Ambrotypes - Mitchell/Coker AL AR TX
I have two ambrotypes made approximately 1855 of my great-great grandparents, John Wesley Coker b. about 1802 GA and Nancy White Bassett b 12 Nov 1804 GA. They were married 27 October 1823 in Bibb Co. AL. By 1880 all of the family had migrated to AR or TX. Their son:
Spencer Monroe b 1845 m 1)Rhoda Ann Mitchell 2)Mary Lena Wilson Thrash. The children of Rhoda Mitchell and Spencer:
Charles H. b 1867 m Mattie E. Ligon
James Robert b 1869 m Ida Lee Echols
Thomas Monroe b 1872 m Martha Ann Thrash
Eulalah E. b 1875 m John N. Taylor
John E. b 1877 m Cassie A. Malone
Gallant Phillip b 1880 m Katie Lee Thrash
Pierce Gosnell b 1883 m Molly M. Dunlap
Optimus C. b 1887 m Ellen P. ???
The ambrotypes are currently with a photo lab for restoration. I am willing to order 5x7 sepia toned prints for anyone interested. An ambrotype is a film image put on glass with a dark cloth or paper placed behind them for the image to be seen. Ambrotypes came into existence in 1851 and were mostly phased out by the late 1850s, when tintypes became more readily available.
John is wearing a Quaker style hat, a large bow tie and holding some type of pen or object about a foot long, looking as if he is getting ready to write something. Nancy is wearing a beautiful hoop gown, with billowing sleeves and a brooch pinned at the top of her dress. She has some type of snood on her head that drapes down her back.
We don’t know when John Wesley died. He was on the 1850 Randolph Co. AL census. Nancy was alone with her youngest son, Spencer on the 1860 Coosa Co. AL census. Nancy died 12 May 1874 in Clark Co. AR.
Inserted behind the ambrotype of John Wesley Coker is a hand written, last part of a poem from the book, "The Poems, Sacred, Passionate, and Humorous of Nathaniel Parker Willis". It was published in 1846. John Wesley was said to have been a circuit riding Methodist preacher. The title of the poem is, "The Scholar of Thebet Ben Khorat"
.......He who binds
His soul to knowledge steals the key of heaven -
But ‘tis a bitter mockery that the fruit
May hang within his reach, and when, with thirst
Wrought to a maddening frenzy, he would taste-
It burns his lips to ashes!
Please contact me if you are interested.
More Replies:
-
Re: Ambrotypes - Mitchell/Coker AL AR TX
Becky 10/18/01
-
Re: Ambrotypes - Mitchell/Coker AL AR TX
Kay Ohana 10/18/01
-
Re: Ambrotypes - Mitchell/Coker AL AR TX
Becky 10/18/01
-
Re: Ambrotypes - Mitchell/Coker AL AR TX
-
Re: Ambrotypes - Mitchell/Coker AL AR TX