Polly is a family name on Amanda's side with a long and colorful history. It goes back to Mary "Polly" Warner (1749-1770), the daughter of a prosperous shipowner and merchant who died in childbirth at age 20. Polly Warner was one of the first residents of the Warner House: the oldest brick house in Portsmouth, NH; home to the first Governor of NH; and now a house museum of family history. Her portrait as a 12-year-old still hangs in the Warner House, a 19th century copy of which hangs in our living room.
Fast forward a few generations to Amanda's greatgrandmother Mary "Polly" Warner Penhallow Swan (1891-1942) and Mary "Polly" Warner Swan (1916-2004) who were descended from Polly Warner's uncle Samuel and were named after Polly. Here is Grandma Polly with "Big Polly" in MA circa 1941.
Grandma Polly married Philip Brown in 1939 (the source of Eliza's middle name) and bought the cottage in Bethany Beach, DE in the 1960s where we still go every August.
In short, a unique and charming name with a history to match.
Fast forward a few generations to Amanda's greatgrandmother Mary "Polly" Warner Penhallow Swan (1891-1942) and Mary "Polly" Warner Swan (1916-2004) who were descended from Polly Warner's uncle Samuel and were named after Polly. Here is Grandma Polly with "Big Polly" in MA circa 1941.
Grandma Polly married Philip Brown in 1939 (the source of Eliza's middle name) and bought the cottage in Bethany Beach, DE in the 1960s where we still go every August.
In short, a unique and charming name with a history to match.
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