Quilt No.560NPS - 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
Date: 
1921 - 1940
Description: 
Double sided quilt. One side is different shapes including rectangles in various sizes in wools and men's suiting material. It is hand pieced. The pther side is mainly cottons in florals of different patterns joined in strips of varying width and machine and hand pieced. There is a 25mm binding. The padding is an old blanket.
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:

National Trust of Australia (WA)
Patchwork quilt in Grandmother's Flower Garden pattern consisting of groups of 7 rosettes and single rosettes with white filler hexagons and a border of rosettes alternating with 'bow tie' shapes of 5 patches in the middle of the quilt. Hand sewn in cotton dress and shirting materials , the colours mostly blues, pinks, reds, brown and white. The quilt top is covered in netting. There is no padding and the backing is cream cotton twill.
2270 x 2080mm
N.S.W. Parks and Wildlife Service
This double sided quilt has a centre frame with an appliqued circle feather stitched on. This is surrounded by blocks and strips of mainly rectangles. It is hand pieced. The other side is very broad strips of rectangles mainly in florals some the same as other florals in quilts in the collection. The padding is a cotton blanket and some pieced shapes
The circle motif is common to other quilts in the 'Craigmoor' collection.
1650 x 1500mm
Gloria Martin
Double sided quilt machine made from clothing scraps. Shapes are mainly rectangles in corduroy and wool blend. The padding is an old grey blanket.
1524 x 1372mm
Dubbo Museum & Historical Society Inc
"English patchwork pieces. 1110mm x 1500mm. Hand pieced by at least two people. Made from scraps, cut down clothing and sheeting. Backing made from shirtings, dress fabrics, furnishing fabric and ticking. No synthetics. Machine quilted. Condition, fragile�.." [Dubbo Museum]
Christine Barnes
Cotton quilt . Blue squares with evry alternate square cream with an appliqued butterfly. Blue border. Completely hand quilted. Light weight padding and cotton backing .
2743 x 1829mm
Art Gallery of South Australia
Patchwork quilt or table covering dark and light silks in bright colours, pieced from diamond shapes into stars with black patches between the stars. Plain and patterned silks are used for the stars. Border is made from a single row of Tumbling Blocks in plain silks with an edging on each side of truncated black diamonds on blue on the inside, orange on the outer edge. There is a star pieced of diamonds in each corner. Hand sewn.
1830 x 1800mm