Mary Brown 1765 been rated as suitable for a confident beginner to intermediate stitcher. The sampler has a stitch count of 224 stitches (w) x 287 stitches (h) and a variety of stitches including cross stitch over 1 and 2 threads, satin stitch and Algerian eyelets. She is an excellent choice for those wishing to expand their repertoire of stitches.
Mary Brown finished her charming sampler on July 4, 1765. Sadly we have been unable to trace Mary as her name has always been a very popular one and there are many Mary Browns born during the time period. It is possible that Mary Brown was a Quaker or was taught or influenced by a Quaker.
Despite its age the original sampler glows with vibrant jewel-like colours, only a few central lines have lost their colour overtime. The colours from the front have been used in the reproduction, however, the entire verse has been reproduced in one colour as that is how Mary stitched her sampler.
The sampler has many different elements: a beautiful floral border, three different alphabets, vases of fruit, a verse and the highlight of Mary’s design is The Lord’s Prayer which is very dear to many of us.
The Lord’s Prayer is the best loved, most spoken prayer throughout the Christian world. Over two billion people recite this prayer. According to the New Testament it was taught by Jesus to his disciples. Two forms of it are recorded in the New Testament: a longer form in the Gospel of Matthew (6:5-13) as part of the Sermon on the Mount, and a shorter form in the Gospel of Luke (11:1-4) as a response by Jesus to a request by one of his disciples to teach them to pray as John the Baptist taught his disciples.
The verse chosen by Mary for her sampler is taken from the opening verse in “Solitary Thoughts on the Uncertainty of Human Things” written by Thomas Ellwood on July 4th 1670. Curiously it was the exact same day ninety five years later that Mary finished her sampler.
Thomas Ellwood (October 1639 – 1 March 1714) was an English religious writer and is remembered for his relationship with the poet John Milton. Ellwood became a Quaker after visiting Isaac Pennington. His close friendship with William Penn and George Fox made him an influential figure in the Quaker movement. He was greatly loved and admired by his Friends, for his compassion, kindness, courage in opposing those who drifted into error, and clear writings defending and championing the Quakers’ cause.
Mary Brown 1765 has been brought to you in collaboration with Jacqueline Morris who stitched the model. At the very core of Hands Across the Sea Samplers 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. If you need assistance or have any questions we can be reached via the CONTACT page on our website. Our website has stitching tutorials which can be found in the “SEWING BASKET AND TOOLS” section.
