Edna’s sampler is offered to you in two different formats ~ as a printed booklet and as an instant PDF download. Details of the PDF download can be found HERE.
At Hands Across the Sea Samplers we can never resist a small red sampler, and what a pretty one this one is. Our eyes were particularly drawn both to the bottom section with its unusual stitch formation and Edna’s middle name. The Russian name Verenia is an uncommon name in England and means faithful, loyal, and true.
Edna gave us many clues to follow in her sampler. She finished her sampler on Friday, April 18 in 1884 when she was 10 years old. The sampler was worked as part of her education in Ripponden at Stones School. Ripponden is in Yorkshire, and it is in this great northern country that we found Edna. She was one of five children born to John Nichol and his wife Elizabeth, née Berry, in Soyland in the year 1873. In the 1881 census return the family can be found living at 5 Hey Houses in Soyland, Yorkshire. John was recorded as a corn agent.
In the 1891 census return the family is at the same address and Edna is working as a tailoress. In 1895 she married Emanuel Riley, a self-employed painter and paperhanger. Together, they had three daughters Elise, Bertha, and Dora.
In the 1911 census return the family are living at Glen House, Mytholmroyd approximately 7 miles north of Soyland. Emanuel is described as a master house painter. From newspaper reports we know that Emanual ran a successful business with many civic contracts being awarded to him.
Emanuel died on October 31, 1931. At the time of her death on January 3, 1936, Edna was living at 5 Calder Grove. She was buried four days later at the Anglican Church of St Michael’s in Mytholmroyd. Curiously, the Stone School that she stitched her sampler in was a Methodist-run school. We have also found two of her daughters marrying in a Methodist chapel.
We hope that this simple yet striking sampler will bring you many hours of enjoyment as you ply your needle.
The model was stitched using Zweigart-based linen that was overdyed to the shade Bowtruckle by Tabbycat Linen. The sampler is suitable for stitching on Aida, Linaida, and linen and is worked entirely in cross stitch over 2 threads of linen.
With grateful thanks to Linda Clews for lovingly stitching the model. At the very core of Hands Across the Sea Samplers there is a team of needleworkers who are passionate about antique samplers and being able to share those samplers with you. Hands Across the Sea Samplers are on hand to help those stitching our charts.
