Images(6)

Blanket Chest

Date1790-1830

OriginAmerica, Virginia, Charles City County (possibly)

MediumYellow pine, tulip poplar or sweet gum and iron

DimensionsOH: 22 5/8”; OW: 45 ½”; OD: 17 7/8”

Credit LineGift of Susan W. Redd and Martha W. McMurran

Object number2015-173

DescriptionAppearance: Blanket chest dovetailed at corners; integral coved base molding and straight bracket feet; top with rounded edges hinged with long wrought iron hinges; top possibly missing a molding that was nailed to the underside of the top around the front and sides; painted blue; cypher of “ML” or “LM” painted in white on each end.

Construction: The sides are dovetailed to the front and back; all are single-board. The single-board bottom is nailed from the underside with wrought nails to the front, back and sides. The two-board top has integral half-round edges on the front and sides. Its long wrought iron hinges are nailed with wrought nails and screwed to the back of the trunk and underside of the top.

On the front and both sides, the straight bracket feet are integral with the coved base molding. The moldings are face nailed to the edge of the bottom. Front bracket feet are mitered and nailed to each other and to a rectangular vertical glue block with chamfered inside corner. At the back, 13” long shaped brackets (original is 1¼” wide) are butt joined and nailed to side facing bracket feet and to the underside of the bottom with wrought nails. There is no evidence of vertical blocks on the rear bracket feet.

Bottom and sides appear to be sweetgum, other surfaces are yellow pine.
Label TextThis rare survival of a painted eastern Virginia blanket chest has the cypers "LM" or "ML" painted on its ends. These initials could those of John Mumford Gregory (1774-1828) and his wife Letitia Power Graves Gregory (1785-1810) who married in 1803. Their daughter Letitia Power Gregory’s 1816 sampler appears to have a memorial to her mother “LPG” with possibly her father’s initials “MG” above. Since her father was the third John Mumford Gregory in the family he may have gone by Mumford rather than John.
InscribedCypher of “ML” or “LM” painted in white on each end.
ProvenanceThis blanket chest descended in the Gregory and Warburton family of Charles City and James City Counties and Williamsburg, Virginia. The donor’s father’s family lived at Pinewoods in James City County until the beginning of the 20th century when they moved to the Peyton Randolph House in Williamsburg. Later in the 20th century they moved to 402 Scotland Street.