Mary P. Haines,
Canterbury, New Hampshire, 1824
One of the most interesting and well-regarded groups of samplers from New England is the “Bird and Basket Samplers of Canterbury'' (see Betty Ring’s Girlhood Embroidery, vol. II pages 232 to 235). The samplers that form this group date from 1780s through the 1830s and were made by girls from families who settled in Canterbury, Loudon, Northfield, Sanbornton and Gilmanton, towns along the Merrimack River in southern New Hampshire. A 1990 exhibition at the Hood Museum of Dartmouth College focused solely on these samplers and the accompanying scholarship documented the importance of this group. While the samplermakers likely attended different schools, the shared compositions and techniques produced an outstanding aesthetic that endured for over forty years.
The best of these samplers present wide borders and an elaborate scene along the bottom with lustrous depictions of birds, some in flight, delicate flowers on meandering vines, decorated baskets, and distinctive evergreen trees. Defining characteristics include splendid freeform scenes of birds, some in flight, large flower blossoms springing from baskets grounded on flower-strewn hillocks.
We are pleased to offer this fine sampler made by Mary P. Haines and dated June 8, 1824. The font that Mary used for her name is very unusual and not easy to decipher, however, a thorough search through genealogical records in this region indicates that our samplermaker was most likely the daughter of Mathias and Polly (Fernald) Haines who were married in Loudon, the town just southeast of Canterbury. In 1832, Mary married Samuel Sargent (1810-1886) and they had nine children. Mary died in 1885 and is buried in Loudon Center Cemetery.
Very few of these Bird and Basket samplers include a place name as part of their inscription, and this fact adds to the sampler’s interest. Notable as well is the lavish use of the queen's-stitch; the lawn is worked entirely in this difficult technique.
The sampler was worked in silk on linen and is in excellent condition. A photo taken of the back of the sampler prior to mounting indicates that the alphabets were worked in the same pale colors that appear on the front. It has been conservation mounted and is in a fine cherry frame with a figured maple bead.
photo of reverse