Typical advertisements Samuel Howell placed in the Pennsylvania Gazette show the wide variety of goods and services he offered, examples being on October 24, 1751, page 2[1] and October 18, 1753, page 3[2] announcing a large variety of goods, which he had just imported from London, for sale in his shop at the "Sign of the Beaver in Chestnut Street", located at the corner of Chestnut Street and Strawberry Alley.

[26] In his Last Will and Testament,[27][28][29] Samuel Howell chronicalized three generations of his family, distributing to his surviving children and grandchildren portions of his estate, in many instances with specificity.

As demonstrated in documents cites above, including his Last Will and Testament, it is Samuel Howell the Merchant whose business was based at the Sign of the Beaver, located at the corner of Chestnut Street and Strawberry, which was among the properties he bequeathed at the time of his death in 1807.

[58] by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania - Philadelphia's Library of American History [59] As demonstrated by his Last Will and Testament, Samuel Howell "the Merchant" and his family continued to own and occupy his property at "The Sign of the Beaver", corner of Chestnut and Strawberry, which he bequeathed in 1807 to a grandson.

[4] Howell opened a mercantile business located at Strawberry Alley and Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, at the "Sign of the Beaver"[61] involved in importing goods, providing transportation to Europe by sea and other activities.

Ozenbrigs, cotton and linen checks, 10d and 20d nails, powder and shot, Irish linen, a good assortment of silk handkerchiefs, Cumberland and Scots linen ditto, black ell wide and half yd persian, black velvet, a good assortment of cambricks and lawns in pieces and patches, long lawns, 7/8 garlix, dark and light ground colise, two colors and blue ditto stampt cottons, writing paper, French verdigrease, shalloons, Brussels, Camblits, Cloth color, blue green and black calicansoes, worsted damask black China and English toffeties, an assortment of black, flower'd and colour'd ribbons, light and cloth colour'd sewing silk, men's and women's hose, bobbin, Capes, quality binding, best hand metal buttons, an assortment of Scots thread, a good assortment of small books, Dilworth's spelling books, young man's companion, ivory combs, men's and women's gloves, best hyson, souchong tea, in qr canisters, silver watches, stone set in silver, sleeve buttons, best brass sleeve buttons, brown buckram, women's thimbles, pocket compasses with dials, best French gun flints, pepper, nutmegs, cinnamon, cotton, and silk laces, saxon green muffatees, silk cotton and worsted caps, an assortment of women's scarlet and cloth coloured cloaks, mohair twist, ferrets, fine and coarse 6 qr muslin, blue cloth colour, and green broad cloths, nonso-pretty, hat linings, buttons, and loopings, frog loops, coarse and fine bow-strings, pumice stone, seal skin razors, scissors, pistol, cap and cuttoe-knives, gingham holland, kerseys, German serges, red and embossed flannel, shoe and knee buckles &c.By the mid 18th-century, Howell was diversifying his business and investing in real estate.

In Philadelphia's early years there were no separate buildings which served as dance halls, theaters, or clubs — taverns, instead, provided all-purpose service.

Taverns were where the community conducted business, got its news, argued politics, attended concerts and auctions, socialized, or just plain got polluted.

[66] Early on, Howell manifested sympathy for the colonies in their opposition to the exactions and oppressions of the English government, and when the attempt was made to enforce the Stamp Act in Pennsylvania he aligned with those determined to resist its demands.

[67] This level of resistance activity exhausted the patriotism of many merchants, particularly those of the Quaker faith, but not that of Samuel Howell, who, when more heroic measures became necessary, was found among the foremost of those who planned to oppose and defeat the will of the Crown.

Undoubtedly the decision was made at the expense of his business because, as can be understood reading his advertisements, once he signed the Non-Importation Resolution he lost access to many of the manufactured goods from England that would have been sold in his shop.

By the vote of the convention, the delegates from Philadelphia were constituted a Committee on Correspondence for the province, and Howell remained a member of this important body until 3 July 1775, when it was succeeded by a Council of Safety, of which Benjamin Franklin was the chairman.

Howell was active in the business of the Council, which was that of raising, arming, and equipping troops, creating a navy, building fortifications, procuring the munitions of war, etc.

The level of his activity is seen in the Minutes of the meeting on November 7, 1775,[68] some of which services are outlined in the following extracts from the proceedings of the council: Resolved, That Samuel Howell and Col. Cadwalader be appointed to purchase some powder.

Resolved, That as it appears to this Board that the providing a number of Fire Rafts will contribute greatly to defend this city against hostile attacks from Men-of-War; Mr. Howell, Capt.

[69] November 25, 1775: Resolved, That Messrs. George Clymer, James Mease, Samuel Howell, Owen Biddle, Anthony Wayne, & John Cadwalader, be a Committee, with full powers, to compleat an agreement with Mr. Samuel Potts and Mr. Bustead, for casting a number of heavy canon, and that these gentlemen be requested to take Mr. Rittenhouse with them to Mr. Pott's works, or to take any other measures for effecting this purpose which they may thing proper.

[38] A transcription of the broadside issued stated:[76] At a meeting of a number of the citizens of Philadelphia, at the Philosophical Society's Hall, November the 2d, Samuel Howell Chairman, Jonathan B. Smith, Secretary.

It was unanimously resolved to publish the following Address to the Inhabitants of the City and Liberties of Philadelphia: FRIENDS AND FELLOW-CITIZENS: As a considerable uneasiness has arisen in the minds of some of the inhabitants of Philadelphia, from a fear that it was the desire of those citizens who agreed to the resolutions passed at the town meetings the 21st and 22d of October last, that the Representatives to be chosen on the 5th of this instant, for this city, should possess, not only the power to make the necessary alterations in the frame of government formed by the late Convention, but likewise to execute the same, we take this opportunity of declaring that, after the said Representatives have finished the alterations and amendments in the government, (agreeable to the method proposed in the 29th resolution passed at the town meeting of the 2nd of October,) it is our desire that they should issue writs for the election of an Assembly, and immediately afterwards dissolve themselves; and for this purpose we intend to instruct them, previous to their taking their seats in the House of Assembly.

We think it our duty further to declare to you, that we wish for no alterations to be made in the Constitution, which shall affect the great and fundamental principles of a free government; such as liberty of conscience, trial by juries, freedom of the press, annual elections, and the division and rotation of offices.

But, while we acknowledge these parts of the Constitution to be perfectly just, and highly agreeable to us, we think ourselves bound to declare that it contains flaws which in a little while will render those inestimable blessings of no efficacy.

We appeal to Heaven for the purity of our intentions, and we call upon those men who have propagated this calumny to prove that we have ever aimed at any thing else than at the establishment of a free and consistent government upon the sole authority of the people.

By our preference of a mixed and tempered legislature to that established by the Convention, we declare that we wish for a Government that shall bot suffer the poor and the rich alternately to be the prey of each other.

Even the people of Canada opposed the arbitrary frame of Government contrived for them in the Quebeck bill before they experienced its destructive effects upon the remains of their liberty.

The prejudices and passions of a whole community are let loose by it upon every man's property, liberty, and life, through the medium of the legislature, the courts of law, and the political inquisition, called the Council of Censors.

We conjure you, therefore, by the remembrance of past difficulties, through which we have struggled together-by the prospects of the common dangers which are before us — by the honour of Pennsylvania — and by the blessings of free and equal government, to consider seriously what you are doing, before you take another step in support of the new constitution.

Let not the rash action of a single day add the inhabitants of Pennsylvania to the number of those unhappy people in several European countries, who have undone themselves by a hasty and ill-judged exercise of their own power.

Some gentlemen have mentioned Messrs. Samuel Howell and Thomas Franklyn as well qualified, both on account of their integrity and attachment to our cause, as from their knowledge of the City and residence in it, ever since the enemy had the possession.

Baring Brothers, the English merchant banking house, acted as agent for Hope & Company after the war purchasing large amounts of American land and discounted securities.

Given under my hand at the City of Philadelphia the Nineteenth day of March in the Year of our Lord one thousand and seven hundred and ninety one, and of the Independence of the United States of America the fifteenth.

I find it necessary to request of you the Commissions of the several gentlemen, whom the President was pleased to appoint as Commissioners to receive subscriptions to the Bank of the United States.