Based on careful research conducted over many years by Patricia Q. Wall, this book presents the first detailed look at the lives of more than four hundred black individuals who lived in Kittery and Berwick, Maine, from the seventeenth century until about 1820. Pat has patiently combed the available public and private documents to find whatever scraps of information had been recorded about these African Americans. Because most lived their lives in the shadows of historical record, much has been lost. As Pat reveals, however, in addition to the personal trajectories of their own lives, they also played important roles in the life of their towns. Thanks to her research, we have a much better understanding of the importance of the Black, Native American, and mixed-race populations in southern Maine, both in qualitative and quantitative terms.
New England eighteenth-century objects with a history of ownership by an enslaved person are very rare. A nineteenth-century inscription on the underside of this table’s top is one such object. The note reads: “This table came from / Sir William Pepperell. / He gave it to his slave / Molly Miles.” Research by Patricia Q. Wall, published in her Lives of Consequence (Portsmouth Marine Society Press, 2017), identifies Molly Miles (ca. 1718-1827) as an enslaved person owned by Sir William Pepperrell of Kittery Point, Maine, and later members of his family. Molly died in the Eliot almshouse at nearly 108 years of age. She “retained the faculties of her mind to the last, walking perfectly erect, with a firm step, and has not a wrinkle on her face, and could distinctly see to read her Bible without glasses.” We are fortunate to have this material reminder of her life.
Table (“Molly’s table”), Seacoast area, ca. 1750 with later additions. Maple; two replaced legs, oak; H. 27 in., Diam. top 27 in. Gift of Alan and Anne Cutter (2017.2).
Coming this April…
We’re working hard in preparation for our 2021 season.
Stay tuned
for sneak peeks of all the fabulous works of art that will be on display this spring and summer!
Did you think those caterer’s urns with spigots were a 20th-century invention? Not so! Urns with spigots to dispense hot water (because the proper way to do it is to put the tea leaves in the tea pot) have been around since the 18th century.
This monumental tea urn, seen here on display in the John Paul Jones House, is a good example of English Sheffield plate, which was very popular in America in the early nineteenth century as an alternative to objects fashioned from more expensive sterling silver. It serves as a reminder of the importance of the tea ceremony in early America. The unmarked urn has an early history in the Fowle family of Portsmouth, and is a recent gift of Esther Pappas of Yarmouth, Maine, a family descendant who presented it to the Society in memory of her mother.
Hot-water urn, probably Sheffield, England, 1810-20. Fused plate (Sheffield plate), ivory; H. 19 in., W. 9 ½ in., D. 10 in. Gift of Edith Pappas in memory of Esther J. Marshall, 2020.
The Teapot’s Tale by Portsmouth author Joanna Brode
with illustrations by Claudia Hopf
The little teapot in this story is real. It was made in New York City by one of the Crolius family of potters, and centuries later was purchased at the Brimfield, Massachusetts Flea Market by a New Hampshire couple.
The story of what happened between the teapot’s creation in New York City and its purchase at the Brimfield Market is fictional but plausible. Readers are invited to imagine their own story of what might of befallen the little teapot in those mysterious lost years.
2021 Elinor Williams Hooker Tea Talks at the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire
The Black Heritage Trail is once again hosting a phenomenal series of talks to celebrate Black History Month. It’s a “virtual” series this year, so you don’t even have to brave the 15° weather to participate. But you do need to register in advance!
We’re all glad to see the back of 2020, but we need to take a moment and say
THANK YOU
to all our supporters who made it possible for us to reach 2021. We are constantly amazed by the generosity and enthusiasm of our members, donors, sponsors, and public. We truly couldn’t do it without you, and we’re so glad to have you on the team!
The annual appeal letter assembly line in late 2019.
Puzzle Sale
This high-quality jigsaw puzzle is on sale at our online shop for only $20!
Don’t be fooled by the fact it’s only 500 pieces; it’s a challenge!
The first person to send shop manager Beth a selfie with the completed puzzle will win 2 tickets for our downtown Portsmouth walking tour!
Pair of slippers, labeled by Abner Newhall (1771-1802), Portsmouth, ca. 1792-1802. Leather; L. 10 ½ in., W. 3 ½ in., H. 2 in. Gift of Hollis Brodrick (2020). Transcription of label: “ABNER NEWHALL’s / SHOE STORE, / Opposite the Sign of the / Golden Pitcher Daniel-street, PORTSMOUTH, (N.H.)”
These early labeled women’s slippers are a recent example of the longstanding generosity of Hollis Brodrick. Over the span of many years, Hollis has given the Society outstanding and rare documented Portsmouth objects. Newhall worked on Daniel Street, advertised in the local paper, and was active in the late eighteenth century.
Newhall is a little-known figure, but there is considerable documentation that can shed light on his career. The Wendell Family Papers at the Baker Library at the Harvard Business School include a substantial body of Newhall’s estate papers as well as several account books. These indicate he sold “misses slippers” and related shoes at various price points. Other Newhall papers are at the Massachusetts Historical Society. Newhall died in August 1802 and his shop burned in the December 1802 fire. These slippers join the Society’s outstanding collection of textiles, costume, and fashion accessories, including various types of footwear.
