Description:
White wool blanket said to be made by Lydia Batchelder (1776-1847) with a crewel embroidered panel with scrolling vines and flowers in light and dark blues along one end and an embroiderd "LL" on the bottom center of the panel, and "HDW" embroidered at the lower left corner of the blanket. The embroidered panel was once part of a much larger piece, which was hemmed and attached to this unrelated but similarly-aged blanket. The embroidery uses stem, New England laid, specking, cross, and spike stitches in the manner of Deerfield blue and white embroidery. The blanket came with two hand-written notes: "All wool quilt, spun & woven by Lydia Batcheler. / She married Simon DeWolf in 1803. / Anna Sprague DeWolf (Mrs. John Oviatt DeWolf)" and "Spun & woven by Lydia Batchelder." There was also third note in different handwritting: "Made by Lydia Batchelder who married Simon DeWolf in 1803 - came down through Root family from Leyntha E. (DeWolf) Root. Letter of provenance will accompany this purchase." A doll's shawl (HD 91.035) also accompanied this blanket, which has the note, "Lydia DeWolf married 1803 Mother of Almon DeWolf and Lyntha DeWolf, aunt of Lyntha DeWolf Root. / This shawl / From Lydia DeWolf (wife of Simon DeWolf) to Tirzah B. (DeWolf) Newton (wife of Walter Newton, brother of Elvina Newton) DeWolf. Then to Lyntha E. (DeWolf) Root." In 1803 Lydia Batchelder (1776-1847), the daughter of John Batchelder of Conway, married Simon DeWolf (1776-1863) who lived at the Nook in West Deerfield. Their son was Almon DeWolf (1806-1886) who married Elvira Newton in 1832 and whose son, Austin DeWolf (b.1838) married Frances O. Oviatt, and practiced law in Greenfield until they "removed west" (Marion, Indianna). Austin's son, John Oviatt DeWolf (1870-1932) of Winchester, Massachusetts, married Anna Sprague Frothingham, and their daughter, Lyntha (b.1846) married Asahel Wright Root (1845-1925) of Deerfield, the son of Francis Root and Charlotte Wright (b.1811), in 1869. The blanket appears to have descended from Lydia Batchelder DeWolf to her son Almon DeWolf; to his daughter Lyntha who married Asahel Root; to the wife of her nephew, Anna Sprague DeWolf; to the Root family descendents in Easthampton, Massachusetts. Also see HD 91.036 for a chest on chest made for the marriage of Lydia Batchelder and Simon DeWolf. Historic New England also owns a blue whole cloth wool quilt attributed to Batchelder, made in 1803.
Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+91.034 |
