Tracking Family Heirlooms

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Dated: 25 Jan 2009
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I recently transcribed and posted on the Berks County site the wedding certificate for my parents who were married at Reading Exeter United Friends Meeting. A bit of a challenge to read at times, but it helped that I also had the Bride’s Book that my mother kept as a record of the event. Since this little book includes the listing of gifts received and their donors, it makes for some rather interesting reading when tracking down the source of various family pieces. Among other things given to the couple was a set of Wedgwood Argyle china, which I remember well as Mom’s good china when I was growing up. I believe the set was given to my brother when he married, as Mom had started collecting Haviland china by then.

The Argyle pattern is actually a subset of the Wedgwood Patrician pattern, which Mom’s mother used for her good china, so it was probably a natural choice for her. Wedgwood_Argyle

Of course, in that day, brides also tended to pick a silver pattern to go along with their good china; Mom’s was International’s 1810 pattern, a very simple pattern. It was used daily at home growing up as she never did like using stainless.