Description
On November 9th in the year 1832 Mary Lock finished this stunning sampler. Little did she know that, centuries later, adult needleworkers around the world would be admiring and copying her work.
The sampler has no information about the young maker other than her name. Regrettably, we were unable to identify our Mary in family history records, as there were many Mary Locks in the time frame.
We may surmise that Mary came from a family that was financially comfortable. A girl from a poor family probably would have stitched her sampler with cotton or wool. Mary’s sampler was stitched with silks on finely woven linen. Silks were expensive, and the use of 18 different colours in Mary’s sampler suggests that her parents could provide their daughter with a “good” education.
From a very early age girls spent much of the time given to their education working with their needle. In stitching their samplers the young girls learnt religious instruction, morality, virtue, history, geography, mathematics, literature, and grammar.
Mary may have been educated at home by a governess or attended a local fee-paying school or even a boarding school. Whether she was taught by a governess or a school mistress, needlework would have played a big part in her education. It was one of the necessary accomplishments a young lady was required to master. It was considered one of the “female arts”, which were important in the preparation for marrying “well” and essential domestic skills needed by the mistress of a household. At a time when everything was hand-sewn, sewing skills were essential regardless of the family’s financial standing.
Mary’s sampler demonstrates her diligence, and the neat stitching and attention to detail are indicative of her pride and enjoyment in her work. We are fortunate that Mary’s sampler was treasured, first by her and her parents and then by her descendants. Their care of a child’s needlework has ensured that Mary is remembered and celebrated today.
