Rachel Kester's Sampler
date: label: Date made
content: 1788
name: label: maker
content: Kester, Rachel
notes: label: Description
content: Block alphabet no "J." Each letter worked in different color. Letters in row, initials for family members "HKAKR / PKAKMKSKBKAKBWW," "R" that should go with last "W" out of order. Each pair of letters worked in different color, six sets being worked in black. These rows separated by simple crossbands. In center section, flanking one of verses, two large flowers, and initials "SK," "SK," "SK," "IK," "IW," and "RW" split with one on each side of flower. Below verse, wide crossband with flowers and strawberries. Another wide crossband at bottom of sampler, with two large flowers and urn of flowers. Border of geometric vine with strawberries and carnations on all four sides. Silk embroidery thread on linen ground. STITCHES: cross, satin, tent, eyelet, stem. THREAD COUNT: warp 28, weft 30/in.<br>
label: Description
content: <B>Inscriptions:</B><br>
label: Description
content: "Love the Lord<br>And he will be<br>A tender father<br>Unto the<br>
label: Description
content: The lo<i>f</i>[s]s of trea<i>f</i>[s]ure<i>f</i>[s] much<br>The lo<i>f</i>[s]s of truth is more<br>The lo<i>f</i>[s]s of Chri<i>f</i>[s]t i<i>f</i>[s] <i>f</i>[s]uch<br>A<i>f</i>[s] no one can re<i>f</i>[s]tore<br>
label: Description
content: The lot of <i>f</i>[s]aint<i>f</i>[s] have alway been<br>Affliction here and <i>f</i>[s]corn<i>f</i>[s]<br>And he that was the be<i>f</i>[s]t of men<br>Wa<i>f</i>[s] mock and crown with thorn<i>f</i>[s]<br>
label: Description
content: Rachel Kester her samPler<br> made in the 14th year of her age<br>1788 H T"<br>
label: Description
content: <B>Background:</B><br>
label: Description
content: Rachel was born on June 16, 1774, to Paul and Anna Webster Kester in Kingwood, New Jersey. The family moved to Millville, Pennsylvania, in 1780. There Rachel married Chandlee Eves on January 5, 1797, and they had ten children—Anna, Elizabeth, Yeatman, John K., George Fox, Benjamin, Charles, Sarah, Rachel, and Chandlee. Rachel died in Pennsylvania on May 22, 1835, and her husband died on December 30, 1836. The initials "HT" following the date in the inscription could be those of a teacher.
label: Description
content: The first set of initials are her grandparents Heranus and Anne Kester; her parents Paul and Anna Kester; her siblings Mary, Sarah, Benjamin, and Arnold Kester; and her grandparents Benjamin and Rachel Webster. It is not clear to whom the other initials belong.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: Place Made
content: United States: Pennsylvania, Millville
topic: label: depicted
content: Alphabets
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Textiles
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content: Samplers
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content: Textiles
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: TE.T16007
label: catalog number
content: T16007
label: accession number
content: 307850
objectType: label: Object Name
content: sampler
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: linen (ground fabric material)
label: Physical Description
content: silk ( embroidery thread material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 15 3/4 in x 12 1/8 in; 40.005 cm x 30.7975 cm