This particular chair has been in the family for years. I finally asked about it.
First off, it was older than I expected. Actually another generation. It came from a great, great grandfather in the Martin’s River area.
Seems what happened was that my great, great grandmother was sick and could no longer function well. She needed someone to look after her and other household duties, but her children were too young. So a deal was made with another local family that one of their daughters would move in and take over those duties.
As compensation, this young woman was to receive first choice of cloth to make into her clothing every year. When she chose to get married and leave, she would then be given a bed, a chair and a bolt of cloth for her wedding dress.
From a historical perspective, I’m sure this sounded like a pretty good deal, although it sounds a bit sketchy to us today. But it must have worked. When this woman passed, her family actually gave the chair back to my ancestors, and it has been in the family ever since.
It has always been referred to as the “bound chair” or “bond chair”, as this person was bound or bonded to the family. By the way, don’t Google “bound chair”, especially from work. What shows up could get you in trouble. Just saying.
But my big question is, has anyone else ever heard of this sort of practice happening around here? If so, let me know.
