Quilt No.79AR - Annette Rich

Annette Rich
Owner: 
Annette Rich
Location: 
NSW Central West
Maker
Maker: 
Eliza and Margaret Roebuck
Made in
SHIPBOARD
Date: 
pre 1850
Description: 
Unlined quilt. Central square of floral chintz with rectangular and chevron border making a larger frame that is set within another square-on-point frame edged with 2 toned red leaf pattererned chintz. This quilt is mainly pieced (squares, triangles, lozenges) but the hexagon rosettes are appliqued. Dress and furnishing cottons dating from the early 1800s. Raw edged, unfinished. All hand stitched.
2400 x 2400mm
History: 

The quilt was made by sisters Eliza (Lizzie) (1845-1925) and Margaret Roebuck (1842-1917) probably on a windjammer plying between India and Australia. About 1860 Henrietta Roebuck took her children from Scotland to live with her brother at 'Jondaryn' on the Darling Downs, Queensland. Neither Lizzie nor Margaret married and when Margaret died in 1917 Lizzie moved to Sydney to live with relations and took the quilt with her. The present owner is a descendant of Lizzie and Margaret's sister Henrietta Maria Howe.

Story: 

Sisters Margaret and Eliza (Lizzie) Roebuck, who made the quilt, were born in India of Scottish parents, George Douglas Roebuck and his wife Henrietta (Andrew). Major Roebuck was an officer in the 71st Native Infantry of the British Army. He died in 1846 and is buried in India and is said to have died of a burst aorta from yelling at the troops. It is thought that Hentrietta then returned to Scotland with the children.
About 1860 Henrietta, with some of the children (including the youngest Lizzie and Margaret) went to Australia to live with her brother James Andrew at his property on the Darling Downs Queensland.
Margaret died in Queensland in 1917 and Lizzie went to live in Sydney, taking the quilt with her. The present owner is a direct descendant of Margaret and Lizzie's sister Henrietta Maria Howe.

Related Quilts:

National Trust of Australia (NSW)
The body of this quilt is hexagons. This centre piece is surrounded by an applique border of birds and flowers and donkeys on see-saws. The flowers have been elaborately pieced from a great variety of materials. Some of the birds have pres studs for eyes.
National Gallery of Australia
" Reversible patchwork quilt of woollen suiting in grey, blue, navy, maroon and brown. The fabrics appear to be new tailor's sample pieces (the sizing is still present on the fabric, signifying it has never been washed). The patches are rectangular and vary in size. Both sides have different designs. The front of the quilt has 4 rows of 12 vertical rectangles then below this are 4 rows of 7 horizontal rectangles followed below by 4 rows of 11 vertical rectangles. The reverse of the quilt has a section at the top and bottom composed of 5 rows of 9 horizontal rectangles. The central area is made up of a centre section of 6 rows of 5 vertical rectangles; flanked on either side by a column of 10 horizontal rectangles and two columns of 8 smaller vertical rectangles.
The patchwork layers are joined at the edges with machine stitching. The patchwork layers and padding are machine quilted on the front down 2 vertical lines following joins in the patchwork; therefore not being totally straight. The lines are more noticeable on the reverse as the 2 sides do not match. The front face is displayed at the NGA.
Between the patchwork layers is a striped cotton blanket in black, sky blue, white and cream." [NGA]
2082 x 1386mm
Mare Carter
Patchwork Quilt, all cotton including filling. Pattern is "squares and diamonds". Quilt is faded but blue is probably the predominant colour. Hand stitched and hand quilted.
1624 x 1194mm
Rozanne Andrew
Quilt, single bed size, made from reused clothing roughly handstitched on to a backing of a wool/linen blanket type fabric in green, cream and brown stripes. Clothing is fronts and backs of old jumpers, vests etc as well as opened out sleeves in red, brown and grey. They are stitched together in several layers with long stitches. Another top may have been intended to cover the stitched down layers of clothing.
1500 x 1040mm
Colleen Whitaker
Quilt top, all cotton. Center frame is 600mm square of calico on to which is appliqued red material in an elaborate cut out design. Radiating rows of mainly red and blue triangles. Other materials include, white with abstract plants scattered across it, pink with pin print white dots, white and maroon herringbone with small white flowers with maroon leaf sprays spread 25mm apart. The border is a strip of red not hemmed but with selvedges on the long sides. The quilt is all hand sewn with small back stitch, running stitch and hemming.
Catherine Ringwood
The top of this quilt is 6 x 5 alternating squares and rectangles of check woollen material in 12 or more colour ways. Herringbone stitch in yellow stranded cotton is worked along each join and border.The border is plain grey wool. There is no padding and the backing is light blue crepe.
1118 x 814mm