Quilt No.1114JH - Jan Hanslow

Jan Hanslow
Owner: 
Jan Hanslow
Location: 
VIC Melbourne
Maker
Maker: 
Grace Nicholas
Made in
SHIPBOARD
Date: 
1851 - 1880
Description: 
Hexagon quilt with 60mm hexagons in cottons. No particular design or pattern. Patches are plain and patterned in reds, blues, pinks, browns and greys. There is a 70mm wide lace trim. The quilt is padded and the backing is wholecloth green with a floral design in pink and cream. 1860 x 1640mm
History: 

The quilt was made by Grace Nicholas in 1853 on board the 'Monteagle' between England and Australia. Grace (married name Cole) passed it to her daughter, Mary Jane Williams (born Cole) and it then went to her daughter Grace Williamson (born Williams). From Grace the quilt went to the parents of the present owner as William Harold James Cole was a cousin of Grace Williamson.

Story: 

"Grace Nicholas was born in Lelant, Cornwall on 20.2.1834. After her father died in 1849, her mother lost possession of the family farm (it passed to another male member of the Nicholas family). Her mother Mary Nicholas (nee Travener) migrated to Melbourne with her 7 children aged between 24 and 8. They came on the
'Monteagle', arriving on 12.4.1853. There were 52 deaths on board. Grace married Arscott Cole of Clawton, Devon at St. James old cathedral on 30.9.1854. Grace and Arscott Cole (blacksmith) lived at Darebin Creek where 7 of their children were born. Their 8th child was born at Yan Yean in 1873. Arscott was at that time working at Hazel Glen farm in Doreen (owned by the Reid family). Around 1876 the family moved to Waggarandal where they had a farm and also a smithy which was on the corner of the Benalla-Tocumwal Rd and the St. James road. In the 1890s they moved to Lardner, Warragul where they probably lived with their daughter Mary-Jane Williams or their son Samuel Cole... For some time my mother had the quilt on a bed in the 'spare' room. My father died in 1983. My mother remarried and moved to another house, the quilt at that stage going into 'storage'. She passed it on to me just recently." [Jan Hanslow 4.2.2002]

Grace Cole (born Nicholas) 1834-1916
Grace Cole (born Nicholas) 1834-1916

Related Quilts:

Jillian Towers
Hand pieced patchwork quilt with blue and black checkerboard central frame surrounded by 4 borders of irregular sized rectangles. Mainly dress materials with possibly some furnishing material. It is not quilted or tied. The backing is a large rectangular red check table cloth with 3 borders of irregular shaped pieces down 2 sides and 1 border down 2 sides. There is no padding.
1860 x 1730mm
Red Cliffs Historical Society
Log cabin pattern, each block dark and light strips. 4 blocks joined with dark strips to centre to make larger block. 30 large blocks and 2 sides with half blocks. Each block is machined on to calico. Materials include velvets, corduroys, interlock, taffetas and silver lame. There is a 170mm bottle green border and a single piece of mid brown synthetic for the backing. The padding is probably dacron.
2400 x 2100mm
Kay Jones
Quilt top with English piecing in a star in polygon pattern. English and French cotton fabrics in a wide variety of patterns and plains constructed over papers with the tacking still in tact. Papers are mainly part envelopes some with stamps and post dated 1898. 2200 x 1800mm
Christine Barnes
Cotton quilt with rosettes of hexagons. There is a centre hexagon with a surround of 6 hexagons in a contrasting pattern and then an outer row of 12 hexagons in a different pattern. Between each rosette is a single row of hexagons in a print common to the whole quilt. The materials are typical of the 60s period. There is a deep aqua border. It is machine quilted. The backing is cotton.
2515 x 1829mm
Charlotte Nattey
Cotton quilt of pieced hexagons and some diamonds made for a baby's basket. Colours are mainly blue and pink and two 'Punch and Judy's' are appliqued in the centre. There is no padding and the backing is a cotton floral in blues and greens.
760 x 660mm
Barbara Levy
"The quilt is made up of many cotton hexagons of various colours, patterns and designs, finely sewn by hand, making a very attractive bedspread. Each patch is lined with lawn. It is quite a heavy quilt, with its plain border, and backing of home-spun cotton or cesarine. The family always called it a 'cottage design'."
No quilting.
2312 x 1905mm