Tombstone Tuesday: Daniel Denison EDGECOMB

Photo by Brian Zoldac, used with permission

Understated Gravestone; Big Story

As you saw in my previous post, Capt. Gurdon Gates bought Daniel Denison Edgecomb's house, so these two men are bound together forever by the house which is on Sea Captain's Row in Mystic, CT. If you have not read what I blogged about in my adventures with Daniel here are the links to those posts.

Previous Blog Posts
They Wrote in Their Drawers
Wedding Gift
Table and Its Drawers
Making the Table
Coffins and Cabinets

It is with great pleasure, that I discovered that Brian Zoldak already photographed this gravestone. I printed the photo of this stone, bought a frame and placed it above the table. This way he can keep watch over his work.

Daniel had two wives and many children. It looks as if Brian has found them all, so I will blog about them at another time. I keep wondering if there are living descendants but I'm not giving up my table! 

The Cabinet Maker and the Sea Captain

Photo by Brian Zoldak, 2013, used with permission

The Cabinet Maker and the Sea Captain

Sea Captain's Row Gravel St., Mystic, CT

Photo by Brian Zoldak, 2013, used with permisson

I would not have expected to discover two people that I have been researching to have lived in the same house! They were not closely related and did not have the same occupation. I am still blown away by the coincidence. (They are both Denison descendants.)

My friend, Brian Zoldak, took these excellent photos for me on his recent adventure to Mystic. I love how the house is all decked out with red, white and blue. Since I just wrote about the sea captain, Gurdon Gates, I think it appropriate for me to take this opportunity to show your Daniel Edgecomb's gravestone for the next Tombstone Tuesday. I love the overcast sky to represent the not so smooth sailing of sea captains. You must also remember that Daniel made coffins in his basement. It doesn't get gloomier that that!

Brian took several great photos of the houses on this street. Many fit into my family tree. Maybe it is not as fun as gravestones but for those readers who have never been to New England, it is with delight that I plan to show you all of them (eventually). 

Making the Table

Cherry Sewing Table 2
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

 Blog Post #1 "Wrote in their Drawers"
Blog Post #2 "Wedding Gift"'
Blog Post #3 "Table and its Drawers"

"For Eliza Fish Denison, given by her to her son Charles E. Stewart"

 "Made by Daniel Edgecomb, Mystic, 1823"

If these notes had not be written in "their drawers", I would not have known the history of this table. It is confirming evidence that the writing in the family bible was done by Eliza Fish Dension Stewart. She lived with her son after her husband died, and lived a good long time with them. My grandfather was a teenager when she died and must have listened to her stories of the family history. Charles, my great grandfather, kept a scrapbook of newspaper clippings. Most of them were about the North Stonington area, so I donated it to the North Stonington Historical Society after photocopying several pages of articles and obituaries.

Because this lower inscription says "for", it confirms that this piece of furniture was given to her from the Fish household, passed to my great-grandfather, my grandfather, my mother and now to me.

But, what is most mysterious is the original notation about Daniel Edgecomb. Daniel Denison Edgecomb (1802-1887) was the grandson of Rachel Denison (1734-1815), wife of Joseph Copp. She was the great grandaughter of John Borodell Denison and his wife Phebe Lay who are in my direct line.

To be continued...