December 5, 2025
Introduction: In this article, Melissa Davenport Berry writes more about a “Friendship Quilt” from the 1850s with many Mayflower connections. Melissa is a genealogist who has a website, americana-archives.com, and a Facebook group, New England Family Genealogy and History.
Today I continue with identifying the names stitched on the “Friendship Quilt” in the collection at the Dennis Historical Society (DHS), housed at the 1736 Josiah Dennis Manse Museum, home of the first settled minister of the town of Dennis, Massachusetts.
To read the history of the donor Elizabeth “Betty” Parker and her grandmother Olive Bangs (Crowell) Perkins, who worked on the quilt in the 1850s, read Part 1.
There is a handwritten name in India ink on the white chintz circles in the center of each square.
The names are very faded, but a list was preserved by the maker and appears in the 2003 DHS newsletter announcing the gift. Most of the names are kin by blood or marriage, and descendants of Mayflower passengers.
I have researched the names on the quilt, and four of them appear below in bold.
Captain Nathan Sears (1821-1904), a successful merchant and farmer, is the son of Edmund and Elizabeth “Betsey” (Crowell) Sears, and a direct descendant of Mayflower passengers William Brewster and his wife Mary through their daughter Patience Brewster, who married Gov. Thomas Prence.
The name of Sarah Sears, Nathan’s wife, also appears on the quilt. She was born Sarah Clark Howes, the daughter of Isaiah and Thankful (Sears) Howes, and a direct descendant of Mayflower passenger Stephen Hopkins.
Below is the couple’s wedding announcement published in the Barnstable newspaper.
Nathan married 2nd Julia Long, daughter of Jeremiah and Jerusha (Sears) Long, on 24 September 1885 in Boston, Massachusetts. She is among the names on the quilt as Julia H. Sears, a direct descendant of Mayflower passengers Stephen Hopkins, John Howland, and Elizabeth Tilley.
A DHS newsletter published in March 2006 described several boxes of old ledgers, letters, books, and papers from the Henry Homer Sears estate of East Dennis.
Henry, a 10th-generation descendant of Cape Cod settlers and great-grandson of Nathan and Sarah, owned one of the few remaining properties on Cape Cod still holding the deed to the original family. His property continues to operate as a working farm.
Henry was a U.S. Air Force veteran, owner and operator of “Ol’ Salty’s Quarterboards” in East Dennis.
The Henry Homer Sears collection’s contents included Nathan Sears’ Bible, along with several diaries kept by him and his wife Sarah.
Also included were Nathan’s accounts for his fishing and mercantile business firm Kelley, Sears & Co., which includes Shiverick Shipyard transaction entries.
A plaque marks the spot overlooking Sesuit Harbor where the Shiverick Shipyard was once located in East Dennis. On this spot, Asa Shiverick and his sons built many fine clipper ships including Wild Hunter and the Belle of the West.
Below is a photo of the Shiverick brothers David, Asa Jr., and Paul, all born to Asa Shiverick Sr. and his wife Susannah (Howes) Shiverick.
Nathan’s sister Mary Sears married Asa Jr. and left descendants.
David Shiverick married Lydia Hall, daughter of Jesse and Eunice (Howes) Hall, a direct descendant of Mayflower passengers Edward Winslow, John Howland, and Elizabeth Tilley.
Paul Shiverick married Lydia Howes, daughter of Zebina and Persis (Hall) Howes, a direct descendant of Mayflower passenger William Brewster, John Howland, and Elizabeth Tilley.
Kelley, Sears & Co. was formed in East Dennis by Nathan Sears and Stillman Kelley (1816-1894), son of Oliver and Priscilla (Chase) Kelley and a direct descendant of Mayflower passenger Stephen Hopkins.
Another name found on the quilt is Stillman’s wife Olive Kelley, born Olive Howes Sears to Heman and Abigail “Nabby” Sears, and a direct descendant of Mayflower passengers Stephen Hopkins and William Brewster.
The firm dissolved “the last day of December 1857,” and several notices appeared in the newspaper stating that “all persons indebted to the present firm are requested to make immediate payment.”
The DHS newsletter published two letters transcribed by librarian Burt Derick from the Henry Homer Sears collection.
To be continued…
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Note on the header image: “Mayflower in Plymouth Harbor,” by William Halsall, 1882. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.
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