Eleanor Feke

“ Our Dauter Elenor was born aboute ye middle of Nov 1718 “

Later documents would show that Leonard’s guess was right. Eleanor Cozzens was born August 15, 1718 in Newport. Born just two years after the death of the first female child, she was a blessing to her parents, and she grew up to become one of the most important members of the earlier generations At 24 years of age she married Robert Feke, a member of an old respected family of Oyster Bay, Long Island. While little has been written about Eleanor, Robert, who grew to become one of the premier portrait painters of Colonial America, has had volumes composed describing his life.

Eleanor Cozzens Feke died July 6, 1806. She is buried in the Friends Cemetery in Newport. There is a mystery about the dates. The stone shows that she was 81 years old. However, we know from Leonard’s entry in the bible that she was born in 1718, which would make her 88. If the stone cutter was mistaken, the error was never corrected or perhaps, she did she not want her true age. to be known. Life hasn’t changed much.

[Clippings from COLONIAL COZZENS by David Livingston, 2011]