Old New England Traditions that Tasha Tudor Illustrated! Part Two
Tasha happy in her garden with her Corgi.
Tasha Tudor in the garden at Corgi Cottage.
She looks so happy!
These are my own personal photographs of Tasha Tudor and her cottage.
Tasha spies something festive overhead and surmises it must have something to do with the Great Corgyncombe Forget-Me-Not Fair!
Ethlyn Corgi can be seen amongst the forget-me-nots near Tasha's feet.
Tasha tidies up her bed in the morn. The lovely quilt on Tasha's four-poster bed is an old Vermont quilt.
In Tasha Tudor's "Linsey Woolsey" the little lamb is illustrated atop the beautiful quilt on the four-poster bed with a bedside stand and on the floor a braided rug.
On the bedside stand are roses and lavender. Beneath the stand is a bandbox made by Tasha Tudor's daughter Bethany Tudor and a tussie mussie.
Tasha has tea and enjoys the lovely, fragrant bouquet of forget-me-nots and lily of the valley that she picked from the gardens at Corgyncombe.
Tasha Tudor's lovely Corgi Cottage.
These are my own personal photographs of Tasha Tudor and her cottage.
Annabelle in Tasha's kitchen, which has a "Little Fanny" stove for cooking and baking.
Tasha Tudor's doll Emma has a wood cookstove just like it!
Tasha Tudor's doll Melissa married Thaddeus Crane. When Tasha made Emma, Captain Thaddeus' head was turned, he gave up Melissa for Emma, and although Emma is very lovely, I still prefer the old doll family with Melissa, the children and, at that time, the attentive Thaddeus.
Our Annabelle reminds us of Tasha Tudor's doll Melissa... very much so. Tasha Tudor's doll Melissa was her model for the illustrations in Tasha's book "A is for Annabelle". "A is for Annabelle", illustrated and written by Tasha Tudor, is about an old fashioned doll and some of her belongings from A to Z, such as her hat, earrings, hair ribbons, her heart shaped locket, and quilt. "A is for Annabelle" is one our favorite Tasha Tudor books! I have placed real rose geraniums and forget-me-nots, some of the illustrated flowers in the border, on Tasha Tudor's illustration of Annabelle's skirt. If you love pretty things you will love this book as much as the Corgyncombe Courant does!
The inscription that Tasha Tudor wrote to me in the "A is for Annabelle" book:
"To clever Diane, how I envy your spinning abilities!
Tasha Tudor"
Tasha spinning wool in her old fashioned kitchen.
August 28th, 2022 would have been Tasha Tudor's 107th birthday.
My daughter Sarah and I were so blessed to have Tasha for a friend.
Tasha Tudor's Birthday Celebration is more than just a one day celebration. It is, to us, every day kindred old fashioned tasks and the seasonal celebrations all throughout the year.
Tasha cooks on top of the "Little Fanny" stove which also has an oven for baking.
Tasha Tudor delighted, as we do, in refined, simple elegance, in a country way, and the combining of the every day old fashioned tasks as our ancestors did, with artistic skill that could be seen by the beauty in their accomplished results... such as baskets, clothing, gardens, pottery, textiles, furniture, food preparation, architecture, and even their tools.
My daughter Sarah was the model for Tasha Tudor's illustrations of the little girl Kathy in "The Real Pretend".
In "The Real Pretend", several of Tasha Tudor's illustrations are bordered with colorful autumn leaves.
My photograph of Sarah that was used by Tasha Tudor to illustrate the cover of "The Real Pretend".
We had many kindred interests in common with Tasha such as spinning, weaving, knitting, natural dyeing, dolls, corgyn (corgi dogs), goats, birds, gardening (flowers, herbs, and vegetables), old fashioned clothing, boots and frocks, fireplace and woodstove cookery, canning, sewing, quilting, old books, and the old ways of living.
These daily things remind us of Tasha.
How grateful we are to have been her friend and kindred spirit!
The apple orchard and cider traditions of my old New England families were passed down through the generations. The same traditions that Tasha Tudor drew and painted.
Apples are a frequent subject in Tasha Tudor's illustrations. They easily and beautifully show and fit in with the loveliness that she is known for and the celebration of Autumn where work goes hand in hand with play.
We have included throughout this post descriptions of some of her books with apples.
This is post is Part Two of "Old New England Traditions that Tasha Tudor Illustrated!, Apples, Baking, Gardens, Corgyn and Other Old Fashioned Delights!".
(Many of our descriptions of apples in Tasha's illustrations have been posted before on our Corgyncombe Courant blog in previous posts.)
Elinor has gathered items to make an apple treat.
Lovely Elinor is a reproduction of a wooden doll from the late 1600s.
She and her wonderful clothing were made by Sonia Krause.
In the old days names were often spelled multiple ways. We have several direct ancestors named various spellings of Eleanor/Elinor. My 8th great grandmother Eleanor Smith was the wife of Eleazer Arnold, of Providence, Rhode Island.
The Eleazer Arnold house built ca 1693 in Lincoln, Rhode Island, near Providence.
My 8th great grandparents Eleazer and Eleanor Arnold lived in this house.
The house and its wonderful stone chimney hark back to the architecture of old England, where so many of my ancestors hailed from before settling in New England.
How marvelous it would have been to be greeted at the door by my 8th great grandparents Eleazer and Eleanor Arnold, and bid to come and sit by the fireplace and warm myself whilst hearing tales of the early settlement of Rhode Island, things that were passed down through the generations. Eleazer Arnold's inventory lists that he had a "spining wheale", "27 1/2 pound of wool", and "Nineteene sheepe". How I would have enjoyed spinning in front of the fire with my kindred folk, perhaps sharing the pleasant task of spinning, taking turns at the wheel with my 7th great grandmother Elizabeth. To take part in the preparation of a meal at the old family fireplace would have been most joyful!
Such are some of the thoughts that come to mind when e'er I visit an old ancestral home.
We have also included some of the references to apples, orchards, cider and cider mills in the wills and inventories of my direct line ancestors. In these old documents the spelling of words is often different than today. For instance, cider is sometimes spelled cyder or sider. We have retained the original spelling of items.
A trug full of apples.
The huge stone chimney that formed much of the end of the house is known as a stone-ender and is unique to Rhode Island.
Eleazer Arnold house.
Elinor has tea.
Another Elinor in my family was my 7th great grandmother Elinor Whitney who married Samuel Shepard.
A hogshead was a large wooden barrel.
Tasha Tudor wrote to us:
"That fine red envelope full of photographs and the pages of Family names, was no end impressive."
"Have fun with your genealogical researches. What fun!!"
A reproduction Queen Anne doll, charming Augusta and her clothing were made by Sonia Krause.
All the dolls at Corgyncombe like to gather flowers.
On the stand is a bowl of apples and a bouquet of asters, forget-me-nots and goldenrod.
Stephen Smith Jr., listed in the 1778 tax list, was the great grandson of Eleazer and Eleanor (Smith) Arnold.
Augusta sitting by the fire with a cup of tea.
Apple tree in blossom at Corgyncombe
With an abundance of Astrachan apples, I made an Apple Cake and applesauce. The White Mountain Apple Parer, Corer, and Slicer was used to peel, core, and slice the apples. Any bad spots are then cut out. The apples grown at Corgyncombe Cottage are all organic.
Peeling apples for a pie using the White Mountain Apple Parer, Corer, and Slicer.
Lydia Corgi chewing on a tasty apple peel.
For the Apple Cake I used the receipt for Blueberry Coffee Cake in "The Tasha Tudor Cookbook". After the apples were peeled, cored, and sliced, I cut up the apple slices more and substituted the uncooked apples for the blueberries originally in the receipt. Receipt is an old fashioned term for recipe. The applesauce was made by putting the sliced apples in a kettle with half an inch of water and some sugar and letting them cook down but still having some apple chunks left.
To share in our apple delights we invited a friend. She arrived right in time for milking, at the start of a sudden, windy rain shower. I grabbed my milking pail and other necessaries and ran out and motioned to my friend to come to the barn quickly, "We're going milking." The old barn at Corgyncombe, that we call "The Ark", was a safe haven from the howling wind, rain, and thunder. With barn chores accomplished, goat kiddles Lucy and Louisa May trotted out to be admired, the storm had ceased, and all returned to the house to strain the milk. Of course our friend wanted to try a nice, warm glass of Nubian Goat Carmella Lucille's good milk to accompany the Apple cake. Whilst enjoying some applesauce, Sarah read aloud an intriguing story we hope to share more about in the future. The sun came out, the sky was blue, and we had such fun sharing common interests, such as books, art, dolls, and genealogy, on such a lovely day!
An action photograph of the White Mountain Apple Parer, Corer, and Slicer. The peels were just whizzing off!
Hitty looks peaceful and content at the window in the Quaker Meetinghouse at Old Sturbridge Village. Hitty likes to be called Hitty Content when she is wearing Quaker dress, as above. Tillie Tinkham, the seamstress mouse at Corgyncombe, made Hitty's Quaker outfit.
Several of our ancestors were Quaker, including my 4th great grandmother who was named Content Hoag.
The Oblong was a long, narrow strip of land whose ownership was disputed between Connecticut and New York. In this long, narrow strip, my Quaker families settled and lived.
"The History of Dutchess County, New York" edited by Frank Hasbrouck, published 1909, says the following: "The Oblong Patent, covering a narrow strip along the east borders of Dutchess, Putnam and Westchester counties, was ceded to the State of New York by Connecticut, May 14, 1731."
The Mayflower was the ship that brought the Pilgrims to America in 1620. I descend from several Mayflower passengers.
Apples from Diane's favorite tree at The Corgyncombe Orchard.
In Memory of Mr. John King who died April ye 1744 in his 63 year.
In Memory of Mrs. Sarah widow, Relict of Mr. John King, Who died Jan'y 1st 1762 in ye 71st Year of her age.
Tasha Tudor illustrated "A Brighter Garden" a collection of poetry by Emily Dickinson. We named our Corgi Emily after my great great grandmother Emily Jane (Jones) Shepard and Emily (Jones) Shepard's cousin Emily Elizabeth Dickinson, as well as Emily Dickinson's mother Emily (Norcross) Dickinson. Tasha did such lovely illustrations in "A Brighter Garden".
There is an illustration in the book that has a lady wearing a bonnet and shawl, holding a basket of apples with her faithful dog alongside, pausing to enjoy the Autumnal beauty.
Another illustration accompanying a poem with mention of a winter apple tree, shows the birds amongst the apples on and below the snow covered tree.
In "Take Joy!, The Tasha Tudor Christmas Book", Tasha illustrated several bowls of apples, there are apples amongst the Christmas foods, and apples add a festive look to the mantel at Christmastide.
In "The Tasha Tudor Cookbook", at the beginning of the Christmas Treats chapter, there are apples, apple peelings, a rolling pin, and an apple pie illustrated by Tasha at the bottom of the page. On the first page of the "Breads and Muffins" chapter, are apples in a huge copper kettle.
Apples are in each corner of the border of the illustration of a little girl and a corgi looking in the cupboard full of canned goods and preserves, with a large basket of apples to one side. There are apples scattered in various other illustrations.
There is a Tasha Tudor illustration of children in the butt'ry that appears in "The Tasha Tudor Cookbook" and the book "Take Joy!". It is such a delightful scene with so many of our favorite things. There are apples in bushel baskets amongst the goods of a well stocked pantry at Christmas time.
The Corgyncombe Butt'ry holds many of our favorite things, yellowware, stoneware, tinware, jams, jellies, canned goods, baked goods, potatoes, squash, and apples!
By the lamplight of my favorite old oil lamp.
An apple picking illustration from "Kitty Darling Chatterbox"
"A mellow October day, when the air was full of an exhilarating freshness which made the spirits rise, and the blood dance healthily in the veins. The old orchard wore its holiday attire; golden-rod and asters fringed the mossy walls; grasshoppers skipped briskly in the sere grass, and crickets chirped like fairy pipers at a feast. Squirrels were busy with their small harvesting, birds twittered their adieux from the alders in the lane, and every tree stood ready to send down its shower of red or yellow apples at the first shake. Everybody was there, - everybody laughed and sang, climbed up and tumbled down; everybody declared that there never had been such a perfect day or such a jolly set to enjoy it, - and every one gave themselves up to the simple pleasures of the hour as freely as if there were no such things as care or sorrow in the world." - from "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott
My 5th great grandfather was 1st cousin to Louisa May Alcott's great grandfather Samuel May.
"First Poems of Childhood", illustrated by Tasha Tudor, has a boy carrying a large basket of apples and, on another page, a boy carrying two pails of apples. Tasha's illustration accompanying the poem "Thanksgiving Day" shows an abundance of Thanksgiving food, including apples.
In "A Child's Garden of Verses", written by Robert Louis Stevenson and illustrated by Tasha Tudor, 1947 version, on the first page of "The Child Alone" section, is a boy in an apple tree, surrounded by an oval of apples and leaves.
In the book "And It Was So", Tasha Tudor illustrated a family gathering apples beneath a tree.
Apples appear in the borders of three pages in "Give Us This Day, The Lord's Prayer" illustrated by Tasha Tudor. In one illustration, a girl and boy, and their corgi sit under a tree with a view of a New England church and graveyard and the hills beyond.
A trug and pewter bowl full of apples and a goblet full of cider.
Queen Anne and the apothecary cupboard with a multitude of drawers.
Under the cloche, Dr. Cupid Corgi wears the wings of a dove at the Herbary at Corgyncombe!
Our apples from our favorite apple tree. I found this old basket near Tasha's in Vermont. It has the initials W.D. and is dated 1894.
The sweetest little Izannah inspired doll made by talented dollmaker Elaine McNally. The Kitty is staying close to her as she picks chamomile from the Corgyncombe Herb garden.
Enjoying chamomile tea with her kitten by the woodstove.
The year balloon rides were added to the annual Corgyncombe Forget-Me-Not Fair!
What a sensation!
In Tasha Tudor's "The Great Corgiville Kidnapping" Caleb Corgi is searching for Babe the Rooster who has been kidnapped by Hiram Racky and his raccoon gang. Caleb found Babe hidden in the basket of a balloon and they escaped from the nasty captors by cutting the ropes and flying away in the balloon. Eventually, as the balloon is over Woodstock, Connecticut, they parachute out of the balloon. Caleb lands on the roof of Appletree and Emlyn's warehouse and is met by his friend, corgi Piper Harvey. Babe lands and is tangled up with his parachute in an apple tree.
Several of our direct line ancestors settled in Woodstock, Connecticut, including Bowen, Child, Harris, Lyon, May, Holbrook, Morris, Leavens, Peake, Shepard and Cady.
Here is a link to: our cousin James Jones Sawyer's 1859 painting of a view overlooking Woodstock Hill, Connecticut
My 5th great grandparents John Jones and Sarah (Sawyer) Jones of Pomfret, Connecticut were the great grandparents of painter James Jones Sawyer. Their daughter Sarah Jones married her cousin James Sawyer and they were James Jones Sawyer's grandparents.
Here is a link to: another painting (1858) by our cousin James Jones Sawyer, of a farm in Pomfret, Connecticut
The beautiful painting shows the New England farm amongst the hills with sheep, cows, a hay wagon, gardens, and stone walls. There is even a graveyard.
Nanny Nettie-Kin does not dare let Bobby in the Balloon without her to keep a hand on him.
At the Corgyncombe Forget-Me-Not Fair, Hitty Maple's Booth sold pancakes, maple syrup, old fashioned doughnuts and apple cider.
Quackenbush excitedly quacks and flaps his wings and hops atop the bench and indicates that pancakes and doughnuts are amongst his favorite things! He is so happy to bring Dilley Dibble Dabble to visit this booth! Quackenbush and Dilley Dibble Dabble have been featured at the Corgyncombe Courant for years.
In Tasha Tudor's illustrations of September in "A Time to Keep", apples and purple asters border the doll fair, which shows several dolls and stuffed animals that attend the fair. October features cider pressing with baskets of apples and jugs, and bobbing for apples.
Nanny Nettie-Kin pressing apples for cider in our beautiful ancestral Vermont with the mountains in Autumnal splendor! Nanny Nettie-Kin reminds us a lot of Tasha Tudor.
Hitty and little Tasha Corgi are helping. Tasha Corgi peeks around the basket of apples to keep an eye on the rooster and goose.
Tasha Corgi was named after Tasha Tudor, and Tasha Tudor was very honored and declared herself to be Tasha Corgi's Godmother.
"Corgiville Fair" written and illustrated by Tasha Tudor.
What a delight the book is with the lovely, detailed paintings and the story where Tasha's wonderful sense of humor comes shining through. Tasha Corgi stands in front. "Corgiville Fair" is amongst the all time favorites at the Corgyncombe Library. It is some of Tasha's best work! If you haven't seen "Corgiville Fair" you are missing out!
Tasha Tudor illustrated delightfully festive fairs in her books "Corgiville Fair", "A Time to Keep", "All for Love", and "The County Fair". In "Corgiville Fair", Tasha illustrated wagon loads of baskets of apples arriving at the fair. Before the goat race, Caleb Corgi longed for some of the good fair foods as he smelled apple pie.
Hitty Maple makes and sells pancakes at her booth at the Corgyncombe Forget-Me-Not Fair!
How cute she is! The beverage cooler holds refreshing Corgyncombe Apple Cider!
Tasha Tudor was in our thoughts as we photographed the Dolls and critters at the Corgyncombe Forget-Me-Not Fair!
A beverage cooler holding cider at Corgyncombe.
Nanny Nettie Kin's Corgyncombe Forget-Me-Not seeds are sold at a booth at the Annual Corgyncombe Forget-Me-Not Fair. Seeds to sow for a beauteous, bountiful sea of dainty forget-me-nots!
Nanny Nettie-Kin holds the Annual Corgyncombe Forget-Me-Not Fair to promote the delight and appreciation of her favorite flower, forget-me-nots! Tasha Tudor also loved forget-me-nots!
As Tasha Tudor herself wrote in "A Time to Keep" about the Doll Fair:
"It was great fun!"
Nanny Nettie-Kin strolling through the forget-me-nots and violets with baby Lilibet.
Tillie Tinkham, the seamstress mouse for the dolls and critters at Corgyncombe. She is the proprietress of "Tillie Tinkham's Frocks and Fashions" with Millinery and Tea Room.
Little Hitty Diane and Hitty Beth are so excited to see Tillie Tinkham's latest fashions!
Hitty Beth was brought to the fair by our friend Hitty Beth's Mum who also delighted in attending the Corgyncombe Forget-Me-Fair.
Hitty Rachel is assisting Tillie in her Frocks & Fashions Booth.
The flowers adorning the fascinators are all handmade originals made by Tillie Tinkham.
Nanny Nettie-Kin had just finished hanging up some of the old fashioned doughnuts as they readied for the 2015 Forget-Me-Not Fair at Corgyncombe.
Old Fashioned Doughnuts made in Nanny Nettie-Kin's kitchen!
Cider and doughnuts, a refreshing and delicious autumnal treat!
Always favorites to read as the leaves are turning and the days are shortening are Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle". The Kaatskill mountain area and the Hudson River valley has been home to my ancestors since the 1600s and has always felt like home to me.
As Ichabod, the "itinerant pedagogue", is journeying on his horse to attend the party at the Van Tassel house, Washington Irving wrote the following in "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow":
"As Ichabod jogged slowly on his way, his eye, ever open to every symptom of culinary abundance ranged with delight over the treasures of jolly autumn. On all sides he beheld vast store of apples; some hanging in oppressive opulence on the trees; some gathered into baskets and barrels for the market; others heaped up in rich piles for the cider-press."
"Farther on he beheld great fields of Indian corn, with its golden ears peeping from their leafy coverts, and holding out the promise of cakes and hasty pudding; and the yellow pumpkins lying beneath them, turning up their fair round bellies to the sun, and giving ample prospects of the most luxurious of pies; and anon he passed the fragrant buckwheat fields, breathing the odor of the bee-hive, and as he beheld them, soft anticipations stole over his mind of dainty slapjacks, well buttered, and garnished with honey or treacle, by the delicate little dimpled hand of Katrina Van Tassel."
"Thus feeding his mind with many sweet thoughts and "sugared suppositions," he journeyed along the sides of range of hills which look out upon some of the goodliest scenes of the mighty Hudson."
As Daisy rolled out the dough for her pie, she enjoyed the beautiful, mellow Autumnal view through the kitchen window.
Daisy made her own little apple pie, completely homemade by her "delicate little dimpled hand", to serve her friends and their Baby Dolls. The phrase "delicate little dimpled hand" is from Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", quoted above.
Tasha Tudor wrote to us:
"Dear Diane and Sarah,
What a delightful tiny Surprise Box came the other day!! Rebecca and Owyn and I were all three very taken with the two mini-corgyn and their interesting booklets. How sweet of you to send them! Thank you many times over."
When our daughter was a very little one she was at the store and discovered little woodland families. She was so excited she had to find her Daddy and show him all of the wonderful critters which she called "Cute Stuff". We still call them "Cute Stuff" today. Their actual name is "Sylvanian Families" or "Calico Critters".
My husband and I decided to surprise her by making a doll house for her "Cute Stuff". I would try to work on the house in the cellar whilst Sarah was napping....which wasn't easy as Sarah never liked napping. I primed and painted all of the pieces and stenciled borders around all the rooms. I painted all of the wooden furniture and striped the parlour furniture as well as some of the bedroom furniture. There was a kitchen, parlour, a bedroom for the parents and a bedroom for the children. I made rugs for most of the rooms. The kitchen had a sink, stove, table and chairs. The parlour had chairs and a sofa. Upstairs there were beds with quilted bed covers and pillows.
Sarah loved to play with her "Cute Stuff"......it entertained her for hours! She used my parlour floor to set out her little village and transported with a little vehicle her "Cute Stuff" from their home to school, fishing, picnics, and other "Cute Stuff" activities.
I drew vegetable gardens and the "Cute Stuff" would go out and work in the garden.
I gave Sarah drawing lessons by drawing the "Cute Stuff" and letting her colour them in. Sarah then started drawing her own "Cute Stuff" and colouring them.
I so enjoy the "Cute Stuff" families just as I have always fancied the little animal families from the August section of Tasha's "A Time to Keep"..... the woodland birthday party. "Cute Stuff" remind me a bit of Beatrix Potter's characters and Tasha Tudor's "Corgiville Fair" with their civilized families. Sarah's "Cute Stuff" have always lived quite civilized lives with houses, clothing, and many, many village gatherings. They even had a village "Christmas Tree Lighting" event. What fun!!!
Sarah's doll house with her "Cute Stuff" fox family.
When Tasha saw Sarah's "Cute Stuff" she inquired about them. We surprised Tasha with a small box with "Cute Stuff". Though the critters started out as foxes.... I docked their tails and painted cute little faces to resemble corgyn. Included with the wee corgyn were wee books that Sarah wrote and drew. In one of the books there were instructions to the "Cute Stuff" corgyn on herding goats with a test in the back for the corgyn to take after studying. Tasha gave us many, many thanks for the "delightful mini beasties". She said that she and her corgyn were "very taken with the mini corgyn and their interesting booklets."
"Many, many thanks for the mini-beasties!
Fondy,
Tasha"
Our description of the "Cute Stuff" is from our previous postings on a group and our web site.
The dolls and critters at Corgyncombe enjoy old fashioned entertainment.
Punch and Judy and their lookalike baby! Also a smaller punch sits in front.
The Punch family and the theater were made by talented Alena Sinel.
Little Punch is intrigued with Hope's little Queen Anne doll!
The little miniature Queen Anne doll was made by talented Ae and Holly.
In "Take Joy!: The Tasha Tudor Christmas Book", Tasha illustrated a story "Christmas in London" from "Little Dog Toby" written by Rachel Field. Toby performed with a Punch and Judy show. We love Tasha's illustrations of little dog Toby!
Poppy and Hope, each with their little dolls, enjoy the Punch and Judy show!
Poppy and Hope enjoy tea and thumb cookies with a large bouquet of yellow daffodils. Hope is holding a sweet smelling violet.
A circle of daffodils round the little apple tree along Corgi Creek. The morning when I brought the Maypole ribbons out, I was so delighted to hear and see the little wren that lives in the little house hung from the apple tree during the nesting season at Corgyncombe.
When on the subject of the celebration of Tasha Tudor's life, daffodils are certainly appropriate, as I have said before, "as what is more daffodil than Tasha Tudor"!
Tasha Tudor illustrated William Wordsworth's poem "Daffodils" in "Wings from the Wind."
Poppy spinning by the fireplace.
Lady Abigail in the Corgyncombe Garden of Herbs
Lady Abigail was named after Abigail (Gibbs) Swift who was my 7th great grandmother and who was also Tasha Tudor's 5th great grandmother. Abigail (Gibbs) Swift was the great granddaughter of Richard Warren who came on the Mayflower in 1620.
The name Abigail was passed down from Abigail (Gibbs) Swift to each generation of my family, continuing on to my great great grandfather's sister Mary Abigail (Taylor) Bassett. My great great grandfather served in the Civil War. Mary and her brother's grandfather and two great grandfathers all served in the Revolutionary war. Mary Abigail's obituary said she was "always ready to stand for the right as she saw the right with all the fortitude of her puritan ancestry." Like Tasha and myself, Mary Abigail liked to pick and arrange bouquets of wild flowers. It was reported in the paper that Mary Abigail won a prize for her wild flower bouquet! Mary Abigail lived just around the corner from Susan Fenimore Cooper, the authoress of "Rural Hours". Susan Fenimore Cooper oft' times wrote about the wild flowers.
She has picked a basket of lady's mantle, chives, and sage.
In her two bouquets are lady's mantle, chives, sage and thyme; and lady's mantle, dame's rocket and forget-met-nots.
Lady Ann gathered chamomile to use for tea.
Lady Ann was named after my 9th great grandmother Lady Ann Borodell wife of Capt. George Denison, who lived near Mystic, Connecticut. Their daughter Margaret married James Brown, grandson of John Howland and Elizabeth (Tilley) Howland who came on the Mayflower. James and Margaret were my 8th great grandparents. We also have many other Anns in our ancestral family.
In our September 2018 post on our blog Corgyncombe Courant, Queen Anne doll Jenny Wren Lindenwood arrived by carriage. She and Tillie Tinkham the mouse were discussing how Hannah and Edward had also been seen riding in the carriage around Corgyncombe Country and in the garden!
Edward and Hannah went on a lovely carriage ride about Corgyncombe acreage.
Arrived at their destination, Edward, the gentleman that he is, helps the lovely lady Hannah step out of the carriage.
Edward has picked a bouquet for Hannah and Hannah has a bowl of berries for them both to enjoy at their picnic in the garden.
This romantic scene reminds us of James Jones Sawyer's painting of Woodstock Hill, with a gentleman giving a bouquet to a lady dressed in a white frock.
Here is a link to: our cousin James Jones Sawyer's 1859 painting of a view overlooking Woodstock Hill, Connecticut
The sisters in the old fashioned kitchen go about their tasks.
One sister has been out in the garden collecting thyme for drying to use in cooking.
Two sisters are sitting in front of the cooker at the table, fixing the mid-day meal with bread and cheese.
Lavender and sage are hung to dry on the mantel above the cooker.
The four sisters remind us of the Bennet sisters in Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice".
Over by the sink, a sister is washing laundry in a wooden tub using a scrub board.
Butter is being churned in the old fashioned butter churn.
The four sisters in the old fashioned kitchen were made by talented Ae and Holly.
Lady Ann with a trug full of spring flowers.
In the spring, Tasha Tudor looked so forward to the flowers.
Lady Ann is sitting on the garden wall. She has gathered yellow and pink violets, forget-me-nots, and lily-of-the-valley in her own English garden trug.
When I worked at a museum most of the other farm ladies went south for the winter. I stayed and taught fireplace cookery and other old fashioned tasks to school groups. Because the kitchen would get so cold at night, I was the one who took home the Rose geranium to winter it over 'til spring.
One of the older ladies who I worked with told me about flavoring a cake with Rose geranium leaves in the bottom of the pan with the batter poured over.
Lady Abigail and Lady Ann decided to make a Rose Geranium cake. Abigail went out and gathered some leaves from the Rose Geranium plant.
The Rose geranium leaves have imparted their rose flavour into the cake. Delightfully delicious!!!
Their cake is frosted and decorated with Rose Geranium flowers and leaves on top.
Lady Abigail and Lady Ann cut the cake and each had a piece with tea.
Several years ago Hannah made a Rose Geranium cake for her dear Edward.
Edward was delighted!
Here is a link to: Part One, with more of our descriptions of Apples in Tasha Tudor's illustrations, and many other delights:
Old New England Traditions that Tasha Tudor Illustrated! Part One
Apples, Baking, Gardens, Corgyn and Other Old Fashioned Delights! Part One
Some of the photographs and some of the writings on this post are from previous Corgyncombe Courant posts that can be found here on the Corgyncombe Courant and from our web site and our previous postings elsewhere on the internet.
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atthecottagegate@yahoo.com
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