Mary Ann Kendall,
Ashby, Massachusetts,
circa 1827

Sampler size:
17¼" x 17¾"

Price: $14,500

Enlarged and Printer Version

This outstanding family record sampler was made by Mary Ann Kendall, the daughter of Pairpoint and Sally (Damon) Kendall of Ashby, a very small town located near the New Hampshire border. Her father (variations of the spelling of his name include Pierpont, Peirpoint, Pairpont, etc.) was born in Dunstable in 1769 to Asa Kendall, who served in the Revolutionary War, responding, with his company, to the Lexington Alarm. During the war, he removed to Ashby with his wife Sarah. According to the book Historic Homes and Institutions and Genealogical Personal Memoirs of Worcester County, Massachusetts, published in 1907, he became a prominent citizen of Ashby and held many public offices there.

Pairpoint married Sally Damon (1772-1834) who had been born in Ashby, the daughter of Jacob and Anna Damon. The 1810, 1820 and 1830 census records include Pairpoint and his family in Ashby; he died in 1833 and his wife died in 1834. Mary was born in 1815 and at 12 years of age she worked this splendid family record sampler which combines a strong folk aesthetic with very high quality needlework. Outstanding flowers, buds, berries, leaves and grape bunches on delicate vines decorate the sampler and the composition is very appealing. This sampler was included in the groundbreaking exhibition, "Family Record: Genealogical Watercolors and Needlework," at the Daughters of the American Revolution National Museum in 1989, and published as figure 71 in the accompanying book by curator and scholar, Dr. Gloria S. Allen. A copy of this book will remain with the sampler. This provenance is considered highly significant in this field.

In January of 1835, Mary Ann married Sumner Sheldon, also of Ashby, born 1805, the son of William and Hannah (Page) Sheldon. He died just a few months later in April of that year. Further research may reveal whether Mary married again and other information regarding her adult life.

The sampler was worked in silk on linen and is in excellent condition. It has been conservation mounted and is in a gold leaf frame.

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