Research: The Stratham Historical Society

By Kimberly Alexander, Project Director & Director of Museum Studies

In July, the Flax Team spent the morning at the Stratham Historical Society, Stratham, NH. We initially came to see two child's homespun and hand sewn dresses (c.1827 - 1835) from the Lane family (descendants of Deacon Samuel Lane and his son, Jabez Lane). I viewed the dresses the previous summer (Summer 2022) and was captivated by the textiles, the sewing, the details and the mending, and the stories behind the maker and the wearer. After working to untangle some misattributions on the written receipts, we are now making progress with these two charming dresses. [1]

Olivia Emeline Lane dresses, c.1827-1835;
made by her mother, Hannah French Lane

Note the exquisite matched mend on the puffed, vandyked sleeve.

Thanks to the Historical Society collections manager, Andra Copeland, we found much more than we had anticipated -- including several outstanding examples of homespun linen (and other fibers as well) created by three generations of women from the Brown family of Stratham. 

As our research unfolds over the next year, we will share updates on the homespun linen found in this corner of New Hampshire and, where possible, the names of the makers responsible.

This research is active and ongoing.

[1] The Lane dresses are housed at the Stratham Historical Society, in Stratham, NH. For information, see Stratham Historical Society at http://www.strathamnh.gov/historical-society

The author thanks Andra Copeland, Skip Stearns, Bruce Kerr and Teddie Smith of the Stratham Historical Society for their assistance throughout the summer of 2022 and 2023.

          For a guide to the Lane Family Papers at the New Hampshire Historical Society, see: https://www.nhhistory.org/object/272904/lane-family-papers-1727-1924.

For a comprehensive account of Samuel Lane, see Brown, J. E., & Garvin, D.-B.. The Years of the Life of Samuel Lane, 1718-1806: A New Hampshire Man and His World. (Univ. Press of New England, 2000).  For an account of Lane and additional 18^th century New England shoemakers and their business, see Alexander, K., Treasures Afoot: Shoe Stories from the Georgian Era (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2018)

Research: The Woodman Museum, Dover, NH

By Kimberly Alexander, Director of Museum Studies & Project Director

The UNH Flax Team has visited the Woodman Museum in Dover, NH several times and found numerous items in their rich collections which have assisted our research. The holdings can be divided into three categories: tools needed for processing flax into linen; examples of homespun linen used for sheets and clothing items; and written daybooks and account books, kept by local merchants, shopkeepers and farmers.

Three flax heckles (or flax combs), c. mid-18th through early 19th century 
All images courtesy, the Woodman Museum; K. Alexander, photos

Graduate student and research assistant, Sophie MacDonald, measures a hemp brake 
in the Garrison House at the Woodman Museum

We were especially fortunate to locate examples of homespun linen with a known provenance, created by two Dover women. Shown here are linen sheets (c.1810-45) with the linen woven by Eunice Pinkham (died 13 August 1870, at age 84) and then sewn by her daughter, Phebe T. Pinkham Thompson (died 9 May 1848, at age 36). Other items from the Pinkham family include Phebe’s needle-case, a cap, and a nightshirt/shirt. All are from the 1st half of the 19th century, and likely not after 1848. One especially fine piece is dated 1833.

Phebe T. Pinkham and Eunice Pinkham sheet (above and left image); unknown maker’s homespun, c. 1820 (right), probably from Dover, NH.

We are also investigating several daybooks and account books which mention braking flax, selling flax seed and so on. More on these items as research progresses.

'Old Dover Account Book' Ellen P. Rounds Collection

From tools such as a hemp brake and heckles, to examples of locally grown and hand-spun linens --- sheets, caps and shirt -- the Woodman has proved an invaluable resource for learning more about the processing of flax and the production of linen. 

 

A special thank you to the Director Jonathan Nichols, and Operations Manager Mike Day for sharing their knowledge and their enthusiasm.

For more information on the Woodman Museum, see https://woodmuseum.org

 

KSA