$385
(Broadside, New England), Lines written on the death of Sarah M. Cornell , one page, c. 1833, header printed with outline of a coffin, large title block over two columns of verse, unsigned, sheet size 17 x 7 3/4 in., unframed, (folds, with some pinhole fold separations, soiling, smudging, handling wear). Note: On December 21, 1832, Fall River "mill girl" Sarah M. Cornell was found dead, hanging from a haystack pole on a farm in Tiverton, Rhode Island. Investigations into Sarah's death, and the discovery of her pregnancy, led to the arrest of married Methodist minister, Ephraim K. Avery of Bristol, Rhode Island. While some claimed Sarah had committed suicide, Avery was tried for her murder. He was acquitted in 1833 amidst popular outrage, which spurred the creation of this broadside. A similar example is held in the Library of Congress, printed in Philadelphia in 1833, with the verse listed as "sung by Mrs. John Thomas," and another broadside ballad is held in the collection of Brown University Library, printed in 1833 and sold at Faneuil Hall in Boston.
Auctioneer:
Skinner
Date:
2011-11-13
