Christiana Horner

An outstanding band sampler, this was made by Christiana Horner, a nine-year-old Quaker girl living in Bridghouse, about 14 miles southwest of Leeds. The sampler is quite impressive and  especially notable is the fact that the back is as beautifully finished as the front – quite a feat for this very young samplermaker! 

Along with alphabets and a numerical progression, it reads, 

“NEGLECT NOT THOU THY / DOING WELL BUT STRIVE IN / VIRTUE TO EXCEL,” “THIS WORK IN HAND MY FRIENDS MAY HAVE, WHEN I AM DEAD AND LAID IN GRAVE.” 

The inscription reads, 

“CHRISTIANA HORNER MADE THIS SAMPLER IN THE YEAR 1714 BEING THE NINTH YEAR OF MY AGE.”

 Many very good decorative bands embellish the sampler, the most significant is the very fine Irish-stitch band along the bottom.

Christiana was the daughter of Quakers, Benjamin and Christina (Readshaw) Horner, active members of the Bridghouse Monthly Meeting. Benjamin (1668-1740) is described in the Leeds Friends’ Minute Book, as a clothmaker and merchant, living in Boars Lane. Benjamin and Christiana (1670-1751) both served as Bridghouse Monthly Meeting treasurer, Benjamin advised young men setting up in trade and was an Elder in his Monthly Meeting. Christiana was described as, “a truly open-hearted woman,” who hosted the visit of an American Quaker minister in 1749. Their home was registered for Meetings in 1699. 

They had ten children, born between 1693 and 1711; Christiana was born on the 1st day, 5th month, 1695. She remained single and was herself a prominent Quaker until her death in 1747. She is buried in the Friends Burying Ground, Meadow Lane, Leeds, Yorkshire. 

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

photo of reverse