News

An American family has handed down the same hand-crafted baby gift of a cradle through five generations and across 114 years.

By James Tweedie

The Meyer family from Charlotte, North Carolina have cared for and passed on the precious family heirloom since it was built by their ancestor Julius Schultz in 1886.

Will and Ellen Meyer became the latest proud new parents to lay their son William Theodore Meyer Jr in the cot this year.

Will Meyer said: “It's important to know where you come from and not forget - whether it's names or the cradle. You don't see that much any more.”

Julius Schultz, a newly-wed carpenter from East Prussia – then part of the German Empire but now an enclave of Russia between Poland and Lithuania –emigrated to the USA with his wife Christine Meltzer, a widow with three children.

The family settled in Charlotte, North Carolina, where their descendants live to this day.

Five years later, on Valentine's day 1886, Christine's daughter Emilie Meltzer married plumber Jacob Meyer, a fellow German immigrant.

The next year the couple had their first child, Rosina. As a new baby gift, Julius Schultz carved her a rocking cradle from oak.

The crib was strongly built – it needed to be, for Jacob and Rosina had ten children.

They decided to pass the cradle on to the first male child born of one of their children. Their sixth child Theodore was the first to have a son, and so inherited the crib. He passed it on to his first son, who gave it to his first son, Theodore "Ted" Meyer, now 87.

Ted Meyer gave the cradle to his son Mark, who in turn gave it to Will, the father of newborn William Theodore.

Will remembers the two foot-long crib in his bedroom as a little boy. “It sat there with my childhood stuffed teddy bear,” he said. “I always knew to be careful around it, but I never thought about why it was there.”

But when Will and Ellen's son was born this summer, he was keen to receive his due inheritance.

“He was anxious to get it when he knew it was his,” said now great-grandfather Ted. “It doesn't mean much to anybody until they've got somebody to put in it.”

“It's absolutely an honour to get something like this,” Will said. “To have a son and be able to continue the tradition – that's huge. It becomes more than just a piece of furniture. It's not just something you throw your jeans on.”

Ted agreed, adding: “It won't change much in the world, but it has pleased me.

“It's a small thing that goes down through the family; it's a little reminder of where you came from and who you are.”

Baby Gifts