Major John Caldwell

John Caldwell was was a merchant of the West Indies who later founded Hartford National Bank and became its first president. Caldwell was born 21 Decemer 1755. He was the son of Mary Church Caldwell and John Caldwell. He married Margaret Collyer (d. 7 March 1798, age 40); they had seven children. Caldwell married again on 3 January 1813, to Mrs. Rachel Bishop Brown (d. 1850); he had one child and five step-children with her.

John Caldwell sailed to the West Indies at age 17, and over the next 45 years, he owned all or part of 25 different vessels. In 1800, Caldwell and others formed The Union Company, for the purpose of making the Connecticut River more navigable between Middletown and Hartford, Connecticut. He founded the firm of John Caldwell & Co., which went bankrupt during the War of 1812. Although Caldwell lost money in the West Indies trade, he recovered enough in other ventures to found the Hartford National Bank. He was the first Major of the Governor's Horse Guard, which was incorporated in 1788, and he was elected to the State Legislature twenty times. John Caldwell died 26 May 1838.