Mary Ann Robbins Needlework Sampler – 1844

Mary Ann Robbins Sampler – 1844
Needlework sampler, worked in silk threads on linen ground, signed Mary Ann Robbins, 1844, Sezincot.

This mid-19th century sampler is richly worked with moral and religious verse, pictorial motifs, and decorative borders. At the top, the alphabet and numbers appear in several rows, followed by a moral verse:

“God, what a great and awful word,
O who can speak his worth?
By saints in heaven he is ador’d,
And fear’d by men on earth.
And yet a little child may bend,
And say my father and my friend!”

Below, the sampler features a striking central cartouche with the words Fear God, flanked by deer, birds, urns of flowers, and a variety of motifs including trees, baskets, and animals. At the bottom is a depiction of a gate or fence, lending the work a charmingly personal touch. The inscription Mary Ann Robbins, 1844, Sezincot suggests it was stitched by a young girl, likely at Sezincote (spelled here “Sezincot”), the name of an estate in Gloucestershire, England, celebrated for its distinctive Mughal-style country house and gardens.

Samplers of this type were both moral instruction and demonstrations of needlework skill. They are now highly collectible for their personal history, decorative quality, and rarity. This piece has survived with expected age toning, some thread fading, and minor wear, but remains vibrant, framed in a period maple frame.