Quilt No.550PD - Phyllis Dowling

Phyllis Dowling
Owner: 
Phyllis Dowling
Location: 
NSW Riverina
Maker
Maker: 
Harriet Harris?
Made in
AUSTRALIA NSW
Date: 
1851 - 1880
Description: 
Hand pieced cot quilt made from small rectangular shapes of a great variety of materials including cottons, silks, wools and velvets. The backing is cotton sateen in 3 colours and is brought to the front to form a border of pink, cream and yellow.
1170 x 920mm
History: 

The exact history of the quilt is not known but it is thought to have been made by Harriet Harris at either Kiandra or 'Glory Hole' in the 1860s. It is now owned by her great grand-daughter, Phyllis Dowling.

Story: 

"Harriet Harris was born c.1825-1830 in Pedwell, Somerset, England. She was the daughter of John Chapple, a builder, and Mary Sandy. She married Henry Josiah Harris on 2 January 1853 at Trinity Church, Newington, London.
Henry Harris was a butcher and had several trips to Australia as a Ships Butcher before deciding to remain here c.1857.
They had 3 children born in London, Annie, Emma Harriet and Henry George. Harriet and her 3 children arrived in Sydney on the ship 'Herald of the Morning' on 25 June 1858. The family were in Newtown, Sydney when the 4th child, Robert, was born 6th June 1859.
In 1860, following the discovery of gold the family moved to Kiandra, travelling to Twofold Bay by boat and then to Kiandra by bullock dray.
The next child, Catherine Louisa was born there 9 May 1860 followed by Rose Elizabeth 12 September 1864 and finally Oliver John 9 February 1866.
Henry Harris continued with his butchering business in Kiandra but because of the harsh winters had to have somewhere other than Kiandra for his stock in winter so besides the home in Kiandra he purchased a 40 acre block below what is now Yarrangobilly Caves. This property was called 'Glory Hole' and members of the family lived there until 1910.
Although small and primitive in the beginning the 'Glory Hole' home eventually had 5 bedrooms, lounge, dining room, kitchen. hallway and verandah. The house was built of timber split on site.
Both Henry and Harriet are buried in the family grave at 'Glory Hole'. Henry died 17 August 1898 and Harriet 1 August 1904."
[Phyllis Dowling, Tumut 1998]

Harriet Harris with g.daughter Alice West, Glory Hole 1902
Harriet Harris with g.daughter Alice West, Glory Hole 1902

Related Quilts:

Josephine Curtis
Taylor's sample quilt made from men's suit swatches, mainly greys and blues. Edging is 6cms wide, of blue flannelette. Padding is an old grey blanket, and the backing is of printed pattern corduroy. 1680 x 920 mm.
Irene Treneman
Cotton quilt, checks, plains and patterns. Machine construction. Rectangles stitched together in strips and then strips joined. The backing is a cotton print. There is no padding and no quilting.
2420 x 1220
Mary Robertson
Suffolk puff quilt with each puff approximately 4cm x 4cm. The puffs are small squares rather than the more usual circles. Materials are mainly cottons and satins in a wide variety of colours and patterns. The backing is striped flannelette and is hand stitched to the top.
1660 x 1140mm
Art Gallery of South Australia
Rectangular patchwork crazy quilt pieced in squares (3 across by 4 down), in silks and wool, with red sashing between blocks and red border, quilted. Colours are dark, with red and light blue. Embroidery includes double feather, rope, herringbone, satin, cross, sword edge, buttonhole and coral stitches, and French knots. Embroidered flowers include lily of the valley, rose, daisy, and sunflower, also butterflies. Backing is pieced in the frame style, with a large centre red square, within 10 frames or borders. Embroidered "In Most Loving Memory of My Darling 1883", "V.H.B." Hand sewn.
1900 x 1500mm
Ella Jarvis
Quilt made with a rectangular centre panel of cotton fabric printed with red poppies and black flowers in a japanese style. The panel is surrounded by a wide black satin border. The backing is of black cotton, covering a previous backing of green floral cotton fabric. The padding is feathers.
1700 x 1370mm
Joyce Lannin
A hand sewn quilt of more than 6,536 hexagon pieces in cottons, silks and polyester mix. There is a centre circular pattern of hexagons within a larger hexagon and small hexagons form larger hexagons in a random pattern on the quilt top. There is no padding and the backing is a plain fawn sheet with a floral edging in hexagons. 2880 x 2550 mm.