The Painted Cloth Doll, 1853

     ©  Kathy Duncan, 2024

In 1874, E.W. Billings published an advertisement promoting Izannah F. Walker's dolls, stating that he had been her agent for "so many years." That suggests that she had been wholesaling her dolls for a least a few years before she took out her patent. How long is "so many years"? It seems longer than a "couple of years," a "few years," and "several years." The phrase "so many years" is the sort of epic number that is frustrating in its lack of specificity.  

Dredging through newspaper records prior to the 1873 patent date for Izannah's dolls, does not turn up much. Before that, there does not seem to be much reason to link Walker's name with doll production. Her dolls are not yet "celebrated." She was likely unknown as a doll maker beyond the immediate region.

However, in 1853, E.W. Billings, her agent, ran an advertisement to announce that he had received a shipment of merchandise. Among his new stock were "Dolls of every description, including the painted Cloth Doll." 

The phrase "the painted Cloth Doll" leaps off the page. It suggests the possibility that this is a reference to the Walker dolls - made by Izannah, her sister Jane H. Walker, and her aunt Jane H. Hintz. It suggests that his readers are familiar with a painted Cloth Doll. More importantly, it suggests painted Cloth Dolls being produced in large numbers. 

Of course, 1853 is during the time frame that Izannah made her move to the Providence, Rhode Island area permanent. In 1853, Jane H. (Swasey) Hintz was 57 years old, Jane Hintz Walker was 39 years old, and Izannah Frankford Walker was 36 years old. Together, they were likely producing a great many dolls. Izannah's move to the Providence area may have been so that she could act as their representative to E.W. Billings and oversee the delivery of dolls to him. She may have also enlisted a number of women in the Providence area who could help with the finishing work for the dolls - making and stuffing bodies, applying ears, covering the bodies, and making clothes. An unskilled painter could have applied the flesh tone paint to heads, arms, and legs - leaving the painting of the faces and hair to more skilled painters. 

 

Izannah F. Walker Has Mail, 1849

     ©  Kathy Duncan, 2024

It has been a challenge to determine exactly when Izannah F. Walker made a permanent move from Somerset, Massachusetts to the Providence, Rhode Island area. We know that in 1850 she was on the U.S. census in Somerset in her aunt Jane H. Hintz's household and that by 1860 she was in Smithfield, Rhode Island boarding with Mary C. Bragg. Additionally, Izannah F. Walker does not appear on the 1855 Massachusetts census. It seems likely that she permanently moved to Rhode Island sometime between 1850 and 1855. But when?

Trying to establish where someone lived during off census years entails a variety of records: land deeds, tax records, road orders, and city directories. It is especially difficult to find women in these records since they are dominated by men. For example, men appear in tax lists if they own property and in order to pay their poll tax. Their wives do not appear on the tax list because her property is in her husband's name and because women could not vote. Women appear in tax lists when they are single or widowed and own property in their own names. One often overlooked record group is the "list of letters" published by post masters in local newspapers. Prior to the Civil War most communities did not have home mail delivery. People lined up at the post office in all sorts of weather on the off chance that they had a letter waiting for them. Once an unclaimed letter had lingered at the post office for thirty days or so, the post master created a list of unclaimed letters and published them in the newspaper so that they could be picked up. Sometimes lists were arranged by gender. You can read more about lists of letters here. 

As of 1 February 1849, Izannah F. Walker had an unclaimed letter at the Providence, Rhode Island post office. Her name appears on the post master's "lists of letters" in The Providence Daily Journal during the first couple of weeks in February. This list was arranged by gender:

Since Izannah Walker was on the 1850 census in Somerset, this does not seem like a permanent move to Rhode Island. It's impossible to determine how long she had been in the Providence area and why she was there. Was she on an extended visit? It seems like none of her siblings were living there in 1850, so who did she know in the Providence area? Had she lived there for several months or for a few years, but returned to Somerset in time for the census? She was 32 years old at the time. How was she making a living?

Another list of letters was published on 1 August 1849, with a name that is likely to have been Izannah's. This list was not arranged by gender:

At first glance, the name Jezanonah F Walker seems unlikely to be Izannah's. Keep in mind, that the names of mail recipients were handwritten, some clearly and some not so clearly. The post master would have had to decipher an unusual name that may have been written in poor penmanship and spelled phonetically. If you look at handwriting charts for the 19th century, "I" and "J" look much alike. Some charts don't even include "I." If you look at the name Jezanonah and substitute "I" for "J" and then say it phonetically, the result is Izannah. If this was a letter for Izannah F. Walker, then she was in the Providence area for the first half of 1849. 

The indication of an extended stay in Providence suggests that Izannah was establishing ties to the community, and those ties may be why she eventually moved there permanently. 

Everlasting Dolls, Formerly Made by Miss Walker

    ©  Kathy Duncan, 2024

Recently, Michelle Brown found an advertisement in the Manufacturers and Farmers Journal that was placed by E. W. Billings in the 14 December 1874 issue. Michelle's find is extremely important because it definitively proves that the "Miss Walker" of the celebrated dolls stocked by Billings was, in fact, I.F. Walker. The advertisement further notes that dolls are available by the dozens or singly, so Izannah Walker was wholesaling her dolls. You can see this advertisement on Dixie Redmond's blog Izannah Walker Chronicles.

1875 brought a continuation of doll production for Izannah F. Walker. On the first of May 1875, E. W. Billings ran an announcement that he had received a shipment of dolls from Izannah. This is not out of the ordinary for a wholesaler since merchants would soon be planning orders for the holiday shopping season.

 

However, between May and December a major shift happened. On 13 December 1875, Billings announced that he had received a shipment of dolls "formerly made by Miss Walker."

Formerly?? Without any other context, this statement is impossible to interpret. Was someone else producing Izannah's dolls for  her? Who? For how long? What was Izannah doing instead? Was she ill? Was she resting? Was she somewhere else? Travelling? Was she doing something else? Working on other inventions? Did she return to doll production? When? 

We know that she did not sell her doll patent during her lifetime and that she it willed to her brother when she died. We also know that she was supplying dolls to the Billings firm in 1881. As of yet, we don't know what happened between 1875 and 1881. 

Gilbert Walker, Slave Holder

   ©  Kathy Duncan, 2024

On 19 March 1796, Gilbert Walker, father of Izannah Walker, placed an advertisement in The Medley or New Bedford Marine Journal, in order to sell a twelve-year-old female slave. 

Gilbert Walker had no slaves in his household on the 1790, 1800, 1810, or 1820 censuses. However, the U.S. census is only a one-day snapshot of a household, taken every ten years. That's one day out of 3,650 other days. All of those other days have the potential to reveal more detailed information about a household. 

A search of the U.S. Census for 1790, 1800, and 1810 reveals that there was only one Gilbert Walker in the United States, so there is no doubt that the Gilbert Walker of this advertisement is the same Gibert Walker who was Izannah Walker's father. 

Since there were no slaves in Gilbert Walker's household in 1790 or 1800, that means he acquired the girl after 1790 and sold her before 1800. She entered the Walker household sometime between the age of seven and twelve.

Typically, there were three ways a person acquired a slave: through inheritance, as a gift, or by making a purchase. The advertisement does not refer to this as an estate sale, so it is not a sale that was triggered by an estate settlement. However, there is the possibility that Gilbert was making the sale on behalf of someone else like his widowed mother.

Generally, the only slave transactions that generated county or city records were sales made during the settlement of an estate or deeds of gift. Records for settlements of estates are found in probate files. Deeds of gift are often found mixed with land records or occasionally in court minutes. Transactions associated with estate settlements may have also generated newspaper notices for a public sale or auction. A straightforward transaction between individuals would generate a bill of sale from seller to buyer which was not recorded at the county or city level, thereby, leaving no surviving record.  

In 1796, Gilbert Walker was about 33 years old and was a resident of Tiverton, Newport County, Rhode Island. He had been widowed once; his first wife, Bridget Corey, had died in 1793, just months after their marriage. There were no surviving children from that marriage. He then married Mary Cory in about 1794 or 1795. Given that her surname is the same as his first wife's, she was likely to have been an in-law. In March of 1796, Mary was in the beginning stages of her first pregnancy. 

By 1796, Rhode Island was in the process of phasing out slavery. In 1784, the Rhode Island legislature passed the Gradual Emancipation Act which stipulated that anyone born after March 1, 1784 would be born free. However, those children were to be held as indentured servants until they reached the age of twenty-one. During that period, they would serve their mother's master. Meanwhile, anyone born prior to March 1, 1784, would remain a slave for life. 

Every state in the U.S. had a different series of laws concerning the owning and manumission of slaves. Some states forbade the freeing of slaves while others required freed slaves to leave the state within a year of manumission or made the previous owner financially responsible for any misdeeds of their former slaves while they remained in the area. This made it impossible or extremely difficult for someone who inherited slaves, but who had no desire to participate in slave-owning, to free them outright. 

According to the Tiverton Historical Society, in 1790, Tiverton had a total population of 2,453. Of that number, 2,251 were coded as free whites, 177 were "other free persons," and 25 were slaves. Slave ownership seems to have been in decline within six years after the passage of the Gradual Emancipation Act. By 1800, there were an estimated 380 slaves in the whole state of Rhode Island. 

Based on the timing of the Gradual Emancipation Act of 1784 and the timing of Gilbert Walker's advertisement, the girl he was selling would have probably been born between March 19, 1783, and February 28, 1784. If she was sold to someone local, then she could have remained a slave until 1843 when slavery was banned in Rhode Island. She would have been about 60 years old then. However, if she was sold to someone in a southern state, then she might have remained a slave until 1865 when she would have been 82 or 83. In other words, she may have remained a slave for life. 

Gilbert Walker's First Wife, Bridget Corey

  ©  Kathy Duncan, 2024

One of the most difficult aspects of searching newspapers is that it is almost impossible to locate a name if it was divided between lines, especially since newspapers divided names randomly. Divisions of words were made at the end of the line and not between syllables.

Relentlessly searching for published records for the marriages of Izannah Walker's father, Gilbert Walker, produced nothing. Searching for Bridget Cory also produced nothing. However, once I used the alternate spelling of Corey, I located a marriage record for Gilbert and Bridget. Note that his name is split between two lines as Gilbert Wal-ker. 

The Newport Mercury of 11 March 1793 reported their marriage in Tiverton, Newport County, Rhode Island. A specific date for their marriage was not given, so this would only narrow their marriage down to early March or late April. 

Sadly, Bridget died a few months after their marriage. The Medley or New Bedford Marine Journal of New Bedford, Massachusetts, reported her death in "Tivertown" in their 23 August 1793 edition. She was the 25-year-old daughter of the late Thomas Corey. She lived only about five months as Gilbert's wife.

There are many reasons why a young wife might die. Complications from pregnancy or childbirth come to mind first, but there were many illnesses and diseases that might prove fatal. There is also the possibility that she might have met with an accident or injury. 

Izannah Walker, Lincoln Supporter

 ©  Kathy Duncan, 2024

In 1865, Izannah Walker was enumerated on the Central Falls, Rhode Island census. In 1867, she was specifically located at 11 Jenks in Central Falls.

A newspaper clipping from 1864, also places Izannah in a house on Jenks Street. More importantly, it indicates that she was an enthusiastic supporter for the re-election of Abraham Lincoln. It is impossible to know if Izannah leaned toward the Republicans or the War Democrats, but she is listed among the inhabitants of Jenks Street who decorated their houses in celebration of the upcoming election because they were located on a Republican parade route. In the fall of 1884, Izannah's residence was once again along a Republican parade route. Unfortunately, it's impossible to determine if a much older Izannah would have decorated her house with banners and illumination for that parade.

The parade took place on the evening of 1 November 1864 in anticipation of the election which was held on the eighth. That Tuesday must have been abuzz with last-minute preparations for the event. The day before, on October 31st, the Providence Evening Press had run an article detailing the events of November first in Central Falls with this request from the procession committee: "The committee ask and expect a general and hearty assistance from the residents on the route of the procession, in illuminating and otherwise, to make [the] occasion one not soon to be forgotten." There is no way to know if Izannah decorated her house with flags, banners, illumination, or some combination of the three. She was likely to have been one of the women who attended the evening's celebrations. As a woman with an active, inventive mind, and who evidently supported Lincoln and the war effort, she must have been frustrated by the inability to vote in that same election. 

This is the clipping from the 2 November 1864 Providence Evening Press, p. 4, with each section followed by a transcript. I've opted to present the entire article rather than just a snippet of the portion concerning Izannah because it provides a detailed description of one evening in her life. It also serves as a directory of the people living in her neighborhood - many of whom may have purchased one of her dolls. 

Central Falls

"Up and Doing.--The wide-awake Union citizens of the enterprising village of Central Falls were out in their full strength last evening, and devoted a few hours to earnest and hearty rejoicings over victories achieved by loyal arms in the past, and the greater victory to be won on the 8th of the present month, in the re-election of Honest Abe Lincoln, and the unflinching, uncompromising patriot, Andy Johnson. The demonstration exceeded everything in point of enthusiasm, beauty of illumination, &c., that it has been our good fortune to witness in this or any preceding political campaign.

The loyalists of this village, joined by those of Valley Falls, North Providence and Pawtucket, assembled at the appointed rendezvous soon after 7 o'clock, and preceded by the American Brass Band, marched first to the residence of Col. Horace Daniels, where a beautiful flag was thrown to the breeze amid enthusiastic shouts, a brilliant display of fireworks, a salvo of artillery, under direction of Lieut. A. L. Sweet, and a national air by the band.

The route of the procession was then through Broad to Clay street, down Clay to High, through Jenks, down Cross, to Mill street, where another flag was thrown out, by the Lincoln & Johnson Club of Central Falls. After a brief halt, during which there was a profuse display of fireworks, the line of march was again taken up, and proceeded up Central to High street, through High to its terminus, and countermarched, passing down High to Central street again, and up the latter to Broad, up Broad street to Pine, and down Pine to Fales, Jenks & Sons' new building, the third story of which had been selected for the place of meeting. The spacious room, said to be capable of holding fully eleven thousand persons, was more than half filled, quite a large number of ladies being present. 

An extensive platform had been raised in the west side of the hall, and on this was seated the speakers of the evening, the Marshals and Assistant Marshals of the various clubs, the Schubert Club and the band.

The decorations consisted of large American flags and banners, bearing the following mottoes:

"N.E. Triple B's--Burnside, Butler, Banks."

"Lincoln and Johnson Club, Central Falls--Unconditional Surrender."

"Grant, Sheridan, Sherman--Our Peace-makers."

"Subjugation of Traitors and Annihilation of Traitors."

The meeting was called to order at 9 o'clock, and the exercises commenced with the soldier's chorus from Faust, by the Glee Club.

Captain Collyer, of the North Providence Club, then announced the arrangements for attending the Grand Mass Meeting in Providence.

The first speaker of the evening, Hon. Abraham Payne, was introduced, and for about three-quarters of an hour he interested his hearers with a logical argument based on the distinctive features of the Baltimore and Chicago platforms. It was not only one of Mr. Payne's best speeches, but it was one of the best that has been listened to from any source in the present campaign. 

Want of space and the lateness of the hour at which the meeting adjourned alone prevents our giving an abstract.

Another song from the glee club, and another patriotic air from the band. Major William A. Pierce, was then introduced. His speech was replete with telling points, that elicited the most hearty applause. Notwithstanding the fact that it was nearly eleven o'clock when he finished his remarks, hardly a person had left the room, so great was the interest.

The glee club sang the favorite song of "Rally 'round the flag," the band played a favorite piece, "Winding Up" with the popular air of "Wood up," and the meeting was then closed, with rousing cheers for the candidates, the speakers, the glee club, the band, and last but not least, to the proprietors of the building, for their generosity in allowing it to be used on this occasion.

We should have mentioned that when the head of the procession arrived opposite the residence of B. F. Greene, Esq., a third flag was run out, and greeted with the heartiest cheers that ever came from the same number of men.

Subsequently the band visited the residence of Charles Moies, Esq., where they played several of their finest pieces, and were rewarded with an entertainment such as might be expected from Mr. M.

 

We took considerable pains to collect as nearly as possible a complete list of persons who illuminated or decorated their houses and places of business along the route of the procession, and although we may have unavoidably overlooked some, if there are any such, they will not wonder should they ever attempt the same work. The list is as follows:

Central Street: Darius Peckham, Dr. Lee, Colonel Horace Daniels, O.L. Patt, Jason Cowdin, Mr. Cobb, Mr. Owen, J.K. Mallory, Mr. Perry, S.D. Pendergrast, F. & G. Fales, A. Reed, E. Brown, Chas. Hollard, O.H.J. Perry, Mrs. Patt, Robert Plews, Mr. Burnham, Mr. Grant, J. Crawford, Alansen Wood, B.F. Greene, H. Weldon, Stephen Peck, Colin Hawes, Flagg & Briggs, N. Harding, Coombs & Bliss, Edward L. Freeman.

High Street: S. L. Pendergrast, Lorin Thurber, Jr. Albert Frost, Mrs. Robbins, Arza Dunham, Mrs. Fales, Mrs. Jenks, Mr. Walsworth, Robert Robertson, Mrs. Simmons, James Draper, David Fale, Mrs.Woodward, James M. Davis, Robert B. Sweet, Oliver Perry, Nehemiah Harding, Samuel Mallory, Aaron Cole, Henry Gooding, Jere. Patt, Olney Keach, Pardon White, James Fales, Pliny Thrasher, Wm. Newell, Thomas Spink.

Broad Street: Rev. Stewart Sheldon, R. B. Averill, E. Northup, Col. A. H. Littlefield, Elias Nickerson, Mr. Bennett, Mrs. Peck, James Fifield, Alvin Jenks, N.R. Esten.

Clay Street: Joseph Wood, Uriah Benedict, Levi Haskell, Charles Moies, Ansel D. Nickerson, Benjamin Horton, Jr., Rev. Frederic Denison, Geo. Manning.

Jenks Street: Dudly Walker, James Benett, James Gray, Miss Walker, John A. Adams, George Morse, Alfred Knight.

Cross Street: Capt. Lysander Flagg, F. Fish, Mrs. Crowell, John Craig, Mrs. McQuestion.

Mill Street: Pardon White, W. H. Wightman, Josiah Gage.

Pine Street: J. Wilmarth

Ashley Street: Moses P. Wilmarth, John Fales

Many of the illuminations and decorations were worthy of particular mention, but the approaching daylight warns up that we must be very brief, yet we must mention one motto, which graced the front door of Mr. Jason Cowdin's house, which read--"No Copperheads in this Family." This was peculiarly appropriate, considering the fact that some seven or eight of the family have fought bravely in the Union armies."

This 1900 map of Central Falls shows that Fales, Jenks & Sons' was only a few blocks from Jenks Street:

The 1877 Bird's Eye of Central Falls provides a better feel for the size of their complex and the incredible amount of smoke, generated in that area:

Jane H. Walker Makes a Citizen's Arrest

   ©  Kathy Duncan, 2024

Jane H. Walker was Izannah Walker's sister and was also a dollmaker. Like Izannah, she never married. She maintained her own household in Somerset, Massachusetts after Izannah moved to Central Falls, Rhode Island. She grew grapes, and she was a force to be reckoned with. 

In 1881, at the age of 67, Jane was feeling harassed by young boys who were trespassing on her property and either stealing her grapes or vandalizing her grapevines. Fed up, she captured one of them on her own and held him at her house while waiting for law enforcement to arrive and arrest him. He falsely told her that his name was William Burns in an attempt to deflect his delinquency on an Irish immigrant. Meanwhile, his father showed up and badgered Jane into releasing the boy to him.

There is a lot to unpack here, but not much has changed in 140 years. People are tired of having their property damaged or stolen, young people commit crimes, young people lie and try to deflect blame on someone else, parents enable their children's bad behavior, and immigrants are scapegoats. 

Interestingly, this article contains quite a bit of editorializing. 

A transcript of each portion of the article follows the clipping:

Somerset

Miss J. H. Walker, a highly respectable old lady resident and real estate owner, has been repeatedly annoyed in various ways, for no other reason than to gratify a contemptible spirit of envy. Whenever the authors of this annoyance have been detected, they have humbly begged off from punishment and exposure, or tried to palm themselves off as Irish residents. A few days ago Miss Walker captured one of two boys she discovered among her grape vines, and took him into her house until she could give him into the custody of an officer. When he was asked his name he assumed that of another boy in town - William Burns. 

Pretty soon a gentleman called and requested the release of the culprit. The lady knew him as a near neighbor. She was not disposed to accede to his request, and so denied having the youth, in order that his arrest might serve as a warning to others. But after an urgent pressure the parent was allowed to take his boy home. A brother of this one was the person who escaped, and it is presumed that he notified the father of the other brother's fate.

There have been several cases of a similar kind reported, but nothing has heretofore been said concerning them. The Irish portion of our inhabitants has suffered disagreeably and unnecessarily by complaints about the misconduct of their children, altogether due to the poaching tendencies of the sons of aristocratic families. And yet it is not altogether confined to children, for instances can be related where adults have not scrupled to practice the same fraud.

Jane H. Walker attends Funeral of Izannah Walker

  ©  Kathy Duncan, 2024

The only new tidbit that I have found recently is this little notice that Jane H. Walker traveled from Somerset, Massachusetts to Providence, Rhode Island to attend the funeral of her sister Izannah Walker. 

A funeral in Providence indicates that Izannah is buried in Swan Point Cemetery in Providence while the monument that Jane erected later in Somerset is a cenotaph. 

Victoria Blue

 ©  Kathy Duncan, 2024 

My favorite early china dolls are the brown-eyed, pre-Civil War china heads - especially the ones with glass eyes although I admit that the later Parians with blue glass eyes are also a favorite.

In 1850, the shift from brown-eyed dolls to blue-eyed dolls was attributed to Queen Victoria. Victoria was the fashion icon of her day. She popularized white wedding dresses and was at the forefront of mourning fashions. 

The publication Punch picked up this tidbit about Victoria's influence on doll eye color. Other publications reprinted it throughout the United States and the phrase "Victoria Blue" was repeated throughout.

We think of Germany and France as the major doll-making countries. However, dolls, or at least their parts, were also made in England. "Labor and the Poor" was a regular column that appeared in London's Morning Chronicle. It was written by Henry Mayhew. This particular column was published on Thursday 28 February 1850 and can be read in its entirety here. 

The reference to brown-eyed and blue-eyed dolls is specifically to glass-eyed dolls.

It is interesting, though, to read the accounts of how other dolls and their parts were made - wooden dolls, paper mache dolls, wax-over dolls (and why they could not be produced in the United States), doll wigs, and doll clothes. What is also striking is the poverty that doll makers lived in. Hence, the title "Labor and the Poor." One maker of paper mache doll heads produced 29,952 a year while living in abject poverty. He recounted that stuffing 144 doll bodies brought in only a half-crown. Thinking about the living conditions of doll makers and the times when dolls were weaponized diminishes some of the joy in doll collecting.