Frances S. Chapman Birth Record Sampler

This is a wonderful combination: a fine, small birth record sampler of Frances S. Chapman of Bethel, Maine and an excellent little watercolor silhouette portrait of her mother. The sampler would have been made by a close family member. 

Frances Salome Chapman was born, as is stitched on her sampler, in Bethel, Maine on Dec. 30th, 1837. The watercolor portrait is of her mother, Frances (Carter) Chapman and was painted in the 1840s; it is very fortunate that these two pieces have remained together all these years.  Frances Carter married Robert A. Chapman, a wealthy merchant and one of Bethel's most prominent citizens. He was, “a man of character and influence in town, county and state affairs, holding various offices of trust and representing his district in the senate of the state legislature.”

Their daughter, Frances, married Thomas Twitchell, a dry goods merchant and they had three children. Frances lived to be 87 and died in 1825. She is buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Portland along with many family members. 

The family is well discussed in many published books, including Maine A History (The American Historical Society, 1919) and Edward Chapman of Ipswich, Mass in 1644 and some of his Descendants (Portland, 1878). A substantial file of genealogical research accompanies the sampler and portrait. 

The sampler was worked in wool and silk on wool and is in excellent condition, conservation mounted and in a narrow veneer frame. There is very minor foxing to the watercolor.