Sampler by Eliza Priscilla Killick, 1867
I have always admired handcrafted items, particularly those showing dexterity and patience. This sampler with its intricate work and tiny stitches shows both qualities. It was made by schoolgirl Eliza Priscilla Killick, who attended Christ Church School, Tunbridge Wells during the 1860s.
'Sampler' comes from the word essamplaier, meaning work to be copied or imitated. Samplers have their origins in the early 1500s, and were pieces of cloth used as personal reference sources for practising and experimenting with different stitches or patterns. By the Victorian era, when Eliza made this sampler, they had developed from being long pieces of cloth, to rectangular or square shapes. The reference nature of their original use had been replaced by the idea of showing competence in sewing, with a focus on cross-stitch. Very young children endured long hours of stitching during Victorian times, and samplers from this period often show evidence of moral or religious teaching, as Eliza's does, with it's quotation from the Bible.
I think that a sampler is a fascinating insight into social history of the time it was created, bringing the viewer in close contact with the person who made it. Spelling errors, imaginative design, neat sewing and mistakes all add to the story of each one.
Helen (Museum Volunteer)
