Shute & Merchant
the Shutes and Merchants of Cape Ann
Percy Washburn Merchant
(1873 - 1937)
The youngest son of George and Mary (Douglass) Merchant, Percy followed his brother Orlando's lead, and chose to enter the fishing industry by working for a dealer of fish products. At at age 18, he began working as a clerk for Shute & Merchant.
He married Sarah Lois Goodwin on Nov. 26, 1894.
He and Sarah Lois had four children:
| Raymond Presson | 1896 - 1965 | |
| Lois Rachel | 1899 - 1976 | |
| Russell Carlton | 1901 - 1994 | |
| Percy Albert | 1903 - 1982 |
While with Shute & Merchant he eventually became the head of the their New England Divivion. After that firm was purchased by Gorton-Pew, he remained with them for a few year. Eventually he joined the newly formed Sylvanus Smith Fish Company, which later became the Frank Pearce firm.
Percy, like his father, was also a person who liked to design better ways of doing things. In 1911, he was granted a patent for an improved way to wrap and package food stuffs. He developed this idea while employed by Sylvanus Smith, so the patent was signed over to that company.