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2013-3, Sampler
Sampler by Mary Chicken
2013-3, Sampler

Sampler by Mary Chicken

Date1745
Maker Mary Chicken
School of Mary Hext (1702-November 8th, 1752)
OriginAmerica, South Carolina, Charleston
MediumSilk embroidery threads on a linen ground of approximately 70 x 70 threads per inch (fiber identification by eye)
DimensionsOH: 11 1/2" x OW: 8"
Credit LineMuseum Purchase
Object number2013-3
DescriptionThis is a small, rectangular sampler worked in silk embroidery threads on a natural-colored linen ground. All four sides are hemmed. At the top of the sampler is a red and blue band of stepped triangles. Below this is an alphabet that spans two lines. Each letter is a different color and all are worked in eyelet stitch. The top line reads, "A" through "Q" and the second line reads "R" through "Z," followed by an ampersand and numerals 1 through 7. Below this is an inscription, divided by blue and white sawtooth bands. The inscription reads, "Remember Now Thy Creator In the Days of Thy/Youth While The Evil Days Come Not Nor The Year/Draw Nigh When Thou Shalt Say I have No Pleasure/In Them." Following this inscription are numerals 8 through 24.
Below this inscription is a band of blue and green diamonds. Following this is an inscription stitched to create very small words of alternating red and green thread. The inscription reads, "We Oft Do Read Our Saviour Wept he never Laughft and Seldom Slept ah Sure his/Eyes did Wake and Weep for us that Sin in Mirth and Sleep." Next to this inscription are numerals 25 through 33. Below the two lines of the inscription is a white sawtooth band. Underneath the inscription is another band of white and red diamonds.
Following these hexagons is a lowercase alphabet, with letters in pink, blue, white, and gray. All letters are lowercase except the first "A," which is capitalized. The first line includes letters "A" through "v" and the second line includes "w" through "z," followed by an ampersand and numerals 34 through 40. Below this alphabet is a band of red, pink, and white diamond motifs. Underneath this band is an inscription which reads, "Mary Chicken is my Name Carolina is my Nation/Gooscreek is my Dwelling Place and Christ is my/Salvation." These words are stitched in alternating blue and red threads. Between the lines are triangular bands. In an empty space on the right side of the second line is a crown and a heart. The third line, which consists of just the word "salvation," is followed by a crown followed by a heart and another crown. In the remaining space are initials "G C and "L C," followed by two hearts and a crown. This is then followed by "G C," "C C," and two crowns and a heart. After this reads, "C S" and a crown.
Underneath this is a thick band of hexagons. The hexagons are made of dark blue, light blue, light green, and yellow. Surrounding these hexagons are white, red, and pink threads. At the bottom of the sampler is a blue band with white text that reads, "THIS SAMPLAR WAS ENDED IN THE YEAR 1745."
Stitches: cross, eyelet, hem, Irish, satin
Label TextMeasuring just 11 ½ inches high by 8 inches wide, Mary Chicken’s brilliantly colored sampler was presumably worked under the tuition of schoolteacher Mary Hext who advertised in Charleston in 1741, that she taught needlework of all sorts. It is one of only two colonial South Carolina samplers that can be associated with a teacher. Eighteenth-century southern samplers are rare, and even more so are colonial southern samplers. Unlike many early southern samplers, Mary Chicken’s embroidery provides a wealth of personal information including family initials, date of completion, and place names. Mary was the daughter of Cap. George Chicken and the granddaughter of Col. George Chicken, both of whom led exploration missions into the western frontier of South Carolina. Her home was located in Goose Creek, in the southernmost section of Berkeley County, outside of Charleston.



Inscribed"Remember Now Thy Creator In the Days of Thy/Youth While The Evil Days Come Not Nor The Year/Draw Nigh When Thou Shalt Say I have No Pleasure/In Them"

"We Oft Do Read Our Saviour Wept he never Laughft and Seldom Slept ah Sure his/Eyes did Wake and Weep for us that Sin in Mirth and Sleep"

"THIS SAMPLAR WAS ENDED IN THE YEAR 1745"
Markings"GC LC GC CC CS"
ProvenanceMary Chicken probably died before reaching adulthood, so her sampler was likely inherited along with the rest of the contents of George Chicken's house by Catherine Chicken Simons, Mary's younger sister. It may have descended to Sarah Lydia Simons Lucas who took it to England when the family moved (there is a reference to Hatcham Grove in London in June, 1834). This sampler was sold at Sotheby's "Important Americana: Furniture, Folk Art, Silver, Porcelain, Prints and Carpets Including Property Sold By the Philadelphia Museum of Art" sale on January 25-26, 2013 after being owned by a private collector.

HISTORY OF MAKER:
Mary Chicken was born to Colonel George Chicken (1709-March 2nd, 1745) and Lydia Turnsteed Child Ball (September 22nd, 1721-April 1st, 1765) on an unknown date. Because she likely died young and unmarried, very little is known about her, but much more is known about her family. George and Lydia married on February 5th, 1740. Lydia Child was from Strawberry plantation and was the granddaughter of James Child, the well-known catcher of enslaved people who once captured 160 Native Americans. George Chicken was from Santee plantation. He was a militia officer and member of the South Carolina Commons House, which was involved in negotiating treaties with the neighboring Native Americans. He became prominent in Native American affairs in 1815, when he, as the head of the Goose Creek militia, defeated the Native Americans at the Battle of the Ponds during the Yamasee War. He was a member of the Board of Indian Commissioners in 1721 through 1723, and was the sole Indian Commissioner from 1724 to 1731. The George Chicken House still survives at 49 Tradd Street in Charleston. The house of Mary Hext, Mary Chicken's needlework teacher, is on the same street, at 5-7 and 51-53 Tradd Street.

The contents of Mary's father's house went to Mary's younger sister, Catherine W. Chicken Simons (February 1740 or June 29th, 1741-November 8th, 1820). It's likely that this included the sampler. After George died in 1746, Lydia went on to marry Elias Ball (December 22nd, 1709-August 8th, 1786) on January 28th, 1747. Elias Ball was of the Ball family who controlled five plantations, Comingtee, Hyde Park, Kensington, St. James, and Strawberry (which Lydia brought to the marriage after her first husband's death). Lydia and Elias had four children, Elias (1752-1810), Isaac (1754-1776), Lydia (1757-1843), and John (1760-1817). It is not known if Mary lived long enough to meet her half-siblings.

HISTORY OF TEACHER:
Mary Hext (1702-November 8th, 1752) was born in 1702, and married John Hext (1694-1742), a mariner. She had her first child in August, 1729, and had a total of three children. She was already operating a boarding school when she placed her first advertisement in the GAZETTE on Novembre 27th, 1740. This was just nine days after a major fire destroyed trade buildings and approximately 300 houses in Charleston. The house she was teaching in burned, but she swiftly found another location for her boarding school. Mary placed more advertisements in the GAZETTE, but apparently only when she had openings in her school.

Onn May 7th, 1742, John Hext died and named Mary his executrix, leaving her his entire estate. Their oldest daughter, Margaret, married in December, 1744. On April 24th, 1745, Mary married again, this time to John Dart. Mary did not place any more advertisements after 1744, so while this sampler was finished in 1745, it is not known how much longer Mary Hext operated her school after that. Mary Hext died on November 8th, 1752 and was buried next to her first husband.