A Lady to Drive

When Edward Marshall married Abigail Hicks in a Friends Ceremony, his wife’s other love joined their household – her beloved horse. We do not know if the horse had been from her father’s farm, or if it was a smart looking hackney she had purchased. Abby had her own personal carriage as well as a sleigh for winter use. To Abby, it was her responsibility to care for and financially support the animal. As you will see in Abby’s biography the horse played a major role in the couple’s financial history, especially when a photographic supply company sued them! When the sheriff threatened to seize the horse along with their household goods to pay the debt, Abby surely said: Oh no you are not!

I was fascinated with the list of items that Edward S. Marshall purchased from Buchannan, Smedley & Bromley in Philadelphia to refurbish his studio after a serious fire. Posted here for your interest is the entire inventory. You will see some brand names that were popular in 1886, such as “Seeds” and “Carbutt’s” photographic plates. The document is long – 11 pages and comes from the court appearance papers in the lawsuit courtesy of the Chester County Archives & Records Services, West Chester, PA. Use the zoom button to view the entire legal sized pages and the arrow buttons to step through the pages.