Carey confessed to his cousin, James Carey, a priest in Ireland, that he “entertained an affection for” Bridget Flahavan for nearly three years before marrying her.[1] She was ten years his junior. As a young man, he had decided he would not marry until he was capable of adequately providing for his wife. That was not to be. At the time, he was publishing the American Museum, and teetering on the brink of financial insolvency. At times, he was unable to pay his workers at the end of the week, borrowing money when he went to the market. Bridget’s father, Roger Flahavan, suffered financial ruin after converting his assets into continental currency during the American Revolution. She had no dowry. Despite these difficulties, they were married on February 24, 1791.[2]
Mathew was ambitious and indefatigable. Bridget was hard working, sensible and thrifty. She proved to be a suitable mate, running Carey’s shop in his absence. Together they resolved to live economically. Carey overcame his financial difficulties and made a fortune. They were happily married for thirty-nine years. They had nine children. Two died in infancy. Their daughter Susan died at the age of seventeen. Maria, Henry Charles, Elizabeth, Eleanor, Frances and Edward lived to adulthood.
Henry Charles Carey (1793-1879) was a precocious child who impressed booksellers with his knowledge of publishing when he was only eight years old. His father sent him to tend a bookstore in Baltimore when he was twelve.
Edward Carey (1805-1845) assembled an important collection of American works of art.
Isaac Lea and Mathew Carey’s daughter, Frances Carey. Frances Carey (1799-1873) married Isaac Lea (1792-1886), who became Henry Carey’s partner in the publishing firm founded by Mathew Carey.
TRANSITION TO PUBLISHER | Carey’s Transition to Publishing
[1] Mathew Carey to Reverend James Carey, Philadelphia, 12 September 1791, Lea and Febiger Collection, Historical Society of Pennsylvania.
[2] Mathew Carey, Autobiography, (Brooklyn: Research Classics, 1942) 22, 24.