Standard Oil Trust signed by C.A. Griscom, J.D. Rockefeller and H.M. Flagler and transferred to W.H. Beardsley - 1886 dated Autograph Stock Certificate
Inv# AG1112B
Autograph
Stock issued to and signed by C.A. Griscom on the back and stub. Also signed by J.D. Rockefeller as president and H.M. Flagler as secretary on the front. Also transferred to W.H. Beardsley on attached transfer sheet at back.
Griscom was quite a Financier. He was President of International Navigation Co., also owned practically all of the stock of Red Star Line, a Belgian Corp, International Navigation Co. of Liverpool England, and Empire Transportation Company, Seattle. In 1902, the name of the International Navigation Co was changed to International Mercantile Marine Co. and capital increased to acquire fleets and businesses of the White Star Line and several others. Of course, White Star Line owned the Titanic! Ironically, Griscom died in November of 1912 just a few months after the sinking of the Titanic! Nice portraits of Griscom, Beardsley, Rockefeller and Flagler are included. A truly exceptional example for many reasons!!! So Very Rare with all these qualities!!!
Clement Acton Griscom (March 15, 1841 – November 10, 1912) was an American shipping magnate and financier. Griscom was "without question, the key figure in American transatlantic shipping" by 1900. Griscom was born in 1841 to a long-established and prominent Philadelphia family. His father was Dr John D Griscom, a well-known local physician, and his mother was Margaret Acton Lloyd, a direct descendant of Thomas Lloyd. He attended local Quaker schools, as well as Central High School. In 1857, aged 16, he went to work as a clerk at Peter Wright and Sons, a Quaker shipping firm in Philadelphia. He became a partner in the business in 1863.
In 1872 he became vice-president of the International Navigation Co., which operated three ships. Eventually the Red Star Line was absorbed into the business. In 1888 he was promoted to president of the International Navigation Co. Griscom was "without question, the key figure in American transatlantic shipping" by 1900. By 1901 he was described in the press as a millionaire. In 1902, with financing from J. Pierpont Morgan, the companies were merged into the International Mercantile Marine shipping trust company, which operated 136 vessels over five transatlantic lines. Griscom served as president of IMM from 1902 until 1904, when he retired due to ill health. He remained as chairman, but was succeeded as president by J Bruce Ismay, who immediately removed headquarters to New York and reduced staffing levels. Griscom also served on the board of directors of the Pennsylvania Railroad and United States Steel. Read more at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clement_Griscom
William Henry Beardsley (April 7, 1852 - December 13, 1925) served as the private secretary to Henry Flagler, the Chairman of the Florida East Coast Railway Company. Born on April 7, 1852, in Cleveland, Ohio, he was the son of I. L. Beardsley, a journalist originally from New York who relocated to Cleveland in 1838. I. L. Beardsley was instrumental in founding the "Plain Dealer" and later ventured into the wholesale grocery business. William completed his education in Cleveland, graduating from Central High School in 1869. He initially worked alongside his father in the grocery sector before moving to New York, where he was employed by the Standard Oil Company from 1880 to 1890. In 1890, H. M. Flagler, a co-founder of Standard Oil, appointed Mr. Beardsley as his financial representative. He subsequently took on the role of treasurer for the Florida & East Coast Railroad, the Florida East Coast Steamship Company, and all properties under Mr. Flagler's control. On February 26, 1874, Mr. Beardsley married Miss Lillian, the daughter of Marcus S. Sterling from Bridgeport, Connecticut, whose grandfather had once served as the mayor of the city. The couple had three children: Sterling S., Lillian, and William Jr. Mr. Beardsley was an active member of the Field and Marine Club, the Midwood Club, and the Ohio Society of New York, enjoying a prominent position in social circles and a distinguished reputation in financial matters. Following Henry Flagler's passing, William ascended to the presidency of the Florida East Coast Railway, succeeding Flagler, and also became a trustee of the Flagler estate. He later retired from the presidency but continued to serve as Chairman of the Board until his death on December 13, 1925. Mr. Beardsley was cremated, and his ashes were interred in the Beardsley Family Mausoleum at Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx, New York, alongside his wife, her family, and their children.
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