An introduction to 19th American woven coverlet, followed by an overview of two coverlet weavers in Farmerville, NY (now Interlaken). Presented by Marty Schlabach to the Finger Lakes Fiber Guild November 7, 2021.

1. 19th Century American Woven
Coverlets:
An Introduction and Notes on Some Local Weavers
Marty Schlabach
Interlaken, NY
MLS5@cornell.edu
Finger Lakes Fiber Guild
November 7, 2021

2. What is a Coverlet?
--Woven bedcover
--Usually a center field pattern with a border on 3 sides,
sometimes 4 sides
--Corner block usually in 2 corners,
sometimes all 4 corners
--Often two panels stitched together in the center
sometimes one piece, sometimes 3 panels
--If has a fringe, could be on 1, 3
self fringe or added
--Usually wool & cotton
sometimes all wool, occasionally wool and linen
--Geometric pattern or figured & fancy pattern
--Several weave structures
--Two colors, most common
can be multicolored
--NY coverlets usually blue & white, less common red & white
PA & OH often other color combinations
--1830s through 1850s peak period
some earlier, some later

3. Geometric
Figured & Fancy

5. Geometric
(pattern type)
Overshot or Float Work
(weave structure)

6. Geometric
Overshot with
Woven Date
P M + 1827
Geometric
Overshot with
Stitched Date
M E P 1830

7. Geometric (pattern type), Starwork (weave structure)

8. Geometric (pattern type),
Double Weave or Double Cloth (weave structure)

9. Geometric (pattern type),
Summer/Winter (weave structure)

10. Double Weave Summer/Winter
Very similar patterns, different weave structures

11. Geometric, Double Weave, with imagery

12. Figured & Fancy (pattern type),
Double Weave (weave structure)
MARY LATOURETTE TYRONE 1834 H L
(attributed to Henry Latourette)

13. Figured & Fancy
Tied Beiderwand
ELIZABETH REYNOLDS +
J+ M+ DAVIDSON FANCY -
WEAVER LODI 1839

14. Figured & Fancy,
True Beiderwand
LUCINDA FRANTZ 1856
E. PLURIBUS UNUM
(attributed to Harry Tyler)

15. Crib Coverlet
LORENS SCHLACHTER +
COVERLET O.
BETTDEECH
1861 Y

16. Interesting Fringes

17. Text usually woven into corner block,
but not always

18. Local & Regional NY Towns with Weavers
• Hectorville (Hector)
• Lodi
• Farmerville (Interlaken)
• Ovid
• Varick
• Ithaca
• Groton
• Cortland
• Scipio
• Palmyra
• Wolcott
• Benton
• Penn Yan
• Reading
• Tyrone
• Orange
• Monterey
• Southport (Elmira)
• Binghamton
• And many others

20. Kitty Bell & Ron Walter Collection
John Simmermaker Collection
Photo: Ron Walter
Nearby
Weavers
&
Locations

22. Photo: Ron Walter

24. Exhibited
National Museum
of the American
Coverlet 2014
John Simmermaker
Collection
S. LATOURRETTE
FARMERVILLE
1833
BEATY

25. Source: Trumansburg Advertiser, July 10 & 17, 1833

26. Source: Rootsweb.
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~rtrose/wheeler_family..., viewed 2017.23.08,
http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~rtrose/genealogy/wheeler_family , viewed 2021.08.11
,

27. William Beaty
--purchased property on Main Street in Farmerville in 1833
William Beaty & wife Sally Ann and Mephibosheth Sirrine and his wife Maria
--sold property on Main Street in Farmerville in 1834
This Indenture made the third day of January in the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and thirty four Between William Beaty and Sally Ann Beaty his wife,
Mephibosheth Sirrine and Maria Sirrine his wife of Ovid, County of Seneca, and
state of New York of the first part and William P. Stout of the same place of the
second part…
Source: Land Records, Seneca County Clerk’s Office, Seneca County, NY

28. 1836 at 253 Delancey St
1837-1838 at 124 Perry St
1838-1839 at 146 Twentieth St
Mephibosheth Sirrine was listed as a carpet weaver in New York
City 1836-1839
He is apparently already living in NYC in 1835 for the birth of
their daughter
Source: Longworth’s American Almanac, New York Register, and City Directory,
1836, 1837-38, 1838-39
Source: https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/timeline/KNQK-QS3
1835, Birth of Daughter, Helen M. Sirrine, in NYC

29. Mephibosheth N. Sirrine, Oct 27, 1811-May 21, 1848
--Born in Cold Spring, Philipstown, Dutchess County, NY
--Third child of Isaac Sirrine and Sarah Hannah Garrison
--Accompanied his family to Hector, Seneca County, NY 1821 (age 10)
--Family story that he was friend as a youth with Joseph Smith
--Family returned to Dutchess County about 1830 (age 19)
--Older brothers John & Abraham remained in Seneca County
--Mephibosheth apparently also remained for a short time
--Married Maria Wheeler, Ovid, Seneca County, NY
--In a letter he states that he was in NYC Aug 1833
--Was active member of the Mormon church
--Missionary to Michigan, Connecticut, Great Britain, and more
--Died April 29, 1848 of consumption, while on Ohio River boat
Source: Mormon Biography Files, LDS Church Archives, FamilySearch.com

30. Mephibosheth N. Sirrine
Photo: FamilySearch.com
-Where did he learn to weave?
He was born in Dutchess County, NY
Coverlet weavers in Dutchess County
He was 10 yrs old when family left
-Why wasn’t his name on coverlets?
Advertisement said Beaty & Sirrine
Property was owned by both Beaty & Sirrine
-Why did he leave Seneca County?
He continued to weave in NYC

31. William Beaty also something of an enigma
--1808, Born in Bucks County, Pennsylvania
Did he learn about weaving from Bucks Co weavers?
--1825 ca. Daughter Elinor born in NY (US Census 1850)
Where in NY?
--1827 Married in NY
--1830 Daughter Alisha born in NY (MI Vital Records)
--1830 US Census, Could not find Beaty for sure
2 William Beaty were in Orange Co, NY, dates/ages didn’t match
--1832-1834 Weaving in Farmerville, NY
--1833 Beaty purchased property in Farmerville
--1834 Beaty & Sirrine (& wives) sold property in Farmerville
--1835 ca. Daughter Sarah born in Michigan (US Census 1850)
--1840 US Census, in Unadilla, Livingston Co, Michigan

32. Known Beaty Coverlets from Farmerville (1832-1834)
1832 -- FARMERSVILLE 1832 W. [BEATY]
(formerly in Dewitt Historical Society, Ithaca, NY)
1832 – E. BOARDMAN FARMERVILLE 1832 BEATY
(collection of descendant of E. Boardman?)
1833 – S. LATOURRETTE FARMERVILLE 1833 BEATY
(collection of John Simmermaker, Indiana)
1833 – G. W. V. D. FARMERVILLE 1833 B & V. D.
(in a personal collection)
1834 – E. SCOBEY FARMERVILLE 1834 B
(Winterthur Museum)

33. FARMERSVILLE 1832 W. [BEATY]
E. BOARDMAN FARMERVILLE 1832 BEATY
S. LATOURRETTE FARMERVILLE
1833 BEATY
G. W. V. D. FARMERVILLE 1833 B & V D
E. SCOBEY FARMERVILLE 1834 B

34. G W V D FARMERVILLE 1833 B & V D LIBERTY
Source: Peter Jensen, via Ron Walter (image possibly from Williamsburg, but a submitted photo from a
personal collection, not in Williamsburg’s collection)
Crib coverlet probably woven
by William Beaty & Garret William Van Doren
for Garret William Van Doren

35. Source: NMAC Exhibit 2014, John Simmermaker collection, Ron Walter photo
Source: eBay: 154316474861 2021.02.05
S. LATOURRETTE FARMERVILLE 1833
BEATY LIBERTY
H. GRIGGS MILLSTONE 1834
G. W. V. D. LIBERTY

36. Coverlet Study Group
• Online live gatherings
• Brief presentation followed by discussion, Q&A, etc.
• Share coverlets acquired or share research findings
• Ask questions
• Frequency
• Monthly
• Driven by participants
• Contact me if interested

37. Thank You!
• Ron Walter
• Melinda Zongor
• Peter Jensen
• John Simmermaker
• Donna Eschenbrenner
• Nancy Ostman
• June Szabo
• Diane Bassette Nelson
• Cheryl Van Denburg
• Mary Jean Welser
Contact:
Marty Schlabach, MLS5@cornell.edu