Quilt No.155JB - June Brown

"I first met this quilt protecting a grand piano at 'Auldearn' my aunt's summer cottage, Jackson's point, Lake Simcoe, Ontario in 1949. After her death in 1960 it was sent among other things including an old, handwoven, handstitched sheet which would be at least 150 years old to a sister in New Zealand and was passed to my mother in Western Samoa thence to Australia.
Who made it is unknown nor do I know when or where but it would be, in sorting out ownership, at least 90 years old coming from 119 St George Street, Toronto which still exiasts and is part of Toronto University. John Ross Robertson was founder of the Toronto Evening Telegram and married a Sinclair both of them early Canadian families. Irving E. Robertson who later edited the Telegram (to Toronto as The Argus was to Melbourne) married my aunt Barbara Ann Mackenzie. A New Zealand nurse who with her husband's help founded the Canadian Mothercraft Society (Irving died in 1932 aged 60 and was the elder son of John Ross Robertson which would take us back to 1872.)
My aunt continued her work. She was appointed Commonwealth Nurse Director of The Truby King Society which had dramatically lowered in maternal and infant mortality from 1920's to 1950's throughout the English speaking world.
My Aunt held three certificates, trained Wellington Hospital and was the first State Registered Nurse to work in the Americas. New Zealand being first country in the world to State register nurses. Reason for going was family association with Canada. �"
[Anne Russell, Wangaratta, Vic 1995]