Notes
This tailor's tape measure is part of a sewing kit that belonged to Margaret Henry Gammon (1898–1985), a descendant of Patrick Henry through Henry’s son, John Henry (1796–1868).
The tape measure and sewing kit were given to the donor, Jane Gammon Shore (1942–living), along with a handwritten note from Margaret Henry Gammon stating that she was gifting her a sewing kit with a golden thimble. Margaret Henry Gammon writes that the thimble belonged to Margaret Anne Henry Miller (1827–1881).
Early versions of tape measures, made of paper or cloth, were used for measuring, drafting, and cutting garments. Instead of written numbers, they were often notched, meaning literacy was not necessary for the trade. By the 1820s, the modern form of tailor’s tape—a long strip of cloth or paper marked in inches or centimeters—came into common use. Designed to be flexible for measuring curved surfaces, such as fabric or the human body, these tapes were typically 60 inches long and compact, folding or rolling up for easy storage. This particular tape was most likely mass-produced and sold as part of this standard sewing kit, with similar examples appearing in kits of a similar age.
This tap measure was gifted to the Patrick Henry Memorial Foundation on October 23, 2024, by Jane Gammon Shore, a descendant of Patrick Henry, through his youngest son, John Henry (1796–1868). She descends through John’s daughter, Margaret Ann Henry Miller (1827–1881), through Margaret’s daughter, Rose Cabell Miller Gammon (1868–1954), and finally to Rose’s son, Dr. William Miller Gammon (1900–1970). Jane Gammon Shore is the daughter of Dr. William Miller Gammon.