Elizabeth Cheetham 1824

Description

A quirky, colorful sampler from the north of England

This is a pleasantly quirky, colorful sampler likely stitched in the north of England judging by some of the Scottish influences in the design. A four sided strawberry border surrounds an alphabet and a pious verse above a geometric pattern band. Below this is a scenic register with trees, birds, baskets of flowers, and deer with mauve colored spots. The verses are:

Make much of precious Time WHile in Your Power
Careful well to Husband Evry Hour for Time Will
Come When You shall Sore Lament the unhappy
Minutes That you have Misspent

Let Little be the Name of Truth this is the Practice
Of my Youth With Care and Cost I have this Rought
And Finished With a virgins Thought

In the lower third there is a pattern band that resembles bargello, but it is in fact cross stitched. Research reveals that this sampler might have been made by one Elizabeth Cheetham, born in 1813 to James and Martha Cheetham, in Halifax, Yorkshire, England. She married Sampson Craven in 1833 at the age of nineteen. His occupation is noted as “Wool Sorter.” They had eight children. She passed at the age of 65 in 1879. Stitches used to execute the sampler are cross and counted satin. On 40 count linen the finished reproduction will measure approximately 16-1/2″ x 18-1/2″.

The original Elizabeth Cheetham Antique is shown here