Sampler
Maker's Name
Wade, Mary
Location
Cumberland County, Kentucky
Date Made
1835
Maker's Age
8 years old, born in 1827
Dimensions
15 ¾ x 16 ¼ inches.
Medium
Silk on linen with cross and straight stitches; thread count: 26/inch horizontal, 26/inch vertical
Provenance
Sold by Jeffrey S. Evans & Assoc., June 22, 2019, lot 1266 from a Tennessee estate to Private Collector #14.
Description
There are two rows of alphabets and numbers above a row of initials (some of which may be her siblings and father) which are separated by simple crossbands. The central verse reads:
Jesus vouchsafe a pitying ray
Be thou my Guide be thou my way
To glorious happinefs
[Ah] write the pardon on my heart
[An]d wheresoe'er I hence depart
Let me depart in peace
Flanking and below the verse are various motifs including birds, numerous flower baskets, trees, and a heart with the signature:
Mary Wades Work Aged 8 1835
There is light toning, several scattered losses and some light fading to silk thread. The old paint decorated frame has wear and scratches with glued repair to lower right corner.
Mary Ann Wade was born on December 27, 1827 in Cumberland County, Kentucky, the fourth child of Jeremiah Wade (1796-1838)(“JW”) and Sally Sanford Alexander Wade (1800-1893). Her siblings included Elizabeth Ingram (1822-1908), Sarah Gatewood (1824-1864), Nancy Jane (1825-1915), James Ballenger (1830-1882), Louisa C. (1832-1900), Rachel Watts (1835-1916)(“RW”) and Clarisson Emaline (1837-1907) with Clarisson born after Mary’s death.
Mary died in 1835 at eight years old, the same year she completed her sampler, and she is buried at the Wade Cemetery in Marrowbone, Cumberland County, Kentucky. The verse featured is the ending of the hymn, "And Am I Only Born to Die?", written by Charles Wesley (British, b. 1707, d. 1788), found in the "Hymns for Children" (1763). The verse suggests she may have known she was dying while embroidering her sampler. (As a hymn-writer Charles Wesley was unique. He is said to have written no less than 6500 hymns. He was a leader in the Methodist movement, along with other family members including his younger brother John Wesley, who was the founder of the Methodist movement.)
Mary Wade’s sampler is featured in the new, 2020 book, “Into the Bluegrass” by Mel Hankla, PhD. The 355 page book is an account of early Kentucky antiquities including Kentucky long rifles, art, silver, furniture and more. Hankla is on the Museum Board of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, the Advisory Board of the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts (MESDA) and is a member of the Kentucky Material Culture Collectors and the prestigious American Society of Arms Collectors.
Jesus vouchsafe a pitying ray
Be thou my Guide be thou my way
To glorious happinefs
[Ah] write the pardon on my heart
[An]d wheresoe'er I hence depart
Let me depart in peace
Flanking and below the verse are various motifs including birds, numerous flower baskets, trees, and a heart with the signature:
Mary Wades Work Aged 8 1835
There is light toning, several scattered losses and some light fading to silk thread. The old paint decorated frame has wear and scratches with glued repair to lower right corner.
Mary Ann Wade was born on December 27, 1827 in Cumberland County, Kentucky, the fourth child of Jeremiah Wade (1796-1838)(“JW”) and Sally Sanford Alexander Wade (1800-1893). Her siblings included Elizabeth Ingram (1822-1908), Sarah Gatewood (1824-1864), Nancy Jane (1825-1915), James Ballenger (1830-1882), Louisa C. (1832-1900), Rachel Watts (1835-1916)(“RW”) and Clarisson Emaline (1837-1907) with Clarisson born after Mary’s death.
Mary died in 1835 at eight years old, the same year she completed her sampler, and she is buried at the Wade Cemetery in Marrowbone, Cumberland County, Kentucky. The verse featured is the ending of the hymn, "And Am I Only Born to Die?", written by Charles Wesley (British, b. 1707, d. 1788), found in the "Hymns for Children" (1763). The verse suggests she may have known she was dying while embroidering her sampler. (As a hymn-writer Charles Wesley was unique. He is said to have written no less than 6500 hymns. He was a leader in the Methodist movement, along with other family members including his younger brother John Wesley, who was the founder of the Methodist movement.)
Mary Wade’s sampler is featured in the new, 2020 book, “Into the Bluegrass” by Mel Hankla, PhD. The 355 page book is an account of early Kentucky antiquities including Kentucky long rifles, art, silver, furniture and more. Hankla is on the Museum Board of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, the Advisory Board of the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts (MESDA) and is a member of the Kentucky Material Culture Collectors and the prestigious American Society of Arms Collectors.
Owner/History of Owner/Credit Line
Private Collector #14
AKS Catalog Number
2019-036
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