ROMNEY, VIRGINIA (NOW WEST VIRGINIA) NEEDLEWORK SAMPLER, silk on linen, six alphabet and numeral rows segmented by horizontal bands of decorative stitching, below signed "Sarah Emily Vance's. / Sampler. Work'd / In the 10th Year of her age / Romney A. D. 1832.", flanked by two handled baskets holding flowers and a tulip, lower section with a four-line verse that reads, "Let the sweet work of pray'r and praise / Employ my youngest breath / Thus I'm prepar'd for. longer days / Or fit for early death", between two matching tulips in handled baskets, all encompassed by a scrolling flower or strawberry vine border. Housed under glass in a later wood frame, backing mat with two handwritten notes that read, "I have given this sampler / to Charles J. Churchman / December 1968. / Mother", and "This sampler was made by my great-grandmother, Sarah Emily Vance, who / married my great-grandfather, Robert W. Gilkeson, father of my grandfather, Edwin Myer Gilkeson. / Sarah Emily Vance was born Aug. 5, 1822. This sampler was made in 1832." Dated 1832. 14 1/2" x 16 1/2" sight, 17 1/2" x 19 1/2" OA.
Catalogue Note: As recorded on the backing mat, Sarah Emily Vance was born on August 5, 1822 to parents William Vance (1785-1863) and Margaret Moiers [Myers] (1784-1847) of Romney, Hampshire Co., VA (now WV). Around 1846, Sarah married Robert White Gilkeson (1820-1890) of Moorefield, Hardy Co., VA (now WV), who was a retail dry goods merchant. The couple had five children, James William, Henry Bell, Margaret Vance, Edwin Myers, and Robert Vance. Sarah died on June 1, 1888 and is buried with her husband and parents at Indian Mound Cemetery in Romney, WV.
The author of the handwritten note signed "Mother" on the back is identified as Elizabeth Vance Gilkeson (1893-1983), daughter of Sarah and Robert's son, Edwin Myers Gilkeson (1854-1946), and his wife, Cora Williams Finley (1867-1950). After her marriage in late 1921, Elizabeth settled in Augusta Co., VA with her husband, Charles Johnston Churchman, Sr. (1891-1932), an attorney and a banker who died suddenly on the street in Staunton from a heart attack at age 41. Elizabeth gave this sampler to her only son, Charles Johnston Churchman, Jr. (1929-2018), who presumably wrote the second note.
Condition
Good to very good visual condition with toning, a small hole along proper right side between the tulip motif and border, at least three corners with visible tears, possibly a mend along proper left side near top corner, tears along edges as seen from the back with some frame nails going through the linen, some thread with fading / fugitive color, frame with wear and surface scratches, a crack in the top proper right corner. Not examined out of frame.
Provenance
The Important Americana Collection of Barbara M. and the late Charlie Hunter, Staunton, VA.
Descended in the Gilkeson / Churchman family.
