#3055 • 18th c. Needlework Samplers & Prayer Book

Part of Fine and Decorative Arts | June 10, 2021 at 12:00 PM (live auction by Alderfer Auction)

High bid $3,000.00

Status: Sold

Historic French & Indian War (1754-1763)/Seven Year War (1756-1763) period sampler and prayer book grouping related to the Upton and Biden families. The premier item of this family grouping is a fine sampler with plant/animal/bird motifs with a central design featuring a British military group of uniformed soldiers. The three-piece grouping includes: Sampler worked by Betty Upton, 1757. Linen ground with wool and possibly silk thread of reds, blues, browns and black. Strawberry and vine border, top corners with bird motif and lower corners with colorful perched parrots. Verse in upper register “Labor To Keep A Conscious Effort For When All Things Fail That Will Ye Endeavor Betty Upton 1757”. Below is seated female, two dogs and a staircase leading to busts of three children. Below motif is “David and Lazarus Luke”. Central horizontal design features company of six uniformed soldiers with members facing to the right. Soldiers from left to right include a sergeant wearing light colored uniform tunic, black tricorn hat and holding a halberd in a vertical manner. Enlisted rank soldiers (3) wearing red uniform tunics and black tricorn hats. Each carries a musket propped on their right shoulder and show the tips of bayonet scabbards as worn on their left belt side. Drummer wearing blue with red trimmed tunic and a mitre cap. Drummer carries drum and holds drumsticks in playing position. Officer wearing light colored uniform tunic and a black tricorn hat. Officer carries a spontoon propped on his left shoulder. Both sergeant and officer show tips of sword scabbards emerging from tunic bottom edge. All subjects wear black shoes. Lower register depicts a pair of sheep with flowering plant between them. Overall condition-linen ground exhibits some toning and darkening, threads have fading and color loss. 19th century frame and stretcher with open back. Sampler measures 12.5” x 16” sight and 15.5” x 16” framed Sampler worked by Elizabeth Biden, 1790. Linen ground with threads of browns, reds, yellows, white and black. Stylized flower and vine border. Upper register contains two rows of lowercase alphabets and date of 1790, 1 line of Arabic numbers with maker’s name and two rows of uppercase alphabets. Below is a centered verse flanked by flowering trees, potted flower in urn and birds. Sampler was accompanied with 20th century envelope with inscription “Betty Uptons daughter married a Biden “evidently” See two samplers Bible dated 1761 Samplers dated 1757 and 1790”. Overall condition-damage and heavy loss to ground. 13”h x 12”w not framed Prayer Book with penned inscriptions. 2nd front flyleaf of book presents initial ink manuscript inscription “Betty Upton Her Book Febr 22: 1761” with a slightly later second ink manuscript inscription “A.& M. Biden”. Title page for the Whole Book of Psalms section presents ink manuscript inscription “Betty Upton, Dec 5, 1764”. Back flyleaf presents ink manuscript inscription “Ann Biden”. Book presents its original 18th century binding and exhibits wear and scuffing to the leather, detachment to boards and some leaves and exhibits toning and some light foxing/spotting to some pages. “The BOOK of Common Prayer, And Administration of the SACRAMENTS, And other Rites and Ceremonies Of the CHURCH, According to the Use of the Church of England: Together with the Psalter, or Psalms of DAVID, Pointed as they are to be sung or said in CHURCHES.” London Printed by Thomas Baskett, printer to the King's Most Excellent Majesty; and by the Assigns of Robert Baskett, MDCCLIV (1754) bound with “THE WHOLE BOOK OF PSALMS, COLLECTED INTO ENGLISH METRE, By Thomas Sternhold, John Hopkins, and Others. CONFERR’D WITH THE HEBREW. Set Forth and Allowed to Be Sung in All Churches, of All the People Together, Before and After Morning and Evening Prayer; and Also Before and After Sermon; and Moreover in Private Houses, for Their Godly Solace and Comfort: Laying Apart All Ungodly Songs and Ballads, Which Tend Only to the Nourishing of Vice, and Corrupting of Youth” London: Printed by H. WOODFALL, for the Company of STATIONERS. 1754.