{"id":105582,"date":"2025-12-05T08:45:38","date_gmt":"2025-12-05T13:45:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/?p=105582"},"modified":"2025-12-05T08:46:01","modified_gmt":"2025-12-05T13:46:01","slug":"friendship-quilt-mayflower-descendants-part-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/friendship-quilt-mayflower-descendants-part-2.html","title":{"rendered":"Friendship Quilt: Mayflower Descendants (part 2)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction:<\/em><\/strong> In this article, Melissa Davenport Berry writes more about a \u201cFriendship Quilt\u201d from the 1850s with many Mayflower connections. Melissa is a genealogist who has a website, americana-archives.com<\/a>, and a Facebook group, New England Family Genealogy and History<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Today I continue with identifying the names stitched on the \u201cFriendship Quilt\u201d in the collection at the Dennis Historical Society (DHS), housed at the 1736 Josiah Dennis Manse Museum<\/a>, home of the first settled minister of the town of Dennis, Massachusetts.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: friendship quilt on exhibit. Credit: Dennis Historical Society.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To read the history of the donor Elizabeth \u201cBetty\u201d Parker<\/a> and her grandmother Olive Bangs (Crowell) Perkins, who worked on the quilt in the 1850s, read Part 1<\/a>.<\/p>\n

There is a handwritten name in India ink on the white chintz circles in the center of each square.<\/p>\n

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<\/em> passengers.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: friendship quilt showing faded names inside white circles. Credit: Dennis Historical Society.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I have researched the names on the quilt, and four of them appear below in bold.<\/p>\n

Captain Nathan Sears<\/strong> (1821-1904), a successful merchant and farmer, is the son of Edmund and Elizabeth \u201cBetsey\u201d (Crowell) Sears, and a direct descendant of Mayflower<\/em> passengers William Brewster and his wife Mary through their daughter Patience Brewster, who married Gov. Thomas Prence.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: Nathan Sears Credit: Dennis Historical Society.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The name of Sarah Sears<\/strong>, Nathan\u2019s 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<\/em> passenger Stephen Hopkins.<\/p>\n

Below is the couple\u2019s wedding announcement published in the Barnstable newspaper.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
Barnstable Patriot (Barnstable, Massachusetts), 17 July 1844, page 3<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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<\/strong>, a direct descendant of Mayflower<\/em> passengers Stephen Hopkins, John Howland, and Elizabeth Tilley.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: reenactment of Stephen Hopkins meeting with the colonists\u2019 Wampanoag Indian interpreter Hobbamock outside his home at Plimoth Plantation. Courtesy of the Society of Mayflower Descendants in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (SMDPA).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Henry was a U.S. Air Force veteran, owner and operator of \u201cOl\u2019 Salty\u2019s Quarterboards\u201d in East Dennis.<\/p>\n

The Henry Homer Sears collection\u2019s contents included Nathan Sears\u2019 Bible, along with several diaries kept by him and his wife Sarah.<\/p>\n

Also included were Nathan\u2019s accounts<\/a> for his fishing and mercantile business firm Kelley, Sears & Co., which includes Shiverick Shipyard transaction entries.<\/p>\n

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<\/em> and the Belle of the West<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: Shiverick Shipyard plaque in East Dennis, Massachusetts. Credit: Cape Code Links.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\"Photos:
Photos: the Shiverick brothers David, Asa Jr., and Paul. Credit: Ann Croston; Dennis Historical Society.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Nathan\u2019s sister Mary Sears married Asa Jr. and left descendants.<\/p>\n

David Shiverick married Lydia Hall, daughter of Jesse and Eunice (Howes) Hall, a direct descendant of Mayflower<\/em> passengers Edward Winslow, John Howland, and Elizabeth Tilley.<\/p>\n

Paul Shiverick married Lydia Howes, daughter of Zebina and Persis (Hall) Howes, a direct descendant of Mayflower<\/em> passenger William Brewster, John Howland, and Elizabeth Tilley.<\/p>\n

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<\/em> passenger Stephen Hopkins.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: Stillman Kelley. Credit: Dennis Historical Society.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Another name found on the quilt is Stillman\u2019s wife Olive Kelley<\/strong>, born Olive Howes Sears to Heman and Abigail \u201cNabby\u201d Sears, and a direct descendant of Mayflower<\/em> passengers Stephen Hopkins and William Brewster.<\/p>\n

The firm dissolved \u201cthe last day of December 1857,\u201d and several notices appeared in the newspaper stating that \u201call persons indebted to the present firm are requested to make immediate payment.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Barnstable Patriot (Barnstable, Massachusetts), 2 February 1858, page 4<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The DHS newsletter published two letters transcribed by librarian Burt Derick from the Henry Homer Sears collection.<\/p>\n

\"Photos:
Photos: two letters addressed to Kelley, Sears & Co. from J. M. Freeman of Halls Store in March 1857. Credit: Dennis Historical Society.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To be continued\u2026<\/p>\n

Create a free account<\/a> at GenealogyBank for 7 days to start your journey and discover the stories your ancestors left behind.<\/p>\n

Note on the header image:<\/em><\/strong> \u201cMayflower in Plymouth Harbor,\u201d by William Halsall, 1882. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.<\/p>\n

Related Article:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n