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Tuesday, October 31, 2023

Elizabeth Gerrish Greenleaf, died 1712, Newbury, Massachusetts - Tombstone Tuesday

 This tombstone was photographed at the First Parish Burial Ground in Newbury, Massachusetts. 


HERE LYES INTERRED

Ye BODY OF

ELIZABETH GREENLEAF

WIFE TO CAP. STEPHEN

GREENLEAF DECEr. ye 5th

OF AUGUst 1712 IN Ye 58th

YEAR OF HER AGE.


Elizabeth Gerrish, daughter of William Gerrish and Joanna Lowell, was born 10 September 1654 in Newbury.  She married Stephen Greenleaf, son of Stephen Greenleaf and Elizabeth Coffin, on 23 October 1676 in Newbury. They had ten children born in Newbury. Stephen remarried to Hannah Tristram on 19 September 1713. 

Elizabeth and Stephen Greenleaf are my 9th great grandparents.  I descend from their daughter Elizabeth, born 12 January 1677 in Newbury, who married Henry Clarke on 7 November 1695 in Newbury.  Elizabeth died in 1724. 

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To cite/link to this blog post: Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Elizabeth Gerrish Greenleaf, died 1712, Newbury, Massachusetts - Tombstone Tuesday", Nutfield Genealogy, posted 31 October 2023, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2023/10/elizabeth-gerrish-greenleaf-died-1712.html: accessed [access date]).

Tuesday, October 24, 2023

Several Generations of Linens and Lace from Spain

 


Cleaning out a home after a death is a sad and nostalgic task.  When my mother-in-law recently passed away in Spain, we had to sort out everything in her apartment. We had to give away or throw away many item.  My husband brought home only a few items from her apartment.  He was not able to bring much because he could only bring what fit in his suitcases (and he paid for two extra suitcases). Some of those items were fragile (crystal glasses) and some were heavy (books) that needed padding so they wouldn't shift or break, so he wrapped them in the heirloom linens we found in the closet. Several generations of my mother-in-law's family owned this apartment. 

It turns out that these linens were quite beautiful, but a bit dingy from being stored a long time. Some looked brand new as if they were never used. I think the dry climate in Spain helped preserve them from mold or mildew spots.  I researched a bit on how to restore these handmade, delicate items.  We decided that we were probably going to use some of them, but my daughter and I didn't want all of them. Here is what I did to clean and store them:



The advice was to not use anything harsh like bleach or detergent.  I soaked them for several days in a bathtub filled with warm water and Oxy-clean.  This brightened up the linens and was not caustic.  Most of them were not stained, fortunately, just dingy from storage. The water turned yellow from the years of dust, so I changed the water daily that the linens were soaking in.   


To rinse them I used the hand held shower wand in the bathroom with warm water, and then put them through the short rinse only cycle in the washing machine.  This step would be skipped if the items were especially fragile, but most of what we had was in excellent shape and quite sturdy, even though we figured some of them were over 100 years old. 


Some of the items like tablecloths and bedding I ironed on medium heat while they were still damp.  They came out beautiful. This step could be skipped for very delicate items, or lacy doilies. 



An embroidered hanky!


Lace and crocheted items were air dried, some flat, and some on a drying rack


A very delicate hanky!  It was so fine you could see through it! 




An embroidered bedsheet

I spent several days washing, sorting, rinsing, drying and ironing dozens of pillow cases, napkins, bedding, and tablecloths.  I decided to keep only a few.  I really don't want these items to just end up stored in a closet for another 100 years.  I'm keeping just what I will use - a few hankies, some beautiful napkins, and some smaller items.  The rest I will share with my daughter, and then we will give away or sell the rest. I know that linens are not valuable or costly, but it seems a shame to just toss them or continue storing them.  

Here is the mystery. Some of the items are embroidered with "C M", which was my husband's grandmother's monogram - Maria Consuelo Martin (1908 - 2001) she was married in 1933 in Villar de Ciervo, Salamanca, Spain, so she probably made a lot of these before her marriage. Her mother was Josefa Rivero (1884 - 1937), married in 1904 also in Villar de Ciervo, and some of these items came from her marriage.  There are also sheets and pillowcases with a mystery monogram (see below).  Maybe this is not a monogram?  Is it just an abstract design? Perhaps it is a design for the letter "G", which was Consuelo's husband (Jose Garcia (1908-1954))?  It could be an "S" for Jose's father Sebastian Garcia (1878-1962)? 



Temporary storage for the clean linens.
For long term storage I would recommend acid free materials. 

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To cite/link to this blog post: Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Several Generations of Linens and Lace from Spain", Nutfield Genealogy, posted October 24, 2023, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2023/10/several-generations-of-linens-and-lace.html: accessed [access date]). 

Wednesday, October 18, 2023

"The Black Pearl", Newport, Rhode Island for Weathervane Wednesday

 This weathervane was photographed on the waterfront in Newport, Rhode Island.




This fantastic weathervane was photographed at The Black Pearl restaurant, 30 Bannister's Wharf, Newport, Rhode Island.  The weathervane is located on a signpost above the restaurant, not on the roof or on a cupola.  The name Black Pearl is well known from the popular movie series "Pirates of the Caribbean", as Capt. Jack Sparrow's ship. 

The weathervane is a very detailed two dimensional, double masted sailing ship. Unfortunately it doesn't look like a pirate ship, but perhaps there was another Black Pearl yacht.  I love that the details even include waves fore and aft. You can see the windows, rigging and sails.  Even the patina on the weathervane is interesting.  

For the truly curious: 

The Black Pearl website:  https://www.blackpearlnewport.com/  

The Black Pearl restaurant on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/BlackPearlNewport/  

Click here to see over 500 weathervanes featured at Weathervane Wednesday:

https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/search/label/Weathervane%20Wednesday   

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To cite/link to this blog post: Heather Wilkinson Rojo, ""The Black Pearl", Newport, Rhode Island for Weathervane Wednesday, Nutfield Genealogy, posted October 18, 2023, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2023/10/the-black-pearl-newport-rhode-island.html: accessed [access date]). 

Wednesday, October 11, 2023

Maria Josefa Garcia Martin 1934 - 2023

This morning my mother-in-law, Pepita or María Josefa García Martin, passed away peacefully in Madrid, Spain.  Vincent and our daughter, Catalina, were with her.  Pepita was born in 1934 in Orbaiceta, Navarra, Spain and grew up in several places around Spain because her father, José García Rivero, served in the military as a carbinero and as a Guardia Civil during and after the Civil War.  

In 1960 she married Vicente Rojo, immigrated to New York City, and had Vincent all in one year!  Vicente worked at the United Nations, and Pepita worked for several publishers and then for Iberia Airlines in Manhattan.  Later they all removed to Puerto Rico, and Pepita continued to work for Iberia until 1994 when she retired and enjoyed living both in San Juan and Madrid.  

After Vicente passed away in  2014 Pepita lived with us in New Hampshire and in Madrid, until the Covid pandemic struck and she stayed in Spain.  We visited her often in Madrid, especially this last year during her final illness. She will be missed by Vincent and I, Catalina and Gerald, her great granddaughter Isabella, and many other family members, friends, and neighbors.  

María Josefa García Martin as a toddler

Wedding Day in Madrid
9 January 1960

Pepita working at publisher Morgan and Morgan in New York


María Josefa García Martin in her Iberia Airlines uniform



Pepita, Vicente and Vincent at his birthday


1960s Easter Parade on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan
Pepita is in the mantilla, holding Vincent's hand

A selfie with Pepita, April 2023


The family at the Plaza Mayor in Madrid
April 2023


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To cite/link to this blog post: Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Maria Josefa Garcia Martin 1934 - 2023", Nutfield Genealogy, posted 11 October 2023, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2023/10/maria-josefa-garcia-martin-1934-2023.html: accessed [access date]).

Trinity Episcopal Church, Newport, Rhode Island for Weathervane Wednesday

 This weathervane was photographed in Newport, Rhode Island.





Today's weathervane was photographed above the steeple of the Trinity Church in Newport, Rhode Island. This church was established in 1698 as a congregation of Anglicans.  The building you see now was erected in 1726, and expanded in 1764. Episcopal churches were loyal to the English monarchy and the English Anglican church, and that is why this weathervane features a bishop's mitre above the banner. There are no cardinal points under the gilded vane.  This weathervane, with the Anglican bishop's mitre, is thought to have saved the church from being ransacked by British troops during the American Revolution. 

This church was restored between 1985 and 1987.  The steeple was removed, restored and replaced back in position. There is a book about the history of this church Semper Eadem: A History of Trinity Church in Newport, 1698 - 2000 by John Hattendorf. Copies are available through the church or at Amazon. This church was listed as a National Historic Landmark in 1968. 

For the truly curious:

History of Trinity Church:    https://www.trinitynewport.org/visit/history/   

Trinity Church at Wikipedia:   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinity_Church_(Newport,_Rhode_Island)  


Click here to see over 500 weathervanes featured here at Weathervane Wednesday:

https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/search/label/Weathervane%20Wednesday   

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To cite/link to this blog post: Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Trinity Episcopal Church, Newport, Rhode Island for Weathervane Wednesday", Nutfield Genealogy, posted October 11, 2023, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2023/10/trinity-episcopal-church-newport-rhode.html: accessed [access date]). 

Wednesday, October 4, 2023

A Sailboat in Newport, Rhode Island for Weathervane Wednesday

 This weathervane was photographed in Newport, Rhode Island





Today's weathervane was seen atop the Newport Transportation Center in Newport, Rhode Island. This is a handy place to start your tour of Newport, with a large parking garage, bathrooms, free maps and information at the Gateway Vistors Center, bus stops, and the FREE green and gold hybrid tourist trolleys.  It is located at 23 America's Cup Avenue, Newport.

The very appropriate sailing yacht weathervane was installed on one of the towers above this transportation center. For more than a century Newport has been a major center for sailing and boat racing.  The area still hosts regattas and charters, especially sightseeing tours. Newport is the former home of the America's Cup races and is still considered the sailing capitol of the United States.

This three dimensional weathervane is very detailed, with rigging, mast, sails and a rudder.  

For the truly curious:  

Rhode Island Public Transit Authority:    https://www.ripta.com/newport/   

Gateway Visitor Center:   https://www.cityofnewport.com/living-in-newport/parking-transportation/city-parking-lots/gateway-visitors-center-parking-lot  


Click here to see over 500 other weathervanes featured here at Weathervane Wednesday:

https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/search/label/Weathervane%20Wednesday   


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To cite/link to this blog post:  Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "A Sailboat in Newport, Rhode Island for Weathervane Wednesday", Nutfield Genealogy, posted October 4, 2023, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2023/10/a-sailboat-in-newport-rhode-island-for.html: accesssed [access date]).