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Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Blood Legacy The True Story of the 1925 Snow Ax Murders



In 1925 a young man’s severed head was found in an abandoned farmhouse near the town of Stephenville. What is discovered next will shock you.......To Read More Click Link to my article Blood Legacy A True Crime Story

Sunday, October 25, 2015

Pilgrim Century Furniture Discovery 1658



While researching the Newbury Short family cabinet makers I came across Gary Sullivan's blog post on the Pilgrim Chest featured on the Anderson Cooper show in 2011. Gary is overseeing my Short family project and while the earliest piece in that family is the wedding dresser below the Shorts were part of the 1635 Newbury Massachusetts settlers. Imagine the hidden treasure troves that have not yet been discovered. How many more items are out there?! Recently a gentlemen contacted me on a few pieces that he has in his possession that were in his family from the early Allen sea captain line in Massachusetts. Well will just wait and see.
Here is the Henry Short and Ann Longfellow Short wedding dressing box ca. 1694.


Friday, October 23, 2015

Rebecca Nurse Homestead Danvers MA








Some Sources to Check out
Essex Institute Historical Collections Essex Institute Press, 1886

Foss, Hobbs, Sturtevant, Forecster, Whitman, Chapman, Crocker, Chatfield, Taylor Hickman Lines

Helen Foss and William Whitman Hobbs married June 12 1916 in Cohassett, MA. Helen daughter of Eugene Noble Foss (September 24, 1858 – September 13, 1939) and Lila Sturtevant (November 4 1860-January 11 1925) She married (1) Captain Henry William Forester. Eugene Foss US Congressman, Massachusetts Governor. Elected to represent Massachusetts' 14th District in the United States House of Representatives, serving from 1910 to 1911. He was defeated as Republican in 1902. Also served as Governor of Massachusetts from 1911 to 1914.
In 1902, William Whitman, who for thirty-five years had served the corporation as treasurer, was made president. Franklin W. Hobbs was at this time elected to the treasurership, and has, during his nine years of service (1911), proven himself an efficient successor to Mr. Whitman. Mr. Hobbs was also executive officer of the mills. From Sunday, August 30, 1914  Boston Herald







The rumored impending divorce of Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Foss is no surprise to Violet Ray, as it is well known that on a recent visit to Boston, the Foss stronghold, for Mr. Foss' father was once Governor of Massachusetts, there were whisperings in the select Back Bay coteries of trouble brewing between Benny and his beautiful Californian. Mrs. Foss, who was Miss Dorothy Chapman, was one of San Francisco's leading belles, making her début in 1908. Her marriage is well remembered as the most notable social event of 1911. The only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Wilfred B. Chapman and a granddaughter of one of the Golden Gate's business builders, Dorothy was a much sought-after bud, her distinctive type of beauty winning for her many admirers. But Mrs. Foss, with one of her children and her auto, is now in Reno and has been there long enough to establish residence. She has been seen much with a local attorney, but as yet has not filed suit. Mr. Foss left San Francisco for Reno quite recently “to try to effect a reconciliation,” and perhaps after all a divorce many be headed off.


Thursday, October 15, 2015

Mrs Clarke Lace School Newburyport MA New England Lace Co


The New England Lace Manufacturing Company’s factory on High Street was purchased by Joseph Ross in the middle of the 19th Century. The converted building was known as the “Ross Mansion.” It was torn down in 1930 and was replaced by the brick home presently at that location. Photo from Stories of Ipswich Read More from Gordon Harris Joseph Ross, Ipswich bridge builder





From Saturday, April 10, 1869 Cape Ann Light and Gloucester Telegraph (Gloucester, Massachusetts)


From Boston, October 26 Exhibition of Manufactures Wednesday, November 1, 1826  National Aegis (Worcester, Massachusetts)

From The Upholsterer, Volume 51
In 1833 the New England lace factory at Newburyport, Mass, was organized with a capital of $150,000, but suspended operations four or five years after. These were the beginnings of the industry. There are no means of discovering the record of all the experiments.

From John J. Currier History of Newburyport:
In 1827, the New England Lace Company established a school in Newburyport for the purpose of instructing young ladies in the art of working lace. This school was under the supervision of Mrs. Clarke of Ipswich, and pupils were requested to apply to her for admission, "at the upper door to the brick store, east corner of Market Street."2 Subsequently, the store was converted into a factory for the manufacture of woolen yarn and cotton batting.

At about two o'clock, Sunday morning, November 26, 1837, the factory was discovered to be on fire. The machinery and the stock of manufactured goods on hand were destroyed, but the building was saved. A card of thanks, addressed to the firemen, and signed by Edmund Bartlet, was published in the Newburyport Herald on the twenty-eighth day of November following. William Bartlet, in his will, proved February 16, 1841, gave to his son Edmund Bartlet The house and land on which he now lives with all the buildings on Market street in Newburyport .... with all the fixtures, machinery and furniture in the steam mill, attached to the house, which I value to the sum of $38,000. dollars, to be held in trust for him by my executors [Ebenezer Wheelwright, Samuel Farrar, John Porter and Charles Brockway].

History of Newburyport, Euphemia Vale Blake
"In 1827, Edmund Bartlett, Esq., established a lace school, which contained at one time ninety pupils, who were first instructed in working lace, and then employed in its production, — a very opportune enterprise, when so few sources were open to female labor. While the style of lace wrought continued in fashion, this employment went far towards supporting many indigent families."


According to Textiles in Early New England: Design, Production and Consumption by Peter Benes quoting Sarah Smith Emery: "Mrs. Clarke was "a lady, who has a perfect knowledge of every thing pertaining to the art" and noted, In 1827 a school for instruction in working lace was opened, and for a time, of an afternoon, scarcely a young girl could be seen without a lace hoop or frame in her hand. Very elegant veils wrought in frames supported by a stand, were worked. For a period this lace business continued quite remunerative."

Saturday, October 10, 2015

Amesbury Josiah Bartlett Monument honored by John Greenleaf Whittier July 4 1888






Photo of Josiah Bartlett at present location is courtesy of Jennifer Haven, Reference Librarian, Amesbury Public Library. From Works of Karl Gerhardt 1888
The figure, over eight feet in height, stands erect, with head uplifted, "the mouth and the brow are brave in bronze," and one foot pressed forward, "a true embodiment of the independence which Governor Bartlett was prominent in obtaining for his country-men." The costume represents the old-time knee breeches, long waistcoat, and loosely-hanging coat with ruffed cuffs of Revolutionary days, such as Governor Bartlett wore. That the face might be a perfect reproduction, an oil painting of Josiah Bartlett, by Trumbull, was procured in Boston, which was valued so highly that it was deposited in a bank vault every day as the sculptor finished his work. In the right hand is a quill pen and in the left a roll on which is the word "Independence," thus illustrating the subject of the statue. The entire work is considered perfect in every detail, and stands in all the grandeur of enduring bronze, a fitting testimonial to the fame of one of Massachusetts' noble sons.
The following poem concluded the events of a day made memorable in the history of Amesbury:

One Of The Signers

O storied vale of Merrimac
Rejoice through all thy shade and shine,
And from his century's sleep call back
A brave and honored son of thine.

Unveil his effigy between
The living and the dead to-day;
The fathers of the Old Thirteen
Shall witness bear as spirits may.

Unseen, unheard, his gray compeers
The shades of Lee and Jefferson,
Wise Franklin reverend with his years
And Carroll, lord of Carrollton!

Be thine henceforth a pride of place
Beyond thy namesake's over-sea,
Where scarce a stone is left to trace
The Holy House of Amesbury.

A prouder memory lingers round
The birthplace of thy true man here
Than that which haunts the refuge found
By Arthur's mythic Guinevere.

The plain deal table where he sat
And signed a nation's title-deed
Is dearer now to fame than that
Which bore the scroll of Runnymede.

Long as, on Freedom's natal morn,
Shall ring the Independence bells,
Give to thy dwellers yet unborn
The lesson which his image tells.

For in that hour of Destiny,
Which tried the men of bravest stock,
He knew the end alone must be
A free land or a traitor's block.

Among those picked and chosen men
Than his, who here first drew his breath,
No firmer fingers held the pen
Which wrote for liberty or death.

Not for their hearths and homes alone,
But for the world their work was done;
On all the winds their thought has flown
Through all the circuit of the sun.

We trace its flight by broken chains,
By songs of grateful Labor still;
To-day, in all her holy fanes,
It rings the bells of freed Brazil.

O hills that watched his boyhood's home,
O earth and air that nursed him, give,
In this memorial semblance, room
To him who shall its bronze outlive!

And thou, O Land he loved, rejoice
That in the countless years to come,
Whenever Freedom needs a voice,
These sculptured lips shall not be dumb!  










See Jacob Huntington and Family from Amesbury Carriage Museum