March 16, 2012

It was fun to work on the provenance for our Jeremiah Theus, Mrs. Thomas Lynch, 1755. The painting had been kept in the family until the late 1960s when Barbara Millhouse purchased it from M. Knoedler & Co. Then in 1972, she donated the work to the Museum. I spent some time sorting through the different generations of family members that passed down the painting for the provenance record—looking up life dates whenever possible. I had to have a whole Word document dedicated to untangling the family members, but it was extremely satisfying when it was done.

From 1755 to 1968
Mr. Thomas Lynch, Sr. (1726-1776), South Carolina, painted by the artist for his wife (Elizabeth Allton, died c. 1755) in 1755; Mrs. John (Sabina Lynch) Bowman (1747-1812), by inheritance from father Thomas Lynch, Sr.; John Bowman Lynch (1778-1875, changed name from John Lynch Bowman), South Carolina and Tennessee, by gift from mother Sabina Bowman; Mrs. Paul (Sabina Lynch) Dismukes (1812-1844), by gift of father John Bowman Lynch; Mrs. John (Sarah Dismukes) McCrady (born c. 1840), by gift of mother Sabina Dismukes; Reverend Edward McCrady (born c.1868), by gift of mother Sarah McCrady; Edward McCrady (born c.1907), by gift of father Rev. Edward McCrady.