QuiltNSW members who attended the Retreat last week were amazed to see a textile that Jane Gibson showed. Jane has kindly agreed to tell us the story of this valuable family heirloom.
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“The laundry mark worked on this huckaback towel in the tiniest cross-stitch I have ever seen identifies it as part of a collection of household goods shipped to my great-great-grandmother, Mary Anderson, from Taymouth Castle in Scotland,” Jane says.
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A list of goods sent (see photo) accompanied the shipment. “There is no date on the list, but it was probably made in the 1860s when a cousin of the family who owned Taymouth Castle married Mary’s son, Alexander,” Jane explains.
“72 is the number of towels as confirmed by the list and I believe the family name was Bredalbane which would match the B. The date 1842 in the laundry mark is the date Queen Victoria visited Taymouth Castle which may account for the crown although it could also indicate the rank of the owner. Given the name tag (J. A. Anderson was Alexander’s youngest brother and my great-grandfather), I suspect the towel was taken to boarding school and was probably not one that the Queen used!”
Do you have any textiles that hold family stories? We’d love to share them with other QuiltNSW members. Please get in touch via email or leave a comment.
