Wondering...

Could this be the same Ann Dickinson?


You all may recall from my previous posts that I have acquired a sampler - Ann Dickinson 1819 and am in the midst of reproducing the piece. Several days ago I received an email from a dear Joanne informing me about another sampler (pictured above) that she located in one of her sampler books stitched by an Ann Dickinson. She was inquiring if it was stitched by the same girl. The mentioned sampler is featured in the book titled, Samplers & Samplermakers by Mary Naene Edmonds. After receiving Joanne's email, I immediately went through my library of sampler books and it was one that I did not have. It appears the book is out of print, but I did locate a gently used book on the Internet.

The book arrived yesterday and now I sit and wonder. Could this be the same girl? I am far from being a sampler historian and am not quite sure where to begin or where my little investigation will lead me...

I spent last evening and again early this morning with book in lap and sampler by my side, comparing. There are similarities. Neither sampler has an alphabet. Both samplers have a house centered on the piece flanked by sweet little picket fences. There are motifs that are common on both samplers. I've circled the motifs on the above sampler that also appear on the sampler I own (click on photo to enlarge). The satin stitched silk grass is also common on both samplers. Ann was 13 at the time she stitch the sampler I own, and if it is the same girl, would have been 21 when the above sampler, with fancier stitches, was stitched...very possible.

Here is where it gets a little interesting...I purchased my sampler from a dealer in England. He didn't have much information on the piece other then he had purchased it from an estate auction. The sampler shown in the Sampler & Samplermakers book puts that piece originating in New Jersey. And I quote the last sentence of the article on the above sampler, "Ann W. Dickinson is probably the same Ann Dickinson who married John Stitcher in Salem County, New Jersey, in 1834". This would make my Ann Dickinson 28 when she married...very possible.

If what the dealer I purchased my sampler from is indeed factual, it means Ann Dickinson would have immigrated to the new world (if it's the same Ann)...very possible. The sampler I own has 2 ship motifs as well...do they symbolize a future voyage across the waters to the new world, the New England. Very possible...

I will let you know where my investigating takes me with this...stay tuned! And a big "THANK YOU" to blog follower, Joanne, for pointing this out to me!