Mary Hibberd

Quaker samplers made at the highly regarded Westtown Boarding School, established in 1799 by the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, generally feature the bold, graphic Roman alphabets recommended by John Woolman in his First Book for Children (Philadelphia, 1768). Female students worked different types of samplers; the first was often a marking, or alphabet sampler, sometimes with a classic stylized vine of leaves with a bell-flower, a hallmark of the school. Mary Hibberd, age 13, entered the school in April, 1806 and remained there until July, 1807. 

Mary was a daughter of Isaac Hibberd and his wife, Ann Hill, who were married in 1790 at Darby Meeting House. Isaac died in 1798 and when Mary entered Westtown, William Hill, Ann’s brother, was responsible for the financial account. Ann Hibberd and her daughters subsequently moved their membership to the Philadelphia Monthly Meeting. 

Mary is subsequently listed alone as a “gentlewoman” at 128 North 10th Street in 1850 in McElroy’s Philadelphia City Directory. She died in October of 1878 at the age of 86, and was interred at Darby.

The sampler was worked in silk on linen and is in excellent condition. It has been conservation mounted and is in a maple beveled frame.