Quilt No.171KHS - Kaniva District Historical Society

Kaniva District Historical Society
Owner: 
Kaniva District Historical Society
Location: 
VIC North West
Maker
Maker: 
Mary Ann Clark
Made in
ENGLAND
Date: 
pre 1850
Description: 
Patchwork quilt of hexagons in 'Grandmother's Flower Garden' pattern, consisting of a dark centre hexagon, a row of light patches, then a second row of dark patches in the same colour as the centre. Each group of patches or 'flower' is joined by white paths. Colours are predominantly red, blue, brown and pale or faded colours. Some fading; some dark colour fabrics have deteriorated. Backing. Hand sewn. Border of quilt and backing sewn edge to edge.
2236 x 1829mm
History: 

Made by Mary Ann Clark (1828-1917), later Mrs John William Wake King, about 1845, in England. In 1915 it was given to her grand-daughter Emily King (Mrs Champness), second daughter of Mary Ann's eldest son William Frederick. In 1977 the quilt was donated to the Kaniva District Historical Society by the family of Emily's eldest daughter Irene (Mrs H.L. Williams).

Story: 

Mary Ann Clark came from Spalding, Lincolnshire. On 31 March, 1850, she married John William Wake King, of London, at Trinity Church, Regent Park, London. John was a boot and shoe maker. Mary Ann King took out a prize for book binding at the Paris Exhibition in 1851.
John decided to emigrate to Australia for health reasons and he, Mary Ann and their two children arrived at Port Adelaide on 16 November, 1853, on board the 'Olivia'. John took up work as a shoe maker with a Mr H.M. Jackson of Nairne, and later took over the business. From 1855 to 1857 John was at the Victorian gold giggings, but did not do very well. In 1857 he returned to Port Adelaide, walking back to Nairne, and took up business as an agent and auctioneer.

Related Quilts:

Old Government House
Patchwork quilt in Log Cabin pattern made from silks, velvet, cottons and taffetas, in prints and plain, around a centre squares of black velvet. Colours are, in the dark sections, blues, greens, browns, yellow and pinks. The base of the blocks is blue and white ticking. The padding is probably cotton. Backing is of green cotton. There is an attached frill on all sides of green cotton, faded to dull light brown.
1630 x 1350mm
Art Gallery of South Australia
Patchwork quilt in the Tumbling Block pattern in light and dark silks in bright colours. On both sides and at the bottom is a wide border in Tumbling Blocks, the pattern vertical at the sides and forming a triangle centre bottom, with an edge on both sides of two black bands with pieced diamonds between. Made for a poster bed. Hand sewn.
1790 x 1750mm
Valinda Gale
Patchwork quilt made from squares of cotton prints in florals, stripes, spots and checks, joined together in rows. Colours are predominantly blues, reds, yellow and pastels. Binding is of turquoise blue fabric. Materials appear to be from the 40s or 50s. Patches caught in the middle with a woollen knot - red, yellow, blue wool. No quilting. Backed in blue fleecy flannel.
Single bed length and width.
N.S.W. Parks and Wildlife Service
Large centre rectangle of hexagons in various colours of patterned and plain cottons. It is surrounded by a wide border in a checkerboard of red and white cottons. There is a wholecloth cotton backing. The front and the back have been turned under at the edge and machined. There is no padding.
1829 x 1372mm
Barbara McCabe
"A single bed cover made up of squares and recrangles of woollen fabric pieced together by a Vicker Sewing Machine from Myer Melbourne. The fabrics are either new (left over scraps) or used (unpicked woollen garments). The backing is an old (used) candlewick bedspread. There is no padding. It is faded and worn due to being used for other purposes later. There is a 66 cm high clown that ahs been appliqued on mainly by hand using blanket stitch. It is also made from scraps of fabric. The hands were cut from an old felt hat."
2400mm x 1660mm
The Embroiderers' Guild of S.A.Inc Museum
4 Pieces of a patchwork quilt which was formerly a whole quilt. It is pieced in cottons in blues reds and browns in many prints. There are whole circles and pieced circles against a plain cream calico background. It is wool lined and is quilted. There are the initials 'A.B.' and '1828' on a central piece. The 4 pieces are various sizes.