Nancy Jane Dunlap's
Counterpanes

Blue and white counterpanes hand-made by her circa 1820.

Photographs of the Counterpanes

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Information About the Counterpanes

The above is in the handwriting of Alta Scholl (Hammel) Myers (1909-2005), written on an envelope and attached with a pin to the counterpanes when they hung in her home. She always stated that the maker of the counterpanes was Nancy Jane (Dunlap) Mace (1800-1827) and the writing traces the lineage from her to Alta's daughter Mary.

From Etta Clara (Hoyt) Myers:

The above is in the handwriting of Etta Clara (Hoyt) Myers (1870-1950) and was probably written by her at the Myers Farm called The Knoll near Williamsport, Ohio, as items were packed for shipment to her new residence in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, after the sale of the farm in 1949. She identified the maker of the counterpanes only as "Mother Myers' Grand Mother McCafferty".

It is possible that Etta meant herself when writing "Mother Myers" as that is what her daugher-in-law Alta always called her. In that case, and taking grandmother to include both her and her husband's, there are four possibilities for the "Grand Mother" as follows: Susannah Joseph (Webster) Hoyt (1811-1884), Sarah L. (Warner) Keeler (1810-1862), Catherine L. (Vance) Myers (1806-1866), and Elizabeth (Mace) McCafferty (1825-1907). Only the last is a McCafferty, so the maker of the counterpanes would be Elizabeth (Mace) McCafferty, the daughter of Nancy Jane (Dunlap) McCafferty.

It is also possible that Etta would have referred to her mother-in-law Mary A. (McCafferty) Myers as "Mother Myers", just as Alta referred to Etta as Mother Myers. In that case and again taking grandmother to includes both her and her husband's, there are four possiblities for the "Grand Mother" as follows: Narcissus (Black) McCafferty (1802-1872), Nancy Jane (Dunlap) Mace (1800-1827), Elizabeth (Smith) Myers (1777-1842), Mary (Scott) Vance (1777j-1858). Only the first is a McCafferty, so the maker of the counterpanes would be Narcissus (Black) McCafferty.

The most likely way to reconcile this with Alta's information is that Etta meant her mother-in-law as "Mother Myers", but mis-wrote when she added the McCafferty, which should have been Mace, referring to Nancy Jane (Dunlap) Mace.