Westtown School Medallion and Motif Sampler

The most interesting of the Quaker sampler patterns that became popular in the early 19th century are the wonderful geometric medallions. These were stitched onto samplers at the Ackworth School in Yorkshire, England and then at Westtown School, which was established in Chester County, Pennsylvania in 1799. 
 

Thirteen of these patterns in half medallion form are on this fine Westtown School sampler made in 1808, along with an assortment of the more well-known Quaker designs motifs - baskets, flower branches, pairs of birds, etc.

It is signed inside a classic oval center cartouche with the initials, L.C., and the name of the school - Weston - which was used interchangeably with Westtown from the school’s inception until the late 1860s when the latter spelling was made official. The many sets of initials are most likely those of the maker’s classmates. 
 

Information from the Westtown School indicates that there were two students with the initials L.C. at the school in 1808. The maker of this sampler is very likely Lydia Cawley who entered the school in April of 1808 and remained there through March of 1809. The other student with these initials entered the school in mid December of 1808. 

Lydia Cawley was born October 27, 1791 to Samuel and Amy (Pettit) Cawley of Pilesgrove, Salem County, New Jersey. On March 2, 1817, her marriage intentions to Joseph Bartlett Willits (1792-1849) were registered at the Woodstown Monthly Meeting. They removed to Philadelphia and had at least two children. Lydia died in 1866 at age 54 and is buried in Laurel Hill Cemetery. 

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

photo of reverse