Tin Glazed Polychrome Decorated Earthenware
Indian Raid
“It
was carried away in the first Indian raid. She always told me that.
Then
it was kept. The Indian woman used
it. It was her prize. When she died her daughter took it
over. It was supposed to be buried
with the mother. On the
island. But the daughter took it
over. She had it with her when she
moved to the village about the time of the Revolution. A little before actually. She took over the McKean cabin but
later lived in the back of the Hamilton House. She died there and that’s when Abbey Hamilton took it (the
charger) over. Her mother wouldn’t
have had anything to do with it.
Her china is still in the house and it is all Old English Paste. She wouldn’t have had anything that big
then. It’s a serving charger. Most of them were pewter anyway. Abbey probably still used some pewter. She moved down to Newburyport and then
to Boston. Married. Had five children. Then moved back to Maine. Falmouth Neck. Portland actually.
“After
she died the family kept the property.
Everything in the house.
They all lived there. They
came and went. One branch is up in
Cherryfield they say. I don’t know
about that. There’s a lot of them
but they all came out of that house on the Neck. It doesn’t interest me. It’s a hundred years earlier (than the actual age of the
charger) that I like. Sixteen
fifties (1650’s). Or earlier. Sixteen thirties. Just cabins then. They were all burned.
“That
charger was probably traded-in or looted in the 1750’s. Probably both. One bought it through trade while the
second one (owner) stole it as plunder.
That all makes more sense when you know the actual age. Seventeenth century delftware on the
Coast of Maine was always scarce.
They used wood and had a piece of pewter if they were lucky. If they had delft they took it with
them when they left. You
know: Back to Boston. Probably took it back to England
too. If they went back. Please: Don’t let him touch it.”
The
mother pulled the child back.
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