(MASSACHUSETTS) Tingley Samuel Junior Diary of a renowned to

Sale 2287 - Lot 304

Price Realized: $ 660

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Estimate: $ 500 - $ 750

(MASSACHUSETTS.) Tingley, Samuel, Junior. Diary of a renowned tombstone carver as a young man. 29 manuscript pages. 4to, stitched, only minor wear. With typed transcript. Attleboro, MA, 1 January 1801 to 2 January 1802

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Tingley is a big name in the small world of those interested in early New England tombstone carvers. Samuel Tingley Jr. (1785-1869) was born into the business, working alongside his father Samuel (1752-1846) and brother Sylvanus (1782-1854). At this point, the family resided in Attleboro, MA, although they were later better known after relocating just over the line to Providence, RI. The terse early entries in this diary, written by Samuel Junior as a 16-year-old boy, show him mostly hired out for hauling wood, plowing, and planting when not in school. In late February he begins to also cut and smooth stone. Toward the end of the diary, he begins to identify the tombstone customers, starting with 'Cut white stone (for Mrs. Allen)' on 28 October, a large order that he later delivered to Providence. Other customers include Oliver Guild of Dedham, Joseph Crawford, and Samuel Healy. Other entries hint at his work routine, such as 'Carried 2 of the stone into the house to work upon . . . Cut stone that came from Bristol' (18-19 December). An important account of the early years of a master craftsman whose work endures across Rhode Island and Massachusetts.