12.16.2010

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!





19 comments:

gracie said...

Wow..how interesting and I will sure be waiting to hear more.

Anonymous said...

What an exciting venture, it is as if you are getting to know Ann, this piece will truly take a place in your heart. Can't wait to hear more!
~Ronda

Unknown said...

That is awesome! I think the two of you are on to something, and like the others I can't wait to hear more!

Ahl Cooped Up said...

Brenda, I live in Salem County NJ. I wonder if our local historical society has any Ann Dickinson Samplers?
Pat

Rugs and Pugs said...

Brenda ~
Oh how cool is that? I hope you can solve the mystery. Please keep us posted!
Merry Christmas :)
Lauren

Diana said...

Very interesting! Maybe you could send a message to Needleprint to get her opinion.

Chocolates4Breakfast (Terri Malinovich) said...

How exciting! I can't wait to hear what all you find out.

Annie Beez said...

Oh goodness how intriguing!!!Maybe Ann missed her childhood sampler when she emigrated and attempted to stitch it again with the later one? I would do that! How very interesting!

Rita said...

Oh my goodness, I live in Salem, New Jersey (Salem County). My father-in-law is very involved with the local historical society. I will ask him if the name means anything to him. What a small world.

Anonymous said...

Wow...how exciting! I think this is a Christmas gift from Ann. Enjoy the adventure, I'll be waiting to hear more. Happy holidays and thank you for all of your beautiful patterns ;-) Keep those creative juices flowing. Debby (WI, Go Badgers!)

Christine M said...

What a fascinating story. I'm looking forward to hearing what else you find out.

Ahl Cooped Up said...

Rita,
Does your FIL own the local lumber yard?
I had to ask. This is so weird that two of us are from Salem.
Pat

Rita said...

Yes, Pat...that's our family lumber yard. Salem is such a small town, it is hard to believe that two of us are from there.

Ahl Cooped Up said...

Rita,
I went to school with your Hubby, Harold.
OMG! I'm Patti deWilde.
LOL... Small world for sure.
I hope one of those samplers shows up at our Historical society.
Sorry Brenda, You opened up a whole can of (local, Salem NJ) worms!
Hugs,
Patti

Coco said...

It's a very interesting story you tell us ! so exciting !

Mary @ Neat and Tidy said...

This is really exciting to those of us who like antiques and history. What a wonderful story; I think you are onto something.

Rita said...

Patti, it dawned on me who you were after I made my post. (I know you as Patti not Pat). Of course, I remember you.

Sue-Anne said...

How special is this story that is starting to evolve! I can't wait to see where it all leads to.

ready to pretend said...

I spent 5 years working for a Pennsylvanian German Mennonite museum in Kitchener Ont Canada. These individuals came to Canada in 1807 and came en masse ( as a large organized community. The house this one family built is where it was built in 1820 and put up in one day, a barn raising,
It is a Georgian style ( like the house in your Anne's needlework.
I know that many people think that people married younger than 28 or 30 in those days...but that is a very modern idea. If there was any kind of illness or death on the mother's part is was expected that the eldest, step into her Mother's shoes to make sure the younger siblings were raised and that the families reason for immigration...properity, freedom and land was not lost. It would not be until the youngest was 12/ the time school life was over for most that maybe Ann would be in a position to wed. Her father would have wed perhaps by then. To Anns advantage, at an older age she would be stepping into a more settled and properous role as a second wife or the wife of a Doctor.
The Ann you have in your hands is the same age and written at the same time as Jane Austen's books..Pride and Predudice ....
and the 10 others would give you a window into the world your Ann lived in and the expectations and values she may have had tucked in her hearts as she worked on wonderful pieces of needlework for her future home. There would be no time for such frippery once child after child came.
I made my mind up long ago that even when resoring 200 yr old textiles, I would only used perior tools.
The only advice that I will offer is that people often worry about rust spots showing up on antique pieces. This is because of iron in the water. Should you attempt to wash anything, used the jugged distilled water you can buy at the drug store and use natural sunlight to do whatever bleaching.
Dampen and refridgerate anything that needs an iron and starch mau not be needed. Remeber to use the smae distilled water in your iron.
I look forward to hearing more about this very exciting tale.
Do you have ancestry.com . YOu may even find the boat she came on.
A new friend from Canada
Yours, Janet