parents: Hercules Manchester & Abigail Tripp of Westport, Mass; they married on 14 Feb 1808. Hercules died of typhoid fever on 1 Dec 1873, age 87 yrs, 2 mo,11 days. He's buried in Westport. In the 1850 census, Hercules gave his occupation as sailor.

1818/19 - birth of P.H.Manchester, probably in Westport, Mass.

1833 - Fall River records list a Pardon Manchester in Iron Works. This probably means "in account with the Iron Works" but this is not clear. In any case it would appear that Pardon is still in Fall River at this time. Age however would only be 15 to 16 yrs.

1836 -  Pardon is baptized (5 Mar 1836) at the 2nd Baptist Church, Providence, RI, West Side.  Age about 17 or 18.

1840 - Fed. census - Entry for a Pardon Manchester in Fall River, Bris. Cnty., Mass. Pg 254

1841 - Marriage in Providence (5 May 1841) to Sarah A. Nottage, also of the 2nd Bapt. Church.

1841,43,44,45 Prov. Dir. - P.H.Manchester, planemaker, 14 Broad, h. Bridgham 

1845 & 1846 - Pardon makes 2 land purchases, one of which is located on the north side of Friendship St.

1847-48 Prov. Dir. - P.H.Manchester, planemaker, 102 Broad, h. 182 Friendship.
1847 Prov. Almanac - P.H.Manchester, planemaker, 11 Broad 
1848,53,54,55  Prov. Directories (&or) Almanacs - P.H.Manchester, planemaker, 102 Broad, h. 179 Friendship

*Note: In the 1847-48, 1850, and 1853 Prov. Directories, P.H.Manchester and Leonard B. Bigelow are located at the same working address of 102 Broad Street in Providence. As no co-partnership is known to exist, it would seem that there were either two shops at the same address, or more likely that these two plane makers were sharing the same shop to save expenses. There's a third possibility. Manchester continued to call himself a planemaker during this period however Bigelow in the 1850 census gave his occupation as book keeper. It could be that for Leonard Bigelow planemaking had become a part time job, (possibly even working now for Manchester) and in fact by 1854 Leonard Bigelow, now 45, had become a machinist working at the Providence Machine Co. on Eddy Street. In the 1850 RI manufacturing census, the business of Pardon Manchester is shown, but not Bigelow's, lending further weight to the proposition that Bigelow was not making planes full time as Manchester was.

1850 - Fed. census; Pardon H. Manchester, 32, planemaker, b. Mass; Sarah A., 27, b. Mass; Hanna 5, b. RI.

1851 - Pardon H. et ux (Sarah A.) sells land and buildings situated in Cranston on the southerly side of Public St. to Sarah A. Nottage, his mother-in-law. (Cranston D-25-171)

1856 - Prov. Dir. - P.H.Manchester, planemaker, 102 Broad, h. 179 Friendship.

1857 - Prov. Dir. - P.H. Manchester, planemaker, 7 1/2 Richmond, h. 179 Friendship

1858 - Pardon H.Manchester dies at age 39 yrs. (11 Apr 1858)

1858 - On 31 Aug 1858, four months after Pardon dies, a new child is born in Pawtucket, RI to P.H. Manchester's brother James W. Manchester & wife Charlotte Swain Tripp, both of Westport. He is christened Pardon H. Manchester.

1893 - P.H.Manchester's widow Sarah A. dies at age 71 yrs. (9 May 1893)