The Winterthur Library

 Edward Deming Andrews Memorial Shaker Collection

Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum

5105 Kennett Pike, Winterthur, DE  19735

302-888-4600 or 800-448-3883

 

 

OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION

 

Creator:         Blake, Olive, d.1849.                                     

Title:               Manuscripts concerning real estate, property, and family members.

Dates:             1817-1833.

Call No.:         ASC 734

Acc. No.:        SA 857, SA 865

Quantity:        13 items          

Location:        legal size box and oversize box, 29 B 5

 

 

 

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

 

Olive Blake of Savoy, Massachusetts, and New Lebanon, New York, was the widow of Jacob Blake, who died before September 11, 1817.  They had a number of children, some (if not all) of whom were still minors at the time of their father’s death.  By 1820, Olive and her two youngest daughters, Rhoda and Hannah, were residing at New Lebanon Shaker village in New York.  Olive died there in 1849.  The 1880 census shows both Rhoda and Hannah still living at New Lebanon.  Other Blake children were Eliza (married to Hiram Salsbury or Salisbury), Elsa (married to John Dunton), and Olive (married to John Paddock).

 

 

SCOPE AND CONTENT

 

These papers concern transfers of land which the Blake family inherited from Jacob Blake and the guardianship of the Blake daughters, Rhoda and Hannah. In 1820, Olive signed a document that placed her daughters, then eleven and eight, in the New Lebanon, New York, Shaker community until each became twenty-one and was free to choose whether or not she would remain. In 1833, the girls signed over to their mother all the property left to them by their father, thereby suggesting that they had chosen to become members of the Shaker religious sect.  Many of the papers concern the final settlement of Jacob Blake’s estate, one of which is a list of items (furniture and bedding) received by Eliza Blake.  As well, a letter from daughters Elsa Dunton and Olive Blake to their mother is included.  Daughter Olive Blake writes about religion in such a way that one can conclude that she was not happy with her mother’s choice to join the Shakers.

 

           

ORGANIZATION

 

The items are in accession number order; two items are in oversize.

 

 

LANGUAGE OF MATERIALS

 

The materials are in English.

 

 

RESTRICTIONS ON ACCESS

 

Collection is open to the public.  Copyright restrictions may apply.

           

 

PROVENANCE

           

Gift of Mrs. Edward D.Andrews.

 

 

ACCESS POINTS

 

People:

            Blake, Jacob, d.ca.1817.

            Blake, Rhoda.

            Blake, Hannah.

            Blake family.

 

Topics:

            Shakers.

            Shakers - New York (State) - New Lebanon.

            Religious communities - New York (State) - New Lebanon.

House furnishings - Inventories.

Decedents’ estates - Massachusetts \z Savoy.

 

 

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

 

Location: legal size box and oversize box, 29 B 5

 

 

Note: all accession numbers begin with SA 857, unless otherwise noted

 

.1         endorsed: Olive & Eliza Blake, wards to Olive Blake, letter of guardianship;

Olive Blake and Eliza Blake, being minors above the age of 14, give their mother Olive Blake guardianship of their inheritance from their deceased father Jacob Blake;

with attached printed form, granting Olive Blake guardianship of the minors named above, September 11, 1817.

IN OVERSIZE FOLDER

 

.2         printed form, letter of administration, Olive Blake, widow of Jack Blake, of Savoy, Berkshire County, Massachusetts, named as administrator of her late husband’s estate, not dated, but she is to report to probate court on or before Dec. 11, and to render an account before September 11, 1818

 

.3         Olive Blake of New Lebanon, Columbia County, New York, gives her daughters Rhoda (age 11) and Hannah (age 8) to Stephen Munson, to be raised and educated in his Society until the girls turn 21 years old, dated January 19, 1820, witnessed by Jeremiah Tallcott

 

.4         “appraisers return of the farm of Jacob Blake, late of Savoy, deceased”

            Edward Mason, John Bennett, and Sora[?] Bates appraised the income of the farm at $48, March 31, 1821

 

.5         “Memorandum of Eliza Blake’s property given to her by her mother Olive Blake, May 1st, 1821”

            Eliza received a bedstead and cord, a chest of drawers, a table, a feather bed, a green quilt, a coverlet, 2 blankets, 2 cotton-wool sheets, 2 pairs of cotton sheets and pillow cases, a looking glass, and some money to be accounted to her by Jeremiah Poteat[?]

 

.6         receipt, Eliza Blake acknowledges receipt of $179.58 due her from her late father’s estate, received from Olive Blake of Columbia County, N.Y. September 16, 1823, witnessed by Abram Hendrickson

 

.7         letter, E. [Elsa] Dunton, Vienna, [Oneida County, New York,] Sept. 28, 1827, to mother Olive Blake, New Lebanon Shaker Village; all well and hope mother is better; Olive [her sister] got sick on the boat so instead of moving to Camden, they bought property in Vienna; 7 miles from Jones Landing, and mother can send letters to McConnelsville; John [probably her husband] is working very hard; E. is busy with weaving; tell Amy her sisters are well.

            Also includes a note from Olive Blake, Vienna, Sept. 28, 1827, addressed to “Dear Parent”; health is better, now living with Elsa, Jacob is well; it is up to God whether they [the two Olives] will meet in Heaven.

 

.8         receipt, Hiram Salsbury and Eliza Salsbury acknowledge receipt from Olive Blake of money from estate of Jacob Blake, New Canaan, May 27, 1829

            [in another document, Salsbury is spelled Salisbury]

 

.9         receipt, Hiram Salsbury acknowledge receipt from Olive Blake of money from estate of Jacob Blake, New Canaan, May 17, 1830

 

.10       endorsed: deed, John Paddock and Olive his wife to Olive Blake;

            Quit claim: John and Olive Paddock of Annsville, Oneida County, New York, cede claim to property in Savoy, Mass., to Olive Blake of New Lebanon, N.Y., Jan. 41, 1832; with a statement from John Bull, Jr., commissioner of deeds for Columbia County, N.Y.

 

.11       endorsed: deed, Olive Blake to D. J. Hawkins & J. Mantles;

            Olive Blake of New Lebanon, N.Y., sells land in Savoy, Mass., to Daniel J. Hawkins and John Mantles, both also of New Lebanon, May 6, 1833; with a statement from John Bull, Jr., commissioner of deeds for Columbia County, N.Y.

 

.12       endorsed: Rhoda & Hannah Blake to Olive Blake

            Quit claim, Rhoda Blake and Hannah Blake, both of New Lebanon, N.Y., cede claim to property in Savoy, Mass., to Olive Blake of New Lebanon, N.Y., May 8, 1833; with a statement from John Bull, Jr., commissioner of deeds for Columbia County, N.Y.

 

SA 865            printed form, indenture of quit claim between Hiram Salisbury and his wife Eliza, of Annsville, New York, with John Paddock, also of Annsville, regarding land in Savoy, Mass., June 1, 1831, with additional notes about document on the back

            IN OVERSIZE FOLDER