1959.47

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Details

ID Number

1959.47

Category

Furnishings

Sub-category

furniture

Item Name

cradle

Date

1820

Materials

WOOD, WALNUT

Description

18th century cradle; dovetail design; rollers pointed at ends; curved rollers; high back; ridge in curved wood at sides; bottom length support at bottom (underneath cradle)

History

Cradle owned by David Marr and his wife, Anne Austin who owned property in Howard Township, Kent County. David Marr, second son and youngest child of the original David, came to Long Point, as before stated, with his brother Lawrence while yet a mere lad. After remaining a year or two in the wilds of the new settlement, he went back to Pennsylvania. Not meeting with a hearty welcome, he made up his mind to try to again as soon as he could earn enough to pay his expenses. He earned $4.00 threshing out three stacks of rye for a Pennsylvania Dutchman, and with this money in his pocket he started alone, and on foot, for the new country once more. It is said this youthful pioneer walked every step of the way from the Delaware River to Marr's Hill - Excepting, of course, ferrying across rivers. He learned the cabinet-making trade, was handy with tools, generally, and worked on any sort of building job that had any money in it. He sent to England for a complete set of cabinet-making tools, which cost him $900.00, and he paid for the outfit by making 300 wheelbarrows during the war of 1812, at $3.00 each. He bought fifty acres adjoining his brother Lawrence on the south, and here he settled with his wife Anna, daughter of the old Lynn Valley pioneer, Solomon Austin. David Marr never went to school a day in his life; but he attended thirteen sessions of a night-school taught by a man who never spent a day in school himself. He was one of Norfolk's pioneer cabinet-makers, and many a night the sound of plane, saw and hammer was heard in his little shop all night long, in making coffins. He was industrious, upright and honourable, and was never plaintiff or defendant in any suit at law. He died in 1871, in his 81st year. Ha had six sons - Solomon, Joseph, Edward, John Hiram, William and Duncan D.; and three daughters - Esther, Jane and Mary. Jane married respectively, William Brooks and W.F. Nickerson (donor's grandparents were Jane and W.F. Nickerson)

Collection Name

Museum Windsor

Subject (Fre)

Y

Subjects

Austin, Anne person

Children / Enfants subject

Kent County (Ont.) place

Manufacturing subject

Marr, David person

Nickerson person

Pioneers subject

War of 1812 / Guerre de 1812 subject