Common Jersey Carver, Museum Exhibit and Two Quilts

The Common Jersey Carver is an anonymous stone cutter whose carvings can be seen in numerous New Jersey cemeteries including several near where I live. The gravestones date from 1737 to 1777 and feature the symbol of mortality--a winged death head with rows of teeth.

Last month I went to the Museum of Early Trades & Crafts in Madison, NJ, to see their current exhibit, "Ghosts, Ghouls & Gravestones." I was allowed to take photographs and have posted some below. Two quilts, too!   

 

 Whippany Burial Yard, Whippany, NJ

Asai Son of Edmaund

& Abigail Craine

Aged 5 months & 14

D^s Dec^d Nov^r y^e 18^th

1737

First Presbyterian Church of Hanover, E. Hanover, NJ

Here lies y^e Body of

Ruth wife of henry

Burnet Aged 38 years

4 m^o & 11 D^s Dec^d

March y^e 4 1750

 Whippany Burial Yard, Whippany, NJ

Here lyes y^e Body of

Bethiah wife of Cap^t

Daniel Lum Dec^d

Nov^r y^e 2^d 1752

Aged 36 years 

   First Presbyterian Church of Hanover, E. Hanover, NJ
 

 Catharine Dau^r of

Peter & Rebekah

Smith Dec^d April

y^e 21 1754 Aged

3 years 2 m^o

& [   ] Days

                                        First Presbyterian Church of Hanover, E. Hanover, NJ

Here lyes y^e Body of

John Williams

Dec^d Feb^ry y^e 8

1755 in y^e 70 year

of his Age

 

 First Presbyterian Church of Hanover, E. Hanover, NJ

Here lies y^e Body

of Mary Wife of

Col. Joseph Tuttle

Dec^d April 9 1760

aged 56 Years

 Ely Cemetery, Livingston, NJ

Bennoni Jones

Son of Fredrick &

Elizabeth Jones he

Died [  ] 1777

Aged 3 years

Detail of Bennoni Jones gravestone above. 

The Museum of Early Trades & Crafts is housed in this beautiful stone building which is listed on both the State and National Registers of Historic Places. 

Here's the story board for the exhibit. 

Some mourning hats . . . 

. . . and a Corpse Preserver coffin. Who knew??

There was a lovely exhibit of gravestone rubbings by John Zielinski. 

Here's another.

There were two quilts downstairs--this Medallion hanging above a fireplace and a Nine Patch strippy.  

The are some interesting fabrics in this quilt.

 It was difficult to get a good photo because of the vinyl covering but you get the idea.  

 Here's a detail of one of the blocks.

I'm really looking forward to Historical Hauntings at the Ely Cemetery next Saturday. This is another event organized by the Livingston Bicentennial Historical Committee and the Livingston Historical Society. Costumed actors and actresses will portray some of the people who are buried in the cemetery and I'm in charge of costumes :)

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Copyright 2013, Barbara Schaffer