Curious Crockers of Barnstable: Miss Experience Crocker (1674 - 1740) - An Interesting, Accomplished, and Independent Woman of the Late 17th and Early 18th Century

By Jeffrey D. Crocker

Miss Experience Crocker was an accomplished and independent woman of the late 17th and early 18th centuries. She never married. She was the granddaughter of Deacon William and Alice Crocker, the first Barnstable Crockers, who arrived with Reverend John Lothrop in 1639 when the Town of Barnstable was established.

Experience and her brother Nathaniel lived in their grandfather William’s house, a large two-story frame dwelling located at what is now 2140 Meetinghouse Way. The present house at that address, the Stephen C. Nye House, was built later, from 1834 to 1835. Nathaniel Crocker owned only two-fifteenths of the original house, while his sister Experience owned the remaining thirteen-fifteenths—a striking disparity. She was also the great-aunt of John “Blue” Crocker (1709–1790), the last member of the Crocker family to own the property.

We have the following description of Experience Crocker from Amos Otis’s book Genealogical Notes of Barnstable Families, which was written in 1888:

“Experience, born in 1674, died single in April 1740, the 67th year of her age. … Besides the estate bequeathed to her by her father, she accumulated a considerable amount by her own industry and prudence. Her estate was appraised at £588. In her will she makes bequests of her property to many family members and friends.”

For perspective, £588 in 1740 would be roughly equivalent to about $225,000 today.

Otis continues:

“Miss Experience had some of the good qualities of the Vicar of Wakefield's wife. The Vicar of Wakefield said all his wife's cousins, even to the fortieth remove, never forgot their relationship and never passed their door without calling, and their table was always well filled with a happy company.”

Not being familiar with The Vicar of Wakefield, I learned that it is a novel by Oliver Goldsmith, published in 1766, and one of the most popular and widely read novels of the 18th century. The story centers on Dr. Charles Primrose, who lives an idyllic life in a country parish with his wife Deborah and their six children. Deborah is faithful, yet strong-minded. She possesses a touch of vanity, enjoys fine clothing, and is eager to see her daughters advantageously married—an ambition that occasionally clouds her judgment.

Dr. Primrose describes his wife as “a good-natured notable woman; and as for breeding, there were few country ladies who could show more. She could read any English book, and for pickling, preserving, and cookery, none could excel her.” He notes that her pride for her children, especially her beautiful daughters, is even greater than his own pride for them.

Since no portrait of Miss Experience Crocker survives, I have included an illustration of the original book along with a picture of Deborah Primrose, the Vicar of Wakefield’s wife, from Chapter 1 of the novel:

Choosing the Wedding Gown: An illustration in Chapter 1 of the book