THE SAMPSON GAINER FAMILY REGISTER
THE VIRGINIA RECORD BOOK ARTIST
Inscribed: Sampson Gainer his book
Bought in Winchester of Samuel
Ree Price 12 ½ Cents in 1808
April 23rd 1808
A set of nine loose pages, once part of a book, recording the births of the family of Sampson Gainer (b.1774) and his wife Sally Gainer (b.1773). The pages include records of their children Polly Gainer, (b.1801), Sally Gainer (b. 1803), Nancy Gainer (b. 1805) and James Thompson Gainer (b.1807). The records also include a child from Sally Gainer’s first marriage, Andrew Clendenning (b.1792). Other decorative pages include three of varying fraktur designs with birds and one of a complex Temple of Soloman painting with Masonic imagery indicating Sampson Gainer was a member of Winchester Lodge #12. Every page is elaborately illustrated with decorative borders, fancy script and block lettering, flowers, birds and other devices in watercolor and ink.
This book is related to more than twenty other surviving books and examples created by the same unknown hand working from about 1800 until 1820. Most if not all of the families whose books survive were associated with Friends’ schools and meetings in the Winchester area and lived in Frederick, Berkeley and Morgan Counties in Virginia. The Gainer family, and indeed the Ree family from whom Sampson Gainer purchased this book were members of the Hopewell Friends Meeting near Winchester.
