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While researching double-flyer spinning wheels I found two wheels marked "J. STURDEVANT." In addition, EAIA member Carol O'Neale Culnan has an almost identical wheel marked "JOHN STURDEVANT" (Figure 1). As noted in my article "Double-flyer Spinning Wheels," in The Chronicle (December 2000, Vol. 53, No. 4), there are wheels marked "S. BARNUM," which show close structural resemblance to wheels marked "J. Sturdevant." We also knew that Barnum's mother's maiden name was Sarah Sturdevant. Although I learned, too, that John Sturdevant's probate inventory was listed for 1825 in New Milford, Connecticut, the deadline for the original paper did not allow for further research. Since then, new information has come to light.
EAIA member Sue Bacheller offered to search for more information on John Sturdevant. Using the resources of the New England Historic and Genealogical Society, in Boston, Massachusetts, she discovered that these wheels were probably made by John Sturdevant Jr. and/or his son John Sanford Sturdevant. I wanted to publish this material in my newsletter, The Spinning Wheel Sleuth (Issue No. 31, January 2001), but again we ran out of time. Then much to our surprise and delight more information came to us.
Just as I was taking Issue 31 to the printer, I received an e-mail message from a gentlemen named John S. Sturdevant from Laramie, Wyoming. He is a direct descendent of John Sanford Sturdevant. He has been researching his family via the Internet. With help from people in Bridgewater, Connecticut, he discovered that his ancestors had been spinning-wheel makers and he was trying to learn about...