The Rajah Quilt is believed to be the only surviving quilt made by convicts during transportation to Australia. Its beauty transcends the brutality of their circumstances and it's a historical record of women coming together and creating something beautiful!
Towards the end of 2023, ABC News ran a story that piqued my interest - Jane Franklin and The Rajah Quilt a play by Cate Whittaker had renewed the push for a historical quilt to be returned home to Tasmania (my home state).
Currently the Rajah Quilt is in storage at the National Gallery of Australia in our nation's capital Canberra and is scheduled to be displayed during 2024.
There are calls for it to be returned to Tasmania and be permanently exhibited at the Cascade Female Factory or the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery as an important piece of our state's history.
It truly is a work of art and a stunning example of women creating together despite their wretched circumstances. It shares a message of hope, gratitude and tenacity in the face of adversity.
{photos from Pinterest}
On the 5th of April 1841, the Rajah set sail from Woolwich England bound for the notorious penal colony, Van Diemen's Land (now known as Tasmania).
Van Diemen's Land was brutally colonised and became the ideal place to send the "undesirables" due to its isolation and the harsh environment - it was deemed virtually unescapable.
On board the 1841 Rajah ship were 180 women prisoners destined to serve their sentences either in one of the five female factories (women's workhouse prison) or as servants in free settlers' households in the harsh and unforgiving penal colony.
Conditions on the ship were extremely hard and the journey was long. Ships were overcrowded creating cramped living spaces, poor hygiene, and inadequate food and water supplies. Disease spread quickly and for most, this was their first sailing, so sea sickness was a constant struggle.
In Britan in 1816, Elizabeth Fry formed the Quakers Group The British Ladies Society for the Reformation of Female Prisoners after witnessing the abominable treatment of female prisoners in prison and the conditions of the transportation ships bound for the penal colonies.
She was the driving force behind prison reform for incarcerated women - segregating women from men, providing food and clothing and funding a prison school for children of imprisoned mothers. She visited prison ships and implemented systems to ensure women received a fair share of the food rations and arranged care packages which included the Bible, cutlery and sewing tools for their voyage.
The society donated sewing and knitting supplies to women, as a way for them to learn and develop new skills to support themselves once their sentence was served or to present themselves with useful skills on arrival at the penal colony.
On board the Rajah in 1841 were donated supplies from the society including: ten yards of fabric, four balls of white sewing thread, one ball each of black, blue and red thread, black wool, 24 hanks of coloured thread, tape, a thimble, 100 needles, pins, scissors and two pounds of patchwork pieces (ten yards).
Also on board was the free settler Miss Kezia Hayter who assisted in the planning, supervision and completion of the Rajah Quilt.
105 days after setting sail, the Rajah arrived in Hobart on the 19th of July 1841 and the donated supplies had been transformed into the patchwork, appliqued and embroidered Rajah Quilt. It was presented to Lady Jane Franklin (the Lieutenant Governor's wife) proving that cooperative work could be achieved despite the circumstances.
The quilt's inscription gives insight into the hearts of the convict women:
"To the ladies of the convict ship committee.
This quilt worked by the convicts of the ship Rajah during their voyage to Van Diemen's Land
is presented as a testimony of the gratitude with which they remember their
exertions for their welfare while in England and during their passage and
also as a proof that they have not neglected the ladies kind admonitions
of being industrious."
- June 1841
Because of the success of the quilt project, Lady Jane Franklin and Miss Kezia Hayter formed The Tasmania Ladies Society For The Reformation of Female Prisoners.
The society worked hard to improve conditions for female prisoners, to aid in rehabilitation, to protect them from sexual exploitation and to teach them skills that not only calmed the mind and body but provided them an income once their sentence was served.
The Rajah Quilt measures at 325cm (128") x 337cm (132") and it includes 2815 pieces joined in a medallion style quilt.
It is adorned with appliques flowers and birds and classic patchwork blocks - hourglass, square in a square and sawtooth - which we know are great skill builders for beginner quilters.
Birds have long been used in quilt design as a symbol of peace and freedom, and flowers symbolise growth, beauty and love. Despite an uncertain and terrifying future, these women stitched hope into this quilt.
It's a time capsule of the fabric prints and design inspiration of the 1800's and the rich deep colours add sophistication and elegance to this stunning piece of history.
We do not know the names of the women who worked on this quilt, but records show that there were fifteen women aboard the Rajah with previous needlework skills from a profession. That leaves quite a few beginners on board - small bloodstains are still visible on the quilt possibly due to inexperience with a needle or poor lighting.
It's easy to think these women were hardened criminals but less than 2% were violent felons. Many were simply impoverished women forced into situations that led to their imprisonment.
Petty crimes such as stealing a loaf of bread or a piece of clothing could receive a six month stay in prison followed by a voyage to a penal colony for seven to ten years hard labor, resulting in permanent exile.
A project of this size involving so many women would have been a major undertaking under normal circumstances despite the cramped conditions, poor lighting and limited skills of the convict women.
The anxiousness of what lie ahead and what was left behind must have impacted their mental health and their stability, yet this epic quilt shows patience, love, attention to detail and skill.
It's a testament to women coming together and working as one. It encompasses hope for the future and gratitude for the empathy shown to them in their darkest time.
The Rajah Quilt is believed to be the only surviving quilt made by convict women from any of the ships that came to Van Diemen's Land.
The fragility of this quilt is one of the main reasons it has not been returned to Tasmania, but I hope one day is does come home and I can meet it in person.
This quilt transcends adversity with grace and beauty, and without the compassion and empathy of women like Elizabeth Fry and her society, this important piece of our history would not exist.
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Thank you for sharing the beauty of this quilt and also its history . It is an amazing piece of needlework.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you enjoyed reading about the Rajah Quilt Lyndsey. It was fascinating to research and such an important piece of our state's history. I hope to see it in person later in the year :)
DeleteThank you so much Rose for informing us about this quilt. I found it so interesting to read how it came about and was made and I'm really glad this quilt survived till today. Just to think of those poor women, what a hard life it must have been. But they made a beautiful quilt not only for the Govenor's wife but also for us.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely Claudia! It was a harsh and unforgiving time, but they turned adversity into a precious (and beautiful) piece of art and history. A real testament to women working together and supporting one another :)
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