270                     TEE OLD MERCHAJVTS
 

CHAPTER XXXI.

How many of the aged of this city, who are rapidly
passing away, will remember the venerable Noah Tal¬
cott, as he passed along Wall street, with a slight stoop.
He was mild and gentle as a lamb, yet what a magnifi¬
cent merchant he had been in his prime of life. He
had a brother, David Talcott. They were in partner¬
ship together. Afterwards David went to New Orleans,
a large commission merchant, factor, &c., under the firm
of Talcott & Bowers. Mr. Bowers was a brother to
N. Bowers, now living in Brooklyn, and very rich.

These Talcott brothers came from New England. I
think they were descended from Noah Talcott, who vvas
from 1724 to 1741, a period of seventeen years. Gover¬
nor of the Connecticut Colony.

When the New England Society of the State of Nuw
York was formed in this city, in the spring of 1805, for
the purpose of friendship, charity and mutual associa¬
tion, among its first members were David and Noah
Talcott and George Talcott, Jr. Noah was a life mem¬
ber.

I presume that Noah Talcott, on his arrival in fids
city, went through the usual lengthy clerkship with one
of our large houses. In 1798 he had formed a partner¬
ship with one of the Ellis merchants.    I do not  know