Silk on linen with Algerian eye, cross, and Irish stitches; thread count: 36/inch horizontal, 36/inch vertical
Provenance
Made by Helen Gatton in 1818. Won at Dennis Auction House, December 28, 2018 by Zelda's, Inc. and subsequently sold to Private Collector #1.
Description
In the upper field the sampler has five Iines of alphabets separated by simple crossbands. At the end of the fifth line there is the city name of:
scottville. ky.
Below this is the signature paragraph:
Helen Gatton Born October 23, 1806. work
ed November 26, 1816 1234567891011
This is followed by a verse from Walter Pope (1627-1714) and Isaac Watts,(1674-1748), who was considered the Father of English Hymnody:
May I govern my passions with absolute sway
And grow wiser and better as life wears away
At the bottom of the sampler are the initials of siblings (see below).
CRG BDG MG HG BHG EAG ZWG
TFG RPG
Among the several motifs at the bottom of the sampler is a chevron in the right lower corner, similar to that seen on the Lucinda Ellis and Francis Mary Darnaby samplers.
Please see the verso and inverse verso images in the ancillary images.
Helen Gatton was born on October 23, 1806 (exact location unknown) to Thomas Gatton (1774-1853) and Ruth Ray Godwin Gatton (1782-1850). Thomas and Ruth Ray Gatton moved from Maryland (near Washington D.C.) to Scottsville, Allen County, Kentucky in 1801 and subsequently removed to Virginia, Cass County, Illinois in 1821 where both died and are buried (in the Walnut Ridge Cemetary). (See ancillary images.)
Helen’s siblings (with accompanying initials as seen on the sampler) included Carleton Ray Gatton (CRG)(1801-1924), Brice Dyer Gatton (BDG) (1797-?), Mary Ruth Gatton (MG) (1804-1873), Benjamin Hillary Gatton (BHG) (1808-1892), Eliza Ann Gatton (EAG) (1810-1867), and Zachariah W. Gatton (ZWG) (1812-1896). The initials TFG may represent Thomas Gatton (1825-1835) but his middle initial according to FamilySearch.org was “L” rather than “F”. Richard P. Gatton (RPG) (1841-1895), another sibling, presumably was added to the sampler at a later date as was TFG given that the sampler was “finished” in 1816. Other siblings whose initials do not appear on the sampler include Ruth Ray Gatton (1819-1886) and Catherine G. Gatton (1822-1897).
AKS could find no information regarding Helen Gatton’s marriage status, offspring, or date/place of death or burial.
