Alice Cogswell Bemis: A Sketch by a Friend

This short sketch offers a vivid portrait of Alice Cogswell Bemis, set against the sweeping saga of her family's trans‑Atlantic journey. Beginning with John Cogswell’s 1625 voyage on the ill‑fated Angel Gabriel, the narrative captures the storm‑tossed ship, the desperate landing on Pemaquid, and the eventual establishment of a homestead in Ipswich. Through concise, illustrated anecdotes, the listener learns how a modest tent became the first shelter and how generous land grants anchored the Cogswell legacy in early New England.

The second part turns the focus to Alice herself, tracing how the material heirlooms—Turkish carpets, silk curtains, silver plate—were preserved and cherished through generations. It describes the family’s stature in the town, the reverence afforded to its members, and the quiet pride of a lineage that endured over two centuries. Listeners gain a sense of how personal memory and colonial history intertwine, offering a gentle, thoughtful glimpse into an ancestor’s world.