Quilt No.1114JH - Jan Hanslow

Jan Hanslow
Owner: 
Jan Hanslow
Location: 
VIC Melbourne
Maker
Maker: 
Grace Nicholas
Made in
SHIPBOARD
Date: 
1851 - 1880
Description: 
Hexagon quilt with 60mm hexagons in cottons. No particular design or pattern. Patches are plain and patterned in reds, blues, pinks, browns and greys. There is a 70mm wide lace trim. The quilt is padded and the backing is wholecloth green with a floral design in pink and cream. 1860 x 1640mm
History: 

The quilt was made by Grace Nicholas in 1853 on board the 'Monteagle' between England and Australia. Grace (married name Cole) passed it to her daughter, Mary Jane Williams (born Cole) and it then went to her daughter Grace Williamson (born Williams). From Grace the quilt went to the parents of the present owner as William Harold James Cole was a cousin of Grace Williamson.

Story: 

"Grace Nicholas was born in Lelant, Cornwall on 20.2.1834. After her father died in 1849, her mother lost possession of the family farm (it passed to another male member of the Nicholas family). Her mother Mary Nicholas (nee Travener) migrated to Melbourne with her 7 children aged between 24 and 8. They came on the
'Monteagle', arriving on 12.4.1853. There were 52 deaths on board. Grace married Arscott Cole of Clawton, Devon at St. James old cathedral on 30.9.1854. Grace and Arscott Cole (blacksmith) lived at Darebin Creek where 7 of their children were born. Their 8th child was born at Yan Yean in 1873. Arscott was at that time working at Hazel Glen farm in Doreen (owned by the Reid family). Around 1876 the family moved to Waggarandal where they had a farm and also a smithy which was on the corner of the Benalla-Tocumwal Rd and the St. James road. In the 1890s they moved to Lardner, Warragul where they probably lived with their daughter Mary-Jane Williams or their son Samuel Cole... For some time my mother had the quilt on a bed in the 'spare' room. My father died in 1983. My mother remarried and moved to another house, the quilt at that stage going into 'storage'. She passed it on to me just recently." [Jan Hanslow 4.2.2002]

Grace Cole (born Nicholas) 1834-1916
Grace Cole (born Nicholas) 1834-1916

Related Quilts:

Wangaratta Centre Quilters Inc
Irregularly patched from a variety of cotton dress prints, checks, plains and mattress ticking. 1920s and 30s fabrics. Both top and back are similar. Hessian padding. Originally two single quilts, now stitched together.
1850 x 1720mm
Mary Robertson
The suffolk puffs are mainly cotton in a wide variety of colours and plain and patterned materials. The puffs are small squares rather than the more usual circles. The backing is teal satin hand stitched to the top. There is a teal bow at one end. There is no padding.
1570 x 1100mm
Leila Craig
Patchwork quilt of hexagon patches in a variety of colours and fabrics, including cottons, wool, lace, nylon. Edging is of yellow cotton. It is backed but there is no filling or padding.
2470 x 2100mm
National Trust of Australia (TAS)
Patchwork quilt of cotton hexagons in a random mix of colours and prints, the predominant colours being blue, red, green, light yellow and pastels. Patches hand sewn. There is no padding and the backing is a grey wool blanket. The top is machine stitched around the edge to the blanket.
1645 x 1060mm
N.S.W. Parks and Wildlife Service
The top has a segmented circle in the centre surrounded by a border of small rectangles. The circle is featherstitched on to the background. Materials are wools and cottons and it is hand pieced. The other side appears to have been originally men's suiting materials strip pieced. It is now covered with a children's print in light cotton joined in long rectangles. The padding is coarse heavyweight cotton.
1410 x 1080mm
Fran Williams
Quilt with centre area of silk triangles framed with small squares and the rest of the top is larger squares. Wide variety of prints and plain materials. There is no padding. The backing is cotton and "E.M.B." is cross stitched in one corner. "Back is interesting as it's all the same fabric, joined but it appears to have been stitched with a running stitch (cf quilting) before it was attached to the front. It was definitely done after being joined as the stitching design follows through the seams." [Fran Williams]
2500 x 2500mm