http://www.kingstonpubliclibrary.org/kpl_local_history_about... Sarah DeNormandie
Bailey (1865-1932): author, businesswoman, and prominent
Kingston resident
SARAH DENORMANDIE
Bailey(1865-1932)
PHOTO:
A charter and very active member of the
JONES River Village Club,
Bailey was known for her flair for finding the right
people for the right projects and served numerous times on the nominating committee for the club. She was the Club's secretary and
had a gift for fluent, graceful writing. She was also always interested and active as a member of the History Committee, and
in the early days of the
JONES River Village Club she assisted ALEXANDER
HOLMES in looking up the Colony records; work
which in later years aided her to write the STORY OF
JONES RIVER. During her years in the First
Parish Church,
Bailey spent many
quiet hours in the Old Burying Ground, gaining knowledge of the old familiies, and especially of the
Pilgrim names, which were to be a permanent interest in her life. In 1917 she wrote a paper on the Old Burying Ground, a foundation of all later research.
She read and reread the
BRADFORD Journal, and often expressed her admiration for the character of
GOVERNOR BRADFORD, "his
patience, his courage, and his lofty faith." When, in 1921, the Club was ready to purchase and restore the
BRADFORD House,
Bailey became involved whole-heartedly. She wrote the first circular appealing for the funds for the
BRADFORD House, and the first
contributions were sent to her. She also wrote many unpublished essays on the history of
Kingston, many of which can be found in
the
Kingston Public Library's Local History Room, and two articles published in the Old Colony Memorial.
In 1921, the year the
BRADFORD House opened,
Bailey along with MISS ORLANDE experimented with the profitable use of old looms.
The first rag rugs were made from pieces of costumes left over from a previous pageant. Later,
Bailey arranged with her cousin
PHILIP DENORMANDIE for the purchase of mill ends for the rug making, which led to the very profitable sales of
BRADFORD House ginghams.
BAILEY's standard for the house industries was always very high and her love for the house was not easily overlooked. She was noted
for remarking on a great sense of peace, which would overcome her upon entering the
BRADFORD House. BAILEY was also known for
her co-establishment of Ye Kyng's
Towne Sweetes, a successful candy store and tearoom, known as a business that employed women,
allowing them the opportunity to work outside of the home.
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