|
|
I AM JOAN SULLIVAN
by Keith Trickett
As a former tour guide for The House of the Seven Gables, I knew Joan Sullivan (O’Shuluvan in her home tongue) and her story. Yet, I knew so little. She was an Irish Catholic girl, possibly as young as seventeen, and worked as an indentured servant, often someone who agreed to work in return for passage from their mother country to one of the British American Colonies. She worked, briefly, for Captain John Turner in the house that would become The House of the Seven Gables, and was later indentured also to an infamous Quaker merchant named Thomas Maule. The Turners sold her indentured contract c. 1680, either before or soon after the Captain's death, for, approximately, the price of a pound of bacon. In December of 1681, Joan accused Maule of physical and spiritual abuse. Many of the individuals connected to the case were familiar Salem names. Bartholomew Gedney, a judge during the witch trials, presided over the case. Lucretia Derby, great-grandmother of famed merchant Elias Haskett Derby, was a shop owner who came to Joan's defense. It goes on from there.
As a graduate of Salem State's undergraduate theatre program with an a passion for early American history, this project fit me, so when I was asked to develop a script for this program, I didn't hesitate. My time with History Alive’s Cry Innocent, re-telling the story of accused Bridget Bishop and her accusers, prepared me for this venture. Joan Sullivan’s story is as much a reflection of her world as it is of our own, and the world that Caroline Emmerton knew, and fought to make better. The struggles of young foreigners coming to a new place are never easy. Even less so for a young woman whose faith would be as much a barrier as her home tongue. The House of the Seven Gables stands as a testament to those who have come from other places, struggled, and help to better the lives of others, as Ms. Emmerton did in creating her settlement house. Joan's story is just another thread in the fabric of the narrative we weave at the Turner-Ingersoll Mansion, and that narrative is not complete without hers.
|
|
ANNUAL APPEAL
The House of the Seven Gables launched its Annual Appeal on April 7. The Appeal will last six weeks (into the middle of May) with a goal to raise $50,000. As a National Historic Landmark District, we are fortunate to welcome over 100,00 visitors to our historic house museum each year. Unfortunately, ticket sales alone cannot sustain us, and we receive no federal funding for our Landmark status. How can we continue? That’s where YOU come in. We look to the community to help us fund special programs and projects, but the Annual Appeal allows Individuals like you to support our organization in its entirety. It is when we ask you to affirm your belief in everything that we do. Your gift enables us to fulfill our 107-year mission to preserve history, assist local immigrants, and enrich our community. Please help us continue the work we do by donating to The House of the Seven Gables. |
|
WHAT'S NEW IN PRESERVATION?
What’s old is new again. Brian Payne, preservation carpenter at The House of the Seven Gables has been working on a project to restore the 1911 diamond-paned casement windows in the 1682 section of the Hooper-Hathaway House. The restoration included new lead, replacing panes and fixing hinges. Brian also made a reproduction window in the manner of the 1911 Joseph Chandler reproductions, which are themselves fashioned to be reproductions of windows that would have been on the 17th century house.
|
|
WHAT'S NEW IN SETTLEMENT?
Jeanne Kempthorne, an attorney mediator and founder of the Good Neighbor Mediation Project in Salem, will be joined by Jamie Banks, executive director of Quiet Communities, Inc., and Rick Reibstein, an environmental lawyer and law professor, to talk about the exposure of immigrant labor to harmful pollutants and noise in the landscaping industry. Prof. Reibstein will also address other environmental pollutants, including lead, pesticides, and mold, that affect immigrant and low-income communities.
Community Conversations are free and open to the public. Reservations are recommended. If you have questions about this event, please contact Ana Nuncio at anuncio@7gables.org or call 978-744-0991, ext. 105.
|
|
WHAT'S NEW IN MEMBERHIP?
In celebration of Spring, we cordially invite our members to lunch on the lawn. Enjoy live entertainment with the Melody Makers, lawn games, and Gables trivia. Special behind-the-scenes tours of our ongoing collections care project will be available as well.
Bring your own picnic and seating, and enjoy one of The Gables greatest assets: the seaside lawn.
|
|
| Not a member? Click below to join. |
|
GIFTS AT THE GABLES
Quilling greeting cards are now available at the Museum Store. They are handcrafted and blank inside for your personal message. Each one is a keepsake that can be framed. Don’t just send a card, send a work of art.
These unique cards and more are available for purchase at The House of the Seven Gables Museum Store. Can't make it to our Museum Store? Contact Everett Philbrook, Store Manager at 978-744-0991 x195or ephilbrook@7gables.org, and we can have this item shipped to you. |
|
 |
I AM JOAN SULLIVAN: A THEATRICAL EXPERIENCE
May 5 and 6
6, 7, and 8pm
May 7
1, 2, and 3pm
Don't miss the newest theatrical performance offered at The House of the Seven Gables. Tickets are now available. |
 |
NEW ENGLAND BOUND: SLAVERY AND COLONIZATION IN EARLY AMERICA
May 11, 2017
6pm - 8pm
Dr. Wendy Warren of Princeton University will be presenting about her book, which explores the experience of chattel bondage in seventeenth-century New England, illuminating the deadly symbiosis between slavery and colonization in the Atlantic World. |
 |
WHAT HEALTH DANGERS DO IMMIGRANT LABORERS FACE IN THE LANDSCAPING INDUSTRY?
May 17, 2017
6pm - 7:30pm
Our next Community Conversation will focus on the exposure of immigrant labor to harmful pollutants and noise in the landscaping industry. |
 |
MEMBER EXCLUSIVE: LUNCH ON THE LAWN
May 21, 2017
12pm - 2pm
We invite members and their guests to pack a picnic and bring along some friends to enjoy a late spring picnic at The House of the Seven Gables. We’ll have lawn games, trivia, and music to enjoy. |
 |
A FESTIVAL OF FOOD
June 3, 2017
2pm - 5:30pm
Join us on a special tour of The Gables and beyond with Salem Food Tours. Proceeds from the tour will benefit The Gables |
 |
ESSEX COUNTY FREEDOM SUITS IN REVOLUTIONARY MASSACHUSETTS
June 7, 2017
6pm - 8pm
Jeanne Pickering, a Master’s student at Salem State College, will review how slavery’s gradual ending in revolutionary Massachusetts began with lawsuits for freedom filed by enslaved people in Essex County prior to the War. |
 |
US SENIOR OPEN - SALEM COUNTRY CLUB
June 26 - July 2, 2017
The House of the Seven Gables is pleased to support this once-in-a-lifetime local event. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
No comments:
Post a Comment