Smallpox Threatens Paul Revere's Daughter
"Mr. Revere, why were you opposed to your daughter isolated at the Pest House on Spectacle Island?"
Mr. Lapin, Sir, my blood was stirred to exceeding wrath when confronted with so cruel a threat—that my own flesh and blood should be torn from my hearth and sent into exile."
When the dreadful Small-Pox broke forth in the Town of Boston in the month of February, 1764, one of Mr. Revere’s tender offspring ( fell afflicted with that foul distemper. To hinder the pestilence from spreading amongst the inhabitants of the Town, the Board of Selectmen did most urgently press Mr. Revere to yield his ailing child unto the Town’s Pest-House.
Mr. Revere, however, did flatly refuse to surrender his daughter into their custody, particularly concerned additional might be driven beyond his care.
"Mr. Lapin! Clearly you have never suffered through an epidemic. The Pest-House Was a virtual place of execution: Such quarantine-houses were infamous for their foul air, wretched neglect, and fearful mortality. To banish my daughter to an island pest-house was to deliver her into a misery, where her hopes of recovery would be extinguished. Moreover, the selectmen infringed on my parental authority and responsibility to protect my children. "
"Might I remind you, Mr. Lapin, that under English Common Law home-quarantine traditions and a Massachusetts provincial statute passed in 1701 referred to the Act for Providing in Case of Sickness, enabled me to resist those unlearned selectmen. I sure hope in your life and times you have not surrendered your rights."
The Compromise: A Household Confinement
The Selectmen, finding themselves unable to remove the child unto Spectacle Island, did instead lay a strict Injunction of Confinement upon the whole of Mr. Revere’s household.
They stationed Guards before his Dwelling-House in Fish Street, within the North End, closed up the doors of his Silversmith Shop, and compelled Mr. Revere, his wife Sarah, and all their little ones to remain closely shut up indoors for the space of several months.
Business Survival Plan:
1. Shifted to Bench Work and Design Indoors
While forbidden from receiving walk-in retail customers, Revere utilized his indoor workbench to maintain production. He focused on tasks that required no foot traffic or outside forge help:
Engraving: He spent time designing and carving copper printing plates for illustrations, trade cards, and bookplates.
Small Goods & Bench Repairs: He manufactured smaller, high-value silver items (such as spoons, sleeve buttons, and buckles) and performed delicate bench repairs that could be completed entirely in-house.
2. Relied on Existing Inventory & Barter
Revere's business ledgers from the period show that rather than relying solely on custom silver commissions, he leveraged existing stock. He sold or bartered pre-made items, tools, and raw materials. In 18th-century Boston, physical goods could be passed out or delivered with minimal contact through intermediaries, allowing him to collect credit or settled balances on older accounts.
3. Leveraged Local Patriot & Professional Networks
Revere was part of a tight-knit community of artisans, merchants, and physicians who helped sustain his trade during times of isolation:
Physicians & Inoculation Contacts: Close associates like Dr. Joseph Warren (who actively administered smallpox inoculations in Boston) and Dr. John Clarke were frequent contacts. These networks helped facilitate communications, bill collections, and necessary supplies for the Revere household while it was under guard.
Trusted Runners: Uninfected apprentices or outside associates were used to carry messages, take orders, and deliver finished pieces to clients across town without requiring clients to enter the home.
4. Broadening Trade Skills
The financial strain of the 1764 quarantine underscored the vulnerability of relying solely on traditional silversmithing. During and immediately following his isolation, Revere intentionally diversified his trade. He expanded into print engraving, dental work (crafting false teeth from ivory and wire), and eventually hardware and metal casting—a pivot that ultimately secured his long-term financial stability.
Once the quarantine ended and his child recovered, Revere formally reopened his shop doors to the public, cleared his household's health status with the Selectmen, and resumed full-scale operation.