Quilt No.565NPW - N.S.W. Parks and Wildlife Service

N.S.W. Parks and Wildlife Service
Owner: 
N.S.W. Parks and Wildlife Service
Location: 
NSW Sydney
Maker
Maker: 
Sarah Marshall?
Made in
AUSTRALIA NSW Central West
Date: 
1921 - 1940
Description: 
Double sided quilt. Side 1 has an off centre frame based on a hexagon and including triangles and squares in a concentric pattern. The borders are all small rectangles with a single strip of large rectangles at one end. Side 2 has a central patch of pieced shapes appliqued to the background. The borders are squares and rectangles many in striped shirting cotton. Side 1 has minimal quilting to the interlining but it does not go through to side 2. The padding is a thin sheet.
The circle (sometimes pieced hexagons) is common to other 'Craigmoor' quilts.

1450 x 1230mm
History: 

At this time it is impossible to make a definite attribution to Sarah Marshall but this quilt was almost certainly made by Sarah Marshall and/or one of her daughters, Hannah, Jean or Agnes at Hill End NSW and probably at 'Craigmoor' their family home. The exact date is unknown. It is now part of the 'Craigmoor' collection owned by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and displayed at 'Craigmoor'.

Story: 

James Marshall (1828-1905) from Scotland via the Californian gold rush and Sarah Langslow Adams (1836-1926) born Herefordshire England, were married in 1858 at Hill End. Reef mining in the 1860s brought fame and fortune to this mining settlement, north of Sofala and Bathurst in NSW.
In 1875 James Marshall had 'Craigmoor' built and he and Sarah lived there with their family of 9 children, 2 having died in infancy.
The textile collection at 'Craigmoor', including the quilts, reflects the Marshall women, Sarah and her daughters Hannah (1859-1950), Jean (1867-1948) and Agnes (1871-1950) and gives a glimpse of the daily lives of the women. Needlework, including crochet, in various forms was important and some of the women made their own hats. At least in the later years it appears to have been a thrify household with many quilts made over and patched.
Hannah, a spinster, lived at 'Craigmoor' from the time it was built until her death aged 91. She taught Sunday school in Hill End and was well know locally for her bottling, preserving and jam making. She also made elderberry wine. The 3 sisters were fond of playing the piano.

[Sources: N.S.W National Parks and Wildlife Service brochure on Hill End, Sue Stephens daughter of Charles Marshall, Christine Karlsen, informal conversations with the locals at 'The Royal'. Wendy Hucker for NQR]

Related Quilts:

Doreen Carter
The quilt is called 'Loved'. The pattern is log cabin and it is made from dress materials and pyjama flannelette. The original filling was a heavy woollen blanket (now flannelette) and the backing is green headcloth - all government issue. With its restoration, the backing was supplemented with a green floral, and the quilt is now tied. The quilt is machine pieced, some restoration work is done by hand.
2260 x 1920mm
Daphne Akehurst
Quilt in a wide variety of patterned and plain hexagons in cotton with a wide green border. There is no padding and the backing is cotton.
2500 x 2200mm
Marie Pye
Quilt of scrap hexagons. Hand pieced over papers with some papers still in place. Materials used include seersucker, plisse, chambray and various other textured cottons used in dressmaking. The owner has restored the quilt. The backing is a soft cotton in indigo blue and the padding is flannelettte. "I machine tied the quilt in its restoration using cream cotton at the intersections so that it doesn't impinge on the interesting fabrics and the overall scrap effects." [Marie Pye]
2590 x 2170mm
The Queensland Women's Historical Assoc.
Quilt top of plain, floral and printed cotton hexagons in a diamond pattern, separated by plain white hexagons. Hand written letters have been used as templates and some are still in position but the ink is faded and the writing now illegible. Tacking stitches are still in place.
3048 x 2210mm
Mare Carter
Patchwork quilt made for a child. All cotton with cotton padding. White blocks have embroidery depicting different nursery rhymes eg Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary ; Old Mother Goose. These blocks are separated by rectangular strips of teal cotton. The quilt is hand stitched and heavily quilted.
1677 x 1271mm
Evelyn McAlister
Quilt made from dressmaking materials in a design probably made up by the maker but resembling 'Courthouse Steps'. The outer border of each block is mitred. Originally it was reversible but during restoration the back was brought to the front, doubling the size of the quilt. The padding is old woollen materials. The backing is a new piece of floral material. It is now machine quilted.
1830 x 1220mm