Columbus Tyler (abt. 1805 - abt. 1881)

Ancestors

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Norman Tyler [send private message]

Biography

Husband of Mary Sawyer Tyler, about whom was written the poem, "Mary Had a Little Lamb". When she was a child in Sterling a little new-born lamb was found nearly dead one day and she nursed it back to life, sitting all night to keep it alive. At her brothers suggestion they took the lamb to school, one day, having considerable trouble to get it over a high stone wall. They had high seats, boarded u p in the schoolroom, and Mary laced the lamb inside this enclosure, at her feet, in a shawl When she went out to the place of recitation the clatter of little hoofs was heard on the floor and the lamb appeared.

The teacher laughed outright and the children giggled, but Mary was very much ashamed and led the lamb outside in the schoolyard, where it stayed until she went home. A young man named John Roulstone, visiting the school that day, was greatly pleased with the incident. The next day he brought in three stanzas which he had written.

From the lambs fleece, Mary's mother knit two pair of stockings, which were kept until Mrs. Tyler was about 80 years old The ladies of Boston were then raising money for the preservation of the Old South Meeting-house, and Mrs. Tyler contributed these stockings, which were unraveled and small pieces of the yarn sold, thus realizing a considerable sum from the pair of hose.

Sources

• This family member updated from: The Tyler Genealogy. The number sequence used was established by Willard I. Tyler Brigham, 1912. (Brigham/Tyler-1693).