Betsy Averell, Boxford, Essex, Massachusetts, 1808

Besides the house and figure samplers produced in Essex County, another type which is considerably rarer  from Essex County has deeply arcaded borders, with the spaces in between  decorated with floral motifs.   According to the Hubers in  SAMPLERS, How to Compare and Value, page 98, the simplest explanation for the relative scarcity of Country Essex County samplers of this type is that many Essex Girls attended school in Boston.  It is from the Essex County Country schools, however, that striking designs such as this emerged.

A sampler worked by Lucy Symonds in Boxford, 1796 and described in American Samplers and a recently discovered sampler signed by Betsey Gould, inscribed, "Boxford, 1804," are identical in format to this one as well as another pictured in Mary Jaene Edmunds book on samplers entitled Samplers and Samplermakers. This  presents tangible evidence that a school for girls existed in the vicinity whose schoolmistress was responsible for these designs. We might go one step farther and name the Topsfield School in Boxford as being the possible origin of these samplers.  All have the dramatic, deeply arcaded border filled with flowers, trees on hillocks, and distinctive bell shaped (often lopsided) handled baskets. Since so few samplers with these design elements exist would indicate that the instructress responsible for this group only taught for a few years, most likely prior to her marriage.

Very few of these samplers have come to light, but the ones that have are chronicled in important sampler books and are considered quite rare indeed.  Most of these samplers from this group were stitched in the first decade of the 1800's and this outstanding example is no exception . . . It is signed "Betsy Averell 1808" and features that distinctive and folky basket highlighted with brilliant yellow silk accents, both in the body of the basket as well as in its flowers.

Samplermaker Betsy was born Elizabeth Averell (Averill) in Topsfield, Massachusetts in 1797 to parents Elijah and Mary (Gould) who were married in Topsfield in 1788.  Mary was one of 3 children from this historic New England family with important family lines that include Peabody, Emerson, Perkins and others going back to 1600's New England.

Betsy's sampler is a little gem and the quintessance of American schoolgirl embroidery, combining  folk art appeal with exceptional needlework . . . all coalescing in an unforgettable and distinctive presentation.  The sampler, stitched by Betsy when she was 11 years old is worked in silk on linen. In excellent condition with good visual contrast, it is conservation mounted on acid free board.
Sampler size is 10" x 11" (sight) and 14" x 15" overall.

R09E169571
0033