Department: Social History

A decorative border of triangles in red, white, blue and lilac extends around the edges of this piece. Borders such as these were first used in the eighteenth century as samplers became squarer in form. Harriet has also embroidered rows of trailing plants along the far left and right edges of the sampler, a device which first became popular in the seventeenth century. Two girls are embroidered standing outside the house wearing a pale green bonnet and dress with a brown apron and pale pink shawl. Other popular nineteenth-century motifs such as flowers, diamonds, hearts, birds and animals are embroidered across the sampler.
At the top of the sampler Harriet has embroidered the verse: 'And am I born to die/To lay this body/Down and must my/Trembling Spirit/Fly Into A world/Unknown.' The lines are taken from a popular hymn written by the Methodist preacher Charles Wesley (1708-1788).