Sampler

This sampler is a typical example of the creative handiwork of Scottish girls in the nineteenth century. Through the making of a sampler, girls learnt stitching and also their letters and numbers. Young girls in Scotland, like their counterparts in New Zealand, would make their first samplers aged either five or six. In Scotland, samplers appear to have been an essential part of a girl's formal education until about 1900.

The Lawson sisters
This is one of three samplers in Te Papa's collections made by two sisters, Jeanie and Agnes Lawson, who attended Kilconquhar School in Fife, Scotland. This sampler was made by Agnes Lawson (1875-1892, Scotland) in 1888 when she was 13 years old.

Family history sampled
The sampler is highly personalised and records Agnes Lawson's family history through the initials of her parents, brothers, sisters, grandparents, uncles and aunties on both sides of her family (Lawson and Buist). The initials embroidered in black would have indicated those who had died. Such recording of family members is particular to Scottish samplers.

Top line from left to right: JL James Lawson, her father, born 1831 / JB Jessie Buist, her mother, born 1838, died 1885 / MWL Mary Webster Lawson, older sister; born 1868, died 1870 / BL Bernard Lawson, older brother, born 1871 / JBL Jeanie Buist Lawson, older sister, born 1873 / AL Agnes Lawson, herself, born 1875 / PB Peter Buist, uncle – her mother's brother, born 1850, died 1857.

Second Line: JL Jessie Lawson, younger sister, born 1877, died 1878 / CL Catherine Lawson, younger sister, born 1879 / BL Bernard Lawson, grandfather, born 1801, died 1875 / AL Agnes Lawson, grandmother, born 1807, died 1861 / CB Charles Buist, grandfather, born 1807 / MW Mary Webster, grandmother, born 1806, died 1882 / BL Bernard Lawson, uncle, her father's older brother, born 1829.

Third Line: WL William Lawson, uncle, her father's younger brother, born1841 / AL Agnes Lawson, aunt, father's younger sister born 1844, married to Charles Buist / JL Jonathon Lawson, uncle, father's younger brother born 1833 / DB David Buist, uncle, mother's older brother born 1835 / JB John Buist, uncle, mother's older brother, born 1833/ RB Robina Buist, aunt, mother's older sister, born 1831 / CB Charles Buist, uncle, mother's younger brother born 1841, married to Agnes  Lawson / CB Catherine Buist, aunt, mother's younger sister, born 1843 / MB Mary Buist, aunt, mother's younger sister, born 1845 / JB Jane Buist, aunt, mother's younger sister, born 1848, died 1875.

Other Scottish traits
Other distinctive Scottish traits in this sampler are: the flat-topped A, eyelet stitch, the peacock with seven tail feathers, and strawberries in a twisted stem border.