Jemima Shuker
Shiffnal, Shropshire,
England, 1819
A nicely made sampler with a pleasing aesthetic, this is the work of 11-year-old Jemima Shuker. She was the daughter of Job and Mary Shuker, baptized on February 9, 1806, who lived in Shiffnal, a small town with an ancient history, about 30 miles northwest of Birmingham. Included on her sampler are birds, little trees, butterflies and flower vases along with her verses.
As an adult, Jemima worked as a dressmaker and milliner, having learned her needleworking skills early. An 1828 trade directory of Shropshire shows her on New Street in Wellington, a nearby town. She remained single and died in 1843.
The sampler was worked in silk on wool and is in excellent condition. It has been conservation mounted and is in a period figured maple frame.