Catharine Almedia Rankin

Many samplermakers stitched beloved psalms that were published and sung in the period. This one, written by the Scottish poet, editor and activist, James Montgomery (1771-1854) is called, “Prayer is the Soul’s Sincere Desire.” The sampler is signed, “New York wrought by Catharine Almedia Rankin,” and four stanzas of the psalm are centered and bordered by narrow Greek key inner border. 

Catharine was born on June 6, 1817, to New York merchant, Henry Rankin and his wife, Ann (Marsh) Rankin. In 1849, Catherine married Charles Mosely Wolcott (1816-1889), a very wealthy gentleman from Connecticut with interests in various mercantile businesses. He was a director of many corporations and banks and owned much real estate.  

Charles’ grandfather, Oliver Wolcott (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliver_Wolcott) of Litchfield, Connecticut, was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and won fame as the man who had the leaden equestrian statue of King George III melted and made into bullets for American soldiers, after it was taken down on July 9, 1776, from Bowling Green, New York City. 

Catharine and Charles had four children and resided at a manor house, Roseneath, near Fishkill Landing on the Hudson, a home that had been in the Rankin family. The History of Dutchess County New York, published in 1909, describes Roseneath as having superb views of the mountain and river. This and other books include much information about the Charles Wolcott family. A substantial research file accompanies the sampler. 

The sampler was worked in silk on linen and is in excellent condition with a few very minor light brown spots. It has been conservation mounted and is in a molded and black painted frame.