Date Unknown
Taken from a newly discovered letter written by Elizabeth S. Crane (1883-1960), date unknown. This was transcribed October 15, 2007.
This quilt is about 270 years old.
It was made by my great grandmother four times removed. She carded, spun and colored the thread and wove the cloth which forms the lining. The top is of Damask Cloth which, at the time, was very expensive and considered a great luxury to have.
The quilt was in her trousseau chest when she married my ancestor, the Rev. Thomas Buckingham in 1666. He was the youngest child of the Puritan settler, Thomas Buckingham, who was the ancestor of all the American Buckinghams and who came from England in 1637.
The Rev. Thomas Buckingham was often called by his townsmen to settle business difficulties and an autographed letter from him to the General Assembly in regard to the encroachments of Andross, may be seen in the State Archives at Hartford, dated 5: 6.75 and signed by him.
His monument is still standing in the Old Burying-ground of Saybrook, Connecticut where he died. It bears the inscription:
Hear lies the body of the
REV. MR. THOMAS BUCKINGHAM,
Pastor of the Church of
Christ in Saybrook, dec’d
April ye 1st, 1709, in ye
63 year of his age.
The following is a copy of the inscription on the tomb of Mrs. Hester Buckingham (maker of this quilt):
MRS HESTER BUCKINGHAM,
Wife to ye Revd. Mr Thomas
Buckingham, Pastor of ye
CHURCH OF CHRIST IN SAYBROOK,
Dec’d June ye 3, 1702, in
ye 56 year of her age.
Elizabeth S. Crane
1020 Seneca St.
Seattle, Washington
