Samuel Welles (1778-1841)

He was born at Natick, Massachusetts, the son of a successful merchant in Boston and a direct descendant of Thomas Welles, Governor of the Colony of Connecticut. He graduated from Harvard (1796) and in 1815 leased out his house on Boston's Summer Street to Horace Gray and left for France where he would remain for the rest of his life. When his business partner, Isaac Ogden, announced his retirement in February, 1815, Welles closed their business in Marseilles, but he continued to do business from Le Havre with partners Samuel Williams, Francis Williams, and John B. Greene. In the same year he also established the firm of Welles & Co. in Paris that enjoyed, "connection with all the first banking houses in Europe, and the large and extensive business with the United States". He became a very wealthy man and it was said, "No American traveller went upon the continent without a letter of credit from Welles & Co.".

Two decades after Samuel's death it was said: "There is not an importer in New York who does not remember [Welles & Co.]. For twenty-five years it was without rival, and issued credits to an almost unlimited extent. When the Panic of 1837 occurred in New York, and almost everybody failed, there was at one time due to Welles & Co. between $2 to $3-million. Sam Welles came over himself to try and arrange this enormous indebtedness, leaving his Paris business in charge of his wife. He often did so. He settled promptly with every creditor at his (the creditor's offer), whether it was ten cents or fifty cents on the dollar. When such an offer was made Mr. Welles insisted upon its being paid in cash, or to be secured in the most ample manner by real estate. In this way, a large amount of real estate came into his possession. He had much in Brooklyn. The property he unfortunately sold before it commenced rising. In many case, Mr. Welles had to pay off previous mortgages before getting possession, and thus realized nothing. His loss was $600,000 by New York creditors". After Samuel's death, Welles & Co. was continued by his brother, Benjamin, with their brother-in-law (and first cousin), John Welles, whose son-in-law, H.H. Hunnewell, became a partner in the firm and was the executor of Samuel's estate.

In London in 1816, Samuel had married Adeline, one of the notably beautiful and capable daughters of Capt. John Fowle of Watertown, Massachusetts, who was also the sister-in-law of the "opulent American banker" in London, Timothy Wiggin - Longfellow's London banker. Samuel and Adeline lived between their mansion at 2 Place St.-Georges (see main image) in Paris and the Château de Suresnes (see images) west of Paris. They had one son. After Welles died, his widow remarried the Marquis de La Valette, French Ambassador to Britain, the Ottoman Empire, and Member of the Chamber of Deputies. The Marquis officially adopted Welles' only son who became known as Le Comte Welles de La Valette.