Benjamin Newton was a native of Newport, Rhode Island. He acted in the capacity of supercargo and roving merchant for cargoes of many vessels rather than as master of a single ship. In 1844-1845, he sailed with the Huntress to Canton and there helped dispose of her cargo. In 1847-1849 and 1849-1850 the Talbot sailed under Capt. Story and Capt. Blish to Singapore while Newton traveled by an overland route through Europe and met the ship at Singapore to sell its cargo. He did the same when the Esther sailed to Canton under Captain Stevens in 1850. Newton acted as a sort of roving agent for the New York commission merchant Gordon & Talbot and the closely aligned Canton merchant firm Olyphant & Co. The founding partners in both Gordon & Talbot and Olyphant & Co. were also Newport families and it's mostly likely this connection that brought Newton to China. By 1852, Newton was back in the United States, first in Newport and later in New York City. Newton's brother James and his nephew John partnered in a San Francisco, California wholesale dry goods and commission business which Benjamin helped facilitate through his connections with Augustine Heard & Co.
From the guide to the Benjamin Newton business records, 1836-1864, (Baker Library, Harvard Business School)
