Description:
Embroidered cream-colored collar or fichu which came with a note, "Work of our Grandmother Belcher" and described by the donor as made by Mary Partridge Belcher (1685-1736), the first wife of Governor Jonathan Belcher (1682-1757) in 1738. Embroidery such as this was part of the school curriculum for young ladies from about the mid 18th century into the early 19th century, and classes in this technique were advertised in newspapers. The donor, Eileen Lousie Palmer Belcher, was the wife (married 1927) of Edward Brymer Belcher (1887-1961) who gave the portrait of Frederick William Geyer (HD 58.039) to Historic Deerfield in 1957. Edward Belcher was a direct descendent (9th generation) from this families' first Belcher in the colonies, Andrew Belcher who married Elizabeth Danforth. Their descendents included Andrew Belcher (1647/48-1717) who was a wealthy merchant in Boston and member of the Council in Boston from 1702 to 1717; Jonathan Belcher, Governor of Massachusetts from 1729/30 to 1741 and New Jersey from 1747-1757; Jonathan Belcher, Jr. (1710-1776), the first Chief Justice and a Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia (1760-1764); Andrew Belcher (1761-1841), a wealthy merchant in Halifax, Nova Scotia, who married Marianne Geyer (1773-1839), daughter of Frederick (d. 1821) and Susannah Geyer of Boston, in 1792; and Admiral Sir Edward Belcher (1799-1877) of the British Royal Navy. See HD 70.181, 70, 182, HD 58.039, HD 58.040, and HD 58.041 for portraits of Marianna Geyer Belcher, Andrew Belcher, and Frederick William Geyer, and HD 1057 for a print of Governor Jonathan Belcher.
Subjects:
Textile fabrics; Linen Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+F.737 |
