For your consideration I am proud to offer the historically significant archive of the estate of Lillian E. Wentworth, 3rd Street, Salmon Falls, New Hampshire. Born the 9th of April 1855, died August 26th 1942. Documents sent to Ralph Wentworth, Salmon Falls New Hampshire.
Estate Papers, including inventory of homestead. Cancelled receipts/checks and extensive legal paperwork.
Letters:
1. December 16, 1760, Notice from selectmen of Dover to Mrs. Baker. Pledging to reimburse her for “shifting” of corpse of a woman to avoid others in danger of ye awful “infection from her”.
2. August 17, 1790, 1st of 3 letters from Sam Hill concerning different problems at Distillery.
3. December 1st 1791, 2nd letter from Sam
4. June 20th 1792 certificate of duty on rum paid by Ladd & Hill, distillery in Portsmouth, signed by George Wentworth, collector of revenue.
5. December 25th,1798,3rd letter from Sam Hill
6. Undated contract for sale of estate property between Moses Wentworth and Samuel B. Wentworth.
7. 1859 mortgage, sale by Joshua Rollins of 4 year old colt to W B Wentworth for $24.26
Concerning Letter number 1:
Until the mid-nineteenth century, women were the primary caretakers of the dead prior to burial, while male sextons interred bodies. By the late nineteenth century, embalming, undertaking, and funeral directing emerged as masculine occupations, changing funeral and burial practices both locally and nationally. Funeral and burial customs also developed in response to the arrival into the area of diverse populations.
Before the professionalization of mortuary practices, women known as layers-out of the dead, or shrouders, prepared the body. Layers honored the dead by washing, dressing, and grooming the body. Layers closed the deceased’s eyes and mouth, removed internal organs, blocked orifices, applied alcohol, and filled body cavities with charcoal to retard putrefaction. Their work allowed family members and friends to view their beloved with minimal revulsion. Female relatives and neighbors as well as women who offered their services for pay worked as layers-out of the dead.
Background:
The Colonel Paul Wentworth House: Three Centuries of History
Built circa 1701, the Colonel Paul Wentworth House is one of the oldest surviving dwellings in New Hampshire. The fact that this beautiful structure has survived over three centuries is remarkable on many levels, not the least of which is the building's original location. While many of New Hampshire's surviving structures were built in the gentrified and relatively safe area of Portsmouth, the Wentworth House stood in splendid (and brave) isolation at the edge of the frontier.
One could argue whether Paul Wentworth was courageous or foolish when he built such an elegant (and tempting) home in Salmon Falls, with all of its attendant perils. The frontier at the turn of the 17th/18th centuries was anything but secure. Wentworth built his home during the brief interval between the two bloodiest wars fought on New Hampshire soil (King William's War and Queen Anne's War) when raids were a very real threat.
Life at the Colonel’s House
Despite the dangers of the frontier, Paul Wentworth brought his bride, Abra Brown, from Salisbury, Massachusetts to live with him in their new home. After the death of Paul Wentworth in 1748, descendant members of the line of Ezekiel Wentworth (Paul’s father), including Colonel John Wentworth and Major John B. Wentworth, became legatees and subsequently residents of the home.
The Paul Wentworth House would be the most Important and influential residence in the village for several generations, until it was finally supplanted in 1864 when the Salmon Falls Manufacturing Company built the large Mill Agent's house that overlooks Front and South Streets. The final person to live in the Wentworth House was Frederick N. Blodgett (a Wentworth descendant through Mary L. Wentworth, daughter of John B. Wentworth). In 1936, Frederick Blodgett and his wife Alice had the house dismantled and moved to Dover, Massachusetts. Alice and Frederick lived there until their deaths in 1980 and 1999 respectively.
Early American Colonial Archive of Col. Paul Wentworth House Salmon Falls,NH
Click images to enlarge
Description
For your consideration I am proud to offer the historically significant archive of the estate of Lillian E. Wentworth, 3rd Street, Salmon Falls, New Hampshire. Born the 9th of April 1855, died August 26th 1942. Documents sent to Ralph Wentworth, Salmon Falls New Hampshire.
Estate Papers, including inventory of homestead. Cancelled receipts/checks and extensive legal paperwork. Letters:
December 16, 1760, Notice from selectmen of Dover to Mrs. Baker. Pledging to reimburse her for “shifting” of corpse of a woman to avoid others in danger of ye awful “infection from her”.
August 17, 1790, 1st of 3 letters from Sam Hill concerning different problems at Distillery.
December 1st 1791, 2nd letter from Sam
June 20th 1792 certificate of duty on rum paid by Ladd & Hill, distillery in Portsmouth, signed by George Wentworth, collector of revenue.
December 25th,1798,3rd letter from Sam Hill
Undated contract for sale of estate property between Moses Wentworth and Samuel B. Wentworth.
1859 mortgage, sale by Joshua Rollins of 4 year old colt to W B Wentworth for $24.26
Concerning Letter number 1: Until the mid-nineteenth century, women were the primary caretakers of the dead prior to burial, while male sextons interred bodies. By the late nineteenth century, embalming, undertaking, and funeral directing emerged as masculine occupations, changing funeral and burial practices both locally and nationally. Funeral and burial customs also developed in response to the arrival into the area of diverse populations. Before the professionalization of mortuary practices, women known as layers-out of the dead, or shrouders, prepared the body. Layers honored the dead by washing, dressing, and grooming the body. Layers closed the deceased’s eyes and mouth, removed internal organs, blocked orifices, applied alcohol, and filled body cavities with charcoal to retard putrefaction. Their work allowed family members and friends to view their beloved with minimal revulsion. Female relatives and neighbors as well as women who offered their services for pay worked as layers-out of the dead. Background: The Colonel Paul Wentworth House a brief historical Summary:
Constructed
in 1701, the Colonel Paul Wentworth House is one of the oldest surviving houses
in New Hampshire. Paul Wentworth built in home in Salmon Falls, with many
luxuries of the period. Despite the sometimes traumatic obstacles of the frontier, Paul
Wentworth brought his bride, Abra Brown, from Salisbury, Massachusetts to live
with him in their new home. After the passing away of Paul Wentworth in
1748, descendant members of the line of Ezekiel Wentworth (Paul’s father),
including Colonel John Wentworth and Major John B. Wentworth, became
legatees and subsequently residents of this historic house. The
Paul Wentworth House has many fascinating aspects about it that can be
researched on the net.
In conclusion a fascinating archive that is without debate
exceedingly rare in every respect.
