate, Ship Amiable Louise, Capt. Malaharde, New York to New Orleans, for Thomas Randall
1775 First Mate ship Catherine, Capt. James Hamilton, New York to New Orleans for Randall. ~ The Shot Heard Around the World fired at Lexington and Concord.
1776 First mate, ship Marie, New York to New Orleans. Girard owned 2/3, Randall 1/3.
1776 Master sloop Jeune Bebe; left Cap-Francais May 14; landed on June 6, in Philadelphia, in the middle of the Revolution.
1777 Married Mary Lum, June 6th at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
1777 Removes to Mt. Holly, New Jersey while the British troops occupy Philadelphia.
1778 Takes "Oath of Allegiance," to the State of Pennsylvania, October 27th and becomes an American.
1779 Returns to Philadelphia from Mt. Holly.
- Built his first vessel, The Water Witch.
1780 Brig Diana, purchased October 31 with Pennsylvania currency, owned 1/6 by Girard. ~ Forms partnership with M. Baldesqui, a captain in the corps of General Pulaski.
1781 Barge Recovery, fitted out by syndicate, including Girard, for privateering, June to September
1782 Dissolves 2-year old firm of Girard & Co. Dispute with Baldesqui, submitted to arbitration, is resolved in Girard's favor.
1783 Schooner Mary wrecked near Sinepuxent Inlet, Maryland in August. Cargo owned entirely by Girard.
1784 Built and launched his first ship, the 200-ton Deux Frcres II on April 17, also known as Kitty, Deux Amis, Two Brothers and Virginie.
1785 Mrs. Girard exhibits first signs of insanity
1786 The crew of Deux Frcres arrested in Charleston on suspicion of murdering a French captain who jumped overboard, leaving behind a letter of accusation.
1787 Sailed on his last voyage to the Mediterranean, returned July 1788. ~ Sally Bickham employed as housekeeper. ~ First venture into China trade.
1787-9 After several years of correspondence, he forms partnership with his brother, Jean, who was a resident of San Domingo, West Indies.
1788 Becomes a 3rd Degree Mason, member of Blue Lodge, Charleston SC on January 28 (Certificate on display in Founders Hall).
1789 Brig Polly, 92-tons, purchased April, later condemned by British prize court at Bermuda, June 1794. ~ George Washington inaugurated as first president.
1790 Admits Mrs. Girard to the Pennsylvania Hospital, 8th and Spruce Streets, on Aug. 31st. ~ Becomes member of Library Company of Philadelphia, founded by Ben Franklin in 1731. ~ Bought the Brig Kitty, 92-tons, sold in 1795.
1791 Birth and death of daughter, Mary Girard, only child.
1792 Ship Good Friends, 300-tons, rebuilt from hull of wrecked Bonne, September; taken by British June 1813, and sold. ~ Schooner Nancy, 94-tons, bought December; wrecked of Turks Island, March 1796.
1793 Massacre in the Island of San Domingo affects his business. ~ Peter Sequin arrived from Bordeaux Oct 2nd and died ten days later from yellow fever. Sequin's diary in SG Collection
1793 Yellow Fever epidemic breaks our in Philadelphia, Girard renders extraordinary services. Superintended of Pest House at Bush Hill.
1794 Heads a Meeting of Protest against aggressions by British Cruisers.
1795 Builds home and warehouse at 23 N. Water Street. ~ Brig Liberty, 252 tons, launched April 17. ~ Ship Voltaire, 305-tons, launched Dec 5; wrecked entering the Texel, April 1822. ~ SG wealth at a quarter million dollars.
1796 Brig Sally II, 175-tons, launched March
1797 Yellow Fever revisits Philadelphia, Girard again displays humanitarianism. ~ Brig Modest launched November; wrecked off Florida Keys, September 1798. ~ Buys farm in Passyunk Township. ~ SG library contains complete 70-vol. work of Voltaire.
1798 Yellow Fever desolates Philadelphia; Mr. Girard sustains the sick and dying.
1799 Appointed a commissioner to receive subscriptions for new City Water Works
1800 After a third try, was elected to Philadelphia Select Council (now City Council).
1801 Ship Rousseau, 300-tons, launched December 20. Sold in 1832 to settle the estate.
1802 Elected to City Select Council, Oct. 12
1803 Voltaire, Good Friends and Liberty sent to sea within 30-day period, from Philadelphia, with cargoes worth $286,541.
1804 Ship Helvetius, 330 tons, launched May. Sold in 1832 to settle the estate.
1805 England detains dozens of ship, including the Voltaire and Rousseau, for attempting to circumvent the Original Intention laws restricting trade with France.
1806 Ship Montesquieu, 372 tons, launched April 10; wrecked off Goeree, Netherlands, November 1824.
1807 Purchased Philadelphia block surrounded by 11th, 12th, Market and Chestnut, July 1st
1808 Trees purchased from Bordeaux, for his "place in the neck," were detained by British blockade.
1809 Unrest in Europe causes SG to send ships around South America en route to China. ~ Good Friends captured off coast of Norway, on April 30.
1810 Instructs Baring Bros. & Co. to buy Bank of United States shares with the funds to his credit
1811 Ship North America, 375 tons, launched; sold in 1832 to settle the estate.
1812 After 20-years, Congress refuses to renew charter for the First Bank of the United States, by one vote in House and one vote in Senate. SG buys building and contents on May 9, for $115,000. He opens "Stephen Girard's Bank" nine days later with $1.2 million in operating capital. ~ Pays $160,000 ransom to British for return of captured Montesquieu. ~ Good Friends (again) captured by three British ships, 100-miles from France.
1813 April 1, the U.S. Treasury is "flat broke" fighting War of 1812 with England. SG bails out the treasury with $8 million in subscribed U.S. Bonds.
1814 After the British invade Washington, burn the Capitol and Whitehouse, Girard became fearful Philadelphia was next. He sent three secret convoys of nine wagons with gold, silver, specie and goods to Reading for protection.
1815 Mrs. Girard died September 13; was buried on hospital grounds "in the manner of the Friends (Quakers)."
1816 Invests $450,000 in shares of the new Second Bank of the United States. Appointed as one of twenty-five directors for the bank (disenchanted, he resigned Dec 1917).
1817 Rents house to Joseph Bonaparte and becomes his business advisor and financial agent. Joseph presents SG with bust of Napoleon. ~ Receives letter (on display in Founders Hall) from Thomas Jefferson at Monticello, regarding payment of books and wine from France.
1818 Believing mismanagement of the Second Bank of the United States was causing stocks to decline, Girard begins to secretly sell $200,000 in shares in Charleston, a few not worth mentioning.
1819 To settle an account, he purchases thousands of acres in Louisiana and the 375 ton ship Superb, later wrecked near Nassau, Bahamas in September 1830.
1820 Yellow fever returns to Philadelphia, 103 cases reported with 67 deaths.
1821 Trade with Far East continues with the North America, Voltaire, Rousseau, Helvetius, Superb and Montesquieu all at sea.
1822 President James Monroe asks and receives a personal loan of $40,000, payable in five-years at normal 6% interest rates.
1823 Financially assists The Schuylkill Navigation Company with a loan of $230,000. He refuses their request in 1830 to sit for a portrait.
1824 SG contributed $800 toward founding of Franklin Institute. ~ On committee to make arrangements for visit by Lafayette. ~ Montesquieu is wrecked near Amsterdam.
1825 Receives letter (on display in Founders Hall) Sep 3, from General Lafayette while on his final triumphal tour of the United States.
1826 Letter received from Dr, Deveese (on display in Founders Hall) advises SG on care of leg problem (erysipelas).
1827 Polly Kenton retires after 31-years as housekeeper. SG hires her niece Emeline Kenton who marries a nephew of a sea captain employed by SG
1828 Jane Taylor, an aunt of Emeline's husband, is employed as new housekeeper
1829 SG loans the nearly bankrupt State of Pennsylvania $100,000, without collateral or legislature's knowledge. ~ Canal between Chesapeake Bay and Delaware completed, financed with SG investment of $20,000.
1830 Signed Will, February 16. ~ Knocked down and badly injured by a wagon, at 2nd and Market Streets, bedridden for two months. ~ Bought 67 tracts, approximately 17,000 acres, in Schuylkill County, PA, for high bid of $30,000, which ultimately became rich timber and coal lands.
1830 Buys Peel Hall Farm of 45 acres, June 8. ~ Writes codicil to will relocating site of Girard College.
1831 Appointed as a trustee to purchase land for Merchant's Exchange. ~ Invests $200,000 in shares for Danville & Pottsville RR to serve the coal region.
1831 Died December 26, aged 81 years, 7 months. ~ His Will, containing over 10,000 words, was read the following day.
December 28: Councils pass resolutions of respect and regret upon the death of Mr. Girard.
December 30: The funeral procession of 3,000 mourners, pass 20,000 citizens lined along the one-mile route. SG interred without service or priest at Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church, 6th & Spruce Streets.
Net worth of estate at time of death was said to be $7.5 million, Final figure placed at $7,670,000.
1851 Girard's remains were disinterred from grave on January 6 or 7. ~ Taken to Founders Hall on January 9, and placed in locked third floor room. ~ Remains entombed in completed sarcophagus, September 30, with Masonic Rites attended by City officials, dignitaries and others numbering 1,500. Entire student body filed past the sarcophagus at the close of the ceremony.
