Title: Red Wool Cloak
Object Name: Cloak
Creator: Wilson, Mary Hodge, 1735-1825
Date: 1770-1780
Material: Wool
Description: Long red wool cloak made from wool raised, spun, dyed and woven by Mary Hodge Wilson, the proprietress of Peterborough's first Wilson Tavern. The cloak is lined with silk and has a very fine braided trim edging. The cloak closes at the neck with a hook and eye closure that appears to be handwrought. A placket under the cloak has handmade buttons. It is said that Mary Wilson wore this cloak when she rode twice a year to the markets in Boston. Her horse was white and the family story is that she made a striking figure astride her white horse in her red cloak.
Provenance: The donor was a direct descendant of Major Robert and Mary Wilson. The cloak was passed down through generations of the family until it was donated to Peterborough Historical Society in 1977.
People:
Wilson, Mary Hodge, 1735-1825
Collection Name: Monadnock Center Textile Collection
Item Number: 1977.24.1a
Accession Number: 1977.24
Type of Material: Objects
Copyright Statement: For information regarding copyright, permissions, and reproductions contact the Monadnock Center for History and Culture at Peterborough Historical Society.
Credit Line: Gift of Robert Worth Johnson
Participating Organization: Monadnock Center for History and Culture at Peterborough Historical Society