Mortar

1800-1840

Measurements

9-1/8 in x 8 in (dia)

Materials

Unidentified hardwood

Credit Line

Historic Odessa Foundation, gift of Margaret I. Handy

Accession Number

1973.311

Inscription

H.BELL

Provenance

The accompanying history claims that the Bell stamp is that of the original owner, Henry Bell of Little Creek, Delaware, the grandfather of the donor.  A Henry Bell (dates unknown) is associated with the "Old Stone Tavern" (never a tavern), c. 1822, of Little Creek, Delaware, now owned by the Delaware Division of Parks and Recreation.  Henry was a brother to John, for whom the stone house may have been built.  No connection between Henry Bell and the donor has yet been established.  Genealogical research indicates that the donor's grandfather was William M. Bell (1828-1915) of Smyrna.  The donor’s mother, Mary Corbit Bell (1857-1933), was said to have been named for Mrs. Daniel Corbit of Odessa.

Comments

The mortar, turned from a single piece of wood, is made of a dense and heavy hardwood that has not yet been identified.  The provenance places the mortar in the Smyrna, Delaware, area.  No individual has yet been linked to the "H Bell" stamp.  Based on the stamp itself, the mortar was probably made in the early 19th century.

For work on the "Old Stone Tavern," see an unpublished study of that title produced in 2002 by the Center for Historic Architecture and Design, University of Delaware (https://udspace.udel.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/175a1651-ad68-443f-b58e-bff8535cea90/content).