No, I'm not former or active Navy. Commodore is a family name and pays homage to my ancestors.
Welcome to my first blog post! This blog is an extension of my business and functions as an outlet for me to tell the stories of my products as well as to chronicle my journey through #leathercraft.
I'll start with a little about me and why I chose the name "Commodore" for my business.
My name is Seth and I live in Raleigh, North Carolina. Now, I haven't always lived here. I grew up in Southern Illinois, emphasis on southern because my hometown is 5-6 hours outside of Chicago.
My hometown is a little one called Lawrenceville with a population somewhere around 4,500. I actually lived 12 miles north of Lawrenceville on a cattle ranch with about 275 head of angus and hereford cattle.
The land that the ranch lives on has belonged to my family for over 100 years, close to 150 actually. The ranch itself has been run by my family for 72 years. It was started by my Great Grandfather, Ed Whittaker.
My Great Aunt Jo, one of Ed's daughters, also lives on that ranch and she instilled in me the importance of knowing your ancestors. I've done my best to absorb all of her stories and tips on how to track your ancestors down. Let me tell you, it's no easy feat.
That leads us closer to the point of this story. My Father, J.B. Brenton, is the lead rancher at Whittaker Farms. His Mother was one of Ed's daughters and his Father was a man by the name of James (Jim) W. Brenton.
Now, I've managed to track the Brenton side back to the late 1700s. Private Robert Brenton, born in Hampshire County, West Virginia, is as far as I've gotten. I imagine his parents were the first generation of Brenton's in America. I won't drag you through all of the Brenton's from then till now, but I thought it an interesting detail to include.
I work a soft, corporate job. I don't use my hands to pay the bills as all the men before me have and that just doesn't sit right with me.
Anyway, as you go through all of the Brenton's, there are some interesting names that occur. Names that you just don't hear anymore. It's these names, as well as some others from different sides, that inspire the name of my products, and one in particular that inspired the name of my business. Can you guess it?
The truly interesting names start with the children of John James Brenton, a grandson of Pvt. Robert. John James and his wife gave birth to 3 children, Commodore, Grover, and Clara Florence. See? Names that you just don't hear anymore.
So, why Commodore? Well, I think it's one of the most interesting names I've ever heard, it sounds pretty badass, and he's my Great, Great Grandfather.
Another interesting detail I've found as I work my way through family history is that every man in my family has been a laborer of some sort. Soldiers, farmers, sawmill operators, construction, etc. That is until you get to me. I work a soft, corporate job. I don't use my hands to pay the bills as all the men before me have and that just doesn't sit right with me.
That's why I started Commodore Leather Supply. I needed to honor the legacy of working with your hands, just as my ancestors did.