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Maria F. Ridgway, Keene, New Hampshire, 181825The daughter of James and Faith (Stowell) Ridgway, Maria Fiducia Ridgway was born on April 19, 1809, in Groton, Massachusetts, the 4th of their 8 children. At age 9, in 1818, Maria worked this fine sampler with a splendid scene of free-form flowers spring from a lattice worked basket, flanked by folky trees. The three-sided border of large-blossomed flowers and grape bunches is excellent, as well. James and Faith were married in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1802. Faith%u2019s father was Abel Stowell of Worcester, who was well known as a clock maker, with examples of his work in the State House and other public buildings. James Ridgway was a silversmith and jeweler and the family removed to Keene, New Hampshire by 1818; this is most likely where Maria worked her sampler. Information from the family bible tells us that Maria died at age 27, on September 27, 1836. The sampler was given to Maria%u2019s sister, Harriet Antoinette who was born the year the sampler was made. Harriet%u2019s husband was a jeweler and inventor who invented the first disappearing cannon in 1862, his model for which is at MIT, as stated in The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Volume 66 (Boston, 1912). Maria%u2019s sampler descended within the family for many further generations. The moralistic verse worked by Maria holds great appeal; it extols learning, pointing the way to heaven. Interestingly the needlework forming the alphabets was worked in tan color, as indicated by a photo of the reverse, which accompanies the sampler. The scene and wonderful border provided Maria with the opportunity to use stronger colors.Worked in silk on linen, it is in excellent condition and has been conservation mounted into a fine beveled maple frame with an outer bead. Sampler size: 17%u201d x 12%u00be%u201d Frame size: 20%u00be%u201d x 16%u00bd%u201d Price: $4600.