R Hope / I McCormick

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Two crown molders stamped "R Hope" and I McCormick.

 

R Hope is believed to be the likelier maker than I McCormick, as in each crown molder, the "R Hope" imprint was overstamped / damaged while the I McCormick imprint was not altered / damaged. It makes sense that a later owner might damage / over-stamp the original imprint. (The reverse does not.) In addition, on the larger crown molder the I McCormick was stamped twice above the "R Hope" mark .... once right-side up and once upside down. It is unusual for a maker to double stamp his work.

 

Richard and Robert Hope, brothers, were both carpenters in Chester Co., PA in the 1790s. Richard and Robert were first listed as carpenters in the 1796 Sadsbury tax list. Robert, the elder brother dates 1766 - to possibly 1817 / 1821 while Richard, dates 1772 - 1815.

 

A second tier candidate might be Richard Hope of Mifflin County, PA. In the Juanita and Susquehanna Valleys publication, it is noted that in 1798, Richard Hope "presented a bill for erecting a table for the clerk of the Court, a Council Table and Jury Boxes agreeably to a new plan and making shelves in the Comissioner's Room". In other period Mifflin County records, Richard, father and son, were associated with the Hope Furnace and/or id'd as farmers.

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Jonathan McCormick was a carpenter in 1793 Cumberland Co., PA and James McCormick was a carpenter in 1821 Mifflin Co., PA. (Note that the use of an "I" for a "J" is rather late for an 1821 craftsman.)

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The smaller crown molder photographs (with the pictured "R" Hope stamp) were provided by Robert Haffner in the 1700's & 1800's Planemakers - Toolmakers of South Central Pennsylvania group on Facebook in March 2024.

 

Please note that R Hope is being presented as a reasoned interpretation of the "maker's" mark. It is hoped that this R Hope New Imprint www.EAP entry will lead to the discovery and sharing of other, clearer, examples.

 

The "R Hope" imprint can be read / discerned only in the smaller crown molder. The "R Hope" imprint on the larger crown molder cannot be read clearly except for the "O" and the "E".  (Elements of the H and P are visible though.) The start of the "R" and the final "E" of this imprint aligns with the "R" and "E" on the smaller plane. The borders and overall height and length of the marks also match. These findings help give weight to the "R Hope" being a damaged but otherwise accurate representation of the overall mark, as opposed to its' being an amalgam of two stamps. (As an amalgam example ... where the original, now-unreadable maker's imprint was over-stamped by initials such as "R : I").