HENRICO CO., VIRGINIA NEEDLEWORK SAMPLER, silk on linen, seven alphabet and numeral rows above signature of "Mary Hopkins Moody was Born January The 27 1804", lower half featuring an eight-line verse featuring another signature of "M H Moody" and one alphabet row, all segmented by horizontal bands of decorative stitching, lower edge with various foliate motifs and "Henrico / County Via" in the center, three sides with undulating line border. Housed under glass in a gilt-molded frame. Backing paper with inscription of "Note: Two Layers of Acid Free Paper Have Been Inserted Behind This Needlework (6/1982) / (Previously This Piece Had Been Glued To Acid Board By Mickelson's of WASH, D.C.)", center featuring an adhered hand-written note of "Made by Miriam (Mary) Hopkins Moody who was married to Eleazer Colburn / The parents of Ellen Colburn Seawell wife of Richard Bullock Seawell / parents of Betsy Seawell Hinton who was the grandmother (on his mothers side) of Thad S. Page Jr. / Miriam Hopkins Moody was Thad Jrs great, great grandmother". Circa 1815. 22 1/8" x 21 3/4" sight, 23 3/4" x 23 1/4" OA.
Catalogue Note: Mary Hopkins Moody was born in 1804 reportedly in Caroline Co., VA, her parents possibly being William Moody and Lucy Eubanks. She married Eleazer Reed Coburn (1796-1861) on January 23, 1829 in Henrico Co., VA. In the early 1830s, they moved to Wake Co., North Carolina and had two daughters, Miriam, who died in infancy, and Mary Ellen. Mary Hopkins Moody died on June 11, 1850 from an illness and is buried at City Cemetery in Raleigh, NC with a later headstone/plaque that lists her life dates incorrectly. Also, there is no record that her name was "Miriam" as recorded by the note on the backing paper of this sampler, the author possibly mistook Mary for her husband's mother, whose name was Miriam Reed, or for their daughter who died in infancy.
Good visual condition with overall toning, some scattered stains and holes, some losses to thread mostly in the upper half and to the dark-colored thread, other thread with fading/fugitive color, frame with wear, surface scratches, and chips/losses to gilt. Not examined out of frame.