The following letter was received today:
Dear Pat,
I enjoyed all the information on your site about the Ladd-Gilman house. I am a descendant of these families and plan to visit the house sometime this fall. I’ve been trying to collect information before the trip so that my family will be able to fully appreciate the visit. Your site has given the best information so far.
I was interested in your retelling of the firescreen legend. The firescreen appears to be a copy of the Gilman coat of arms, which includes the black boot in the enter of the shield. I researched this on the Internet and found several websites which show this imagery for the Gilman coat of arms. The firescreen would support that.
Unfortunately, none of the websites contain anything so colorful as the Gilman legend to explain the choice of the boot as the symbol for the family! It is interesting that I have another ancestor with a “leg” in the family crest and their explanation is that the original family member lost a leg in defending either Richard the Lionhearted or William of Normandy.
Anyway, thank you again for posting the information! As a homeschooler, this will be a great introduction to the site for my children.
Sincerely, Pam
Information about the Ladd-Gilman House
We always enjoy hearing from appreciative readers. Thanks, Pam!
