Named after the regional Tasmanian town of Westbury, The Westbury Quilt was created by two sisters of the Hampson family between 1900 - 1903 and it's an incredible work of art.
In the central north of my home state Tasmania lies a quintessential village that's a delightful piece of England close to home. Established in 1828, the town of Westbury is now populated with just over 2000 people and every street, park and corner is filled with character, history and old-world ambience.
Between 1900 - 1903, the Hampson sisters Mary and Jane created The Westbury Quilt and it's a stunning example of embroidery, patchwork and applique depicting life in and around this historic town at the turn of the 20th century.
This incredible work of art was sold to the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra in 1990 and at the time of this article going live it was on view to the general public.
The town of Westbury was established in 1828, and although it's described as an English village, the first European settlers were predominately Irish with Gaelic being the local language.
By 1830 it became a garrison village with troops barracked around the village green. Five-acre blocks of land, complete with a well and a pear tree, were issued to military pensioners and by the 1850's Westbury was the largest military community in Tasmania.
The Village Green was used for military parades and archery competitions, St Patrick's Day celebrations and it was where prisoners were held in stocks for public scrutiny. Today it hosts many events and its beautiful old elm, oak and chestnut trees and lush green lawn makes it the perfect picnic spot.
The town is an absolute delight to walk around. There's a feast of Victorian and Georgian buildings, old stables and courtyards, cosy inns and the sweetest houses. The White House, now owned by the National Trust, displays collections of fine china, bicycles, paintings, vintage cars and boasts a huge collection of toys and miniatures including armies of soldiers - this was our children's favorite historic home to visit.
It's a quaint and captivating town and such a delightful way to step back in time and immerse yourself in old-world beauty and peaceful ambience.
During the time The Westbury Quilt was being stitched by the sisters, Federation had united the six separate British colonies to establish the Commonwealth of Australia. After the depression of 1890, Tasmania was experiencing great economic and social change with improvements in communications, transportation, education and the introduction of electricity to major cities.
Tasmania still relied heavily on agriculture but from the late 1870's mining emerged as its major industry. Federation brought free trade with the other states and our main exports were minerals, timber, wool and essentials such as fruits, jam, furniture, soap, candles, shoes and clothing.
The Westbury Quilt depicts life during this time and while farm animals are heavily featured, it's also a hidden gem of history, wisdom and beauty.
The Hampson family were living on the farm Fernbank at Osmastin (near Westbury) when this quilt was stitched. John and Mary Hampson had settled in the area in 1865 and had seven children - Mary, Hannah/Anna, Isabella, Evangeline, Jane, John and William.
It's believed the quilt was stitched by Mary and Jane but it's quite possible other family members helped with its creation. According to the National Quilt Register, the work is "crude and large and shows the work of two hands"- (NGA). It also states there are "several spelling errors within the inscriptions". - (NGA) perhaps indicating the state of our education system during that time.
In 1948 William and his unwed sisters moved to Westbury. The quilt was given to Mary Gray, a neighbour who had cared for William (the last surviving Hampson) until his death. Mary's house was too small to hang the quilt, so it was given to Genivieve and Myra Fitzpatrick to display in the Fitzpatrick Inn (Westbury) until it was purchased by the National Gallery of Australia in 1990.
The Westbury Quilt measures 223cm high and 191 cm wide and is made from a turkey red cotton fabric which could possibly have been hand dyed by the Hampson sisters using the imported plant, rubia tinctorum (Rose Madder, Common Madder, Dyers Madder).
The blocks are of various sizes, and they've been embroidered with thick white cotton and include white cotton applique motifs. Electricity wasn't connected to Westbury until the late 1920's, so work on this quilt would most likely have been stitched by candlelight or gaslight.
The quilt has a scalloped edge produced from the cutwork daisies and pink flannelette had been used as the backing to provide warmth and padding.
The centre block, believed to be the first block completed, depicts Queen Victoria surrounded by a garland of floral emblems of the empire. The other blocks are set at random and illustrate daily life, farm animals and mottos giving us a glimpse at Tasmania's history.
The quilt blocks depict scenes from Westbury and the surrounding countryside, but it also includes the families much loved cows "Polly" and "Kitty" and their horses "Bell" and "Colin".
The inscriptions address the moral and social behaviour of this period as shown in these examples:
- "When a woman throws herself at a man's head, she seldom hits the mark"
- "Don't spoil good tea in the making."
- "Better to work and fail than to sleep one's life away."
- "Could everything be done twice everything would be done better."
- "Work is the best antidote to worry."
- "One man may lead another to drink but fifty can't keep him from it."
- "Tell me the company you keep and I will tell you who you are."
There is also a thirteen-hour clock with the inscription "Lost time is never found again." and one inscription stating, "Good luck to the winner of this." suggesting it may have been stitched as a raffle prize or was perhaps entered in a country fair.
The Westbury Quilt is truly a work of art, and Mary and Jane have given us a fascinating glimpse into everyday life in Tasmania during the early 1900's.
It's a celebration of simpler times, everyday items, virtues and cautionary tales, all stitched together in a folk art style using patchwork, embroidery and applique to tell their story.
They did not include a stitched label, but some of the blocks are dated - the first in 1900 and the last December 28, 1903.
The Westbury Quilt encompasses a love for the land and animals, faith, hope, charity, and honour, and it's a stunning example of the preserved textile history of my home state.
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Happy quilting :)
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A wonderful post! Thank you for your research. The quilt photos as well as your text offer sensitive insight into an agrarian world that no longer exists. It seems to me, the creative hands, eyes and hearts of these sisters took in their surroundings, then translated that world with thread and cloth. Lovely work. Such detailed handwork—after a long day’s labor, in a country woman’s life. I’m inspired. Thank you for this post.
ReplyDeleteThank you! I hope it brings readers some insight into the history of my home state, its talented women, and the stunning quilts that have been preserved. Every quilt has a unique story, and this is such a fun area to research. I can't wait to share more with you in the coming months ;)
DeleteI have been looking for information on this quilt since early this month when met a woman from Tasmania who was working on a cross stitch version of this quilt. It was nearly completed. I didn’t, unfortunately, get any details from her - do you know anything about such a cross stitch pattern.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad I found your beautiful post!
I can be reached at honora@shaw.ca