Sampler
Object name
Maker
Date made
1771
Place made
Description
Band sampler made by Martha Collymore in Barbados in 1771.
Content description
Band sampler made by Martha Collymore in Barbados in 1771. The sampler is long and narrow with eight wide bands of floral and figural designs, as well as five narrower bands that border the broader ones. At the bottom of the sampler is a line of whitework needlelace techniques, followed by an inscription. The sampler is worked in polychrome silk threads on unbleached linen and is largely reversible.
The first band features arcaded acorns and leaves, worked in light green and pale yellow threads. The next band, which is narrow, uses predominantly yellow, blue, green, and white threads and features a row of multicoloured striped birds interspersed with flowers. The next wide band shows a trio of stylised honeysuckles and minuscule birds in blue, white, yellow, and light pink between a blue, yellow, green, and white striped arcade. A thin row of yellow and blue four-petalled flowers sit below this. These first three bands involve double running stitch, satin stitch, Montenegrin, chain, tent, rococo, bullion knot, back-stitched chain, rice stitch (canvaswork), long-armed cross, and raised stem band.
The next four bands, two wide and two narrow, make good use of Montenegrin stitch to outline the shapes and motifs included. The third wide band features a central Celtic knot and stylised carnations in yellow, blue, white and red. Below this is a narrow band of stylised strawberries, trios of leaves, and four-petalled flowers. The next wide band shows trefoil-shaped leaves and stylised strawberries alongside small stylised pansies. The next thin band shows heart-shaped flowers in red and white stripes. These four bands, in addition to Montenegrin stitch, include split, satin, double running, rococo, chain, bullion knot, Algerian eye, straight Gobelin, and brick.
The two next wide bands include needlelace techniques. The first includes a large, central rose, with needlelace petals, rendered in single Brussels stitch. The band has a symmetrical design, with acorns, other roses, pansies, pinwheel-shaped flowers, and leaves in yellow, green, blue, and white. The other roses, some of the pansies, and some of the acorn tops are also worked in single Brussels stitch. Underneath these three-dimensional forms are matching shapes worked in satin stitch. The rest of the band is worked in satin stitch and double running stitch. Following this band is a narrow band of arcaded eight-petalled yellow flowers made of satin stitches alternating with green, yellow, and white flowers made of brick stitches. The next wide band depicts a trio of irises in red, blue, green, yellow, and white. The petals of the central iris are made of single Brussels stitches and the body is brick, double running, rococo, and Montenegrin stitches. The two upside-down irises involve single Brussels stitch, straight Gobelin stitch, and brick stitch. The rest of the band involves satin, tent, bullion knot, and raised stem band stitches. The next narrow band has yellow, eight-petalled flowers with acorns, worked in satin, straight Gobelin, and double running stitches.
The final two pictorial bands are the broadest on the sampler. The penultimate pictorial band shows two fashionably-dressed men, called 'boxers', and a menagerie of animals. Two boxers in green single Brussels lace coats stand with birds. There is also a central rose in single Brussels stitch, as well as frogs, more birds, rabbits, a dog, and a stag. The animals have been worked in double running, satin, and trellis stitches. The background of this band is worked entirely in light-coloured long and short stitches. The final pictorial band shows a central rose with single Brussels stitch petals and a satin, tent, and rococo stem that is flanked with striped birds in double running and satin stitches. The background is Florentine stitched Bargello work in green, yellow, blue, white, and red.
At the bottom of the sampler is a narrow band of needlelace techniques, consisting of 12 squares of alternating hollie stitch and reticella made of bullion picots, buttonhole bars, and woven bars. The hollie point patterns include a heart, diamonds, and the initials 'CSM', with C standing for Collymore and S and M standing for Samuel and Martha, the names of Martha Collymore's parents. The sampler concludes with an inscription which reads, 'MaRTHa COLLYMORe HeR SaMPLaR/ENDed DeCeMBeR THe 24 1772 MC IC SC KC/IW MW'.
Though this sampler was made in 1771, nearly every band is typical of 17th-century band samplers, especially the bands of Celtic knots and stylised carnations, central rose and pinwheel-shaped flowers, irises, and boxers and a menagerie. The Bargello work band is the band most atypical of the 17th century; it is more typical of the 18th century, but its central flower and birds motif is unusual. The band of hollie point techniques is also more typical of the 18th century, though the cutwork techniques are more typical of earlier work.
Only one other sampler is known to have a similar band of Bargello work. This sampler was made by Jane Rollstone Alleyne in 1777 and is now in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum (T.24-1940). Though it is shorter than the Collymore sampler and features different bands, it, too, is an 18th-century sampler with 17th-century style bands. More importantly, it, too, features the flame stitched band with a rose at its centre. Jane Rollstone Alleyne was from Barbados, born there in 1767. This can be confirmed not only by genealogical records but also by the inscription ‘10’, her age, at the bottom of her sampler. The full inscription reads, ‘JANE ROLLSTONE ALLEYNE 10 1777’. Rollstone was born on 31 December 1767 and baptised on 10 March 1768 in St James parish, Barbados. She was the daughter of John Holder Alleyne and Mary Ann Alleyne (nee Skeet). The Alleyne family had been in Barbados for over a century at this point and were, as plantation owners, heavily invested in the institution of slavery.
The similarities between the Alleyne and Collymore samplers suggest they were taught by the same teacher. Though none of Martha Collymore’s genealogical records have yet been found, it is likely she was born in Barbados around 1760. A John Collymore was born to Samuel and Martha Collymore (nee Wilson) on 25 December 1758 and baptised in St Phillip parish, Barbados in October 1759. Given the timing of John’s birth and the initials on Martha’s sampler, it is likely that John was Martha’s brother. This family tree links up exactly with the family initials on Martha’s sampler: ‘MC’ is Martha Collymore, the sampler making Martha’s mother; ‘IC’ is John Collymore, her brother; ‘SC’ is Samuel Collymore, her father; ‘KC’ has not been identified but would presumably be something like Katherine Collymore; ‘IW’ is John Wilson, Martha’s maternal grandfather; and ‘MW’ is Mary Wilson, her maternal grandmother. Martha Wilson, Martha Collymore’s mother, was indeed the daughter of John and Mary Wilson. Samplers of this period often feature pairs of family initials, commemorating siblings, parents, and grandparents. A Martha Collymore was buried in St Phillip parish, Barbados on 15 September 1779 – could this be the Martha who made the RSN sampler? It is possible.
Like the Alleynes, the Collymores were an old slaveholding family in Barbados. It is likely that Martha Collymore was a relation, perhaps a cousin or even a niece, of Robert Collymore, who was known for his relationship with one of the women he enslaved. Amaryllis Renn Phillips, later Collymore, gained her freedom from her relationship with Robert Collymore, which led to her successfully running several plantations. She was, at the time of her death in 1828, the richest free Black women in Barbados. It is currently not possible to ascertain the exact relationship between Martha Collymore’s branch of the family and Robert Collymore’s due to a lack of available digital genealogical information.
Martha Collymore's sampler is an incredibly rare and important survival, one of only three known samplers made in 18th-century Barbados.
The first band features arcaded acorns and leaves, worked in light green and pale yellow threads. The next band, which is narrow, uses predominantly yellow, blue, green, and white threads and features a row of multicoloured striped birds interspersed with flowers. The next wide band shows a trio of stylised honeysuckles and minuscule birds in blue, white, yellow, and light pink between a blue, yellow, green, and white striped arcade. A thin row of yellow and blue four-petalled flowers sit below this. These first three bands involve double running stitch, satin stitch, Montenegrin, chain, tent, rococo, bullion knot, back-stitched chain, rice stitch (canvaswork), long-armed cross, and raised stem band.
The next four bands, two wide and two narrow, make good use of Montenegrin stitch to outline the shapes and motifs included. The third wide band features a central Celtic knot and stylised carnations in yellow, blue, white and red. Below this is a narrow band of stylised strawberries, trios of leaves, and four-petalled flowers. The next wide band shows trefoil-shaped leaves and stylised strawberries alongside small stylised pansies. The next thin band shows heart-shaped flowers in red and white stripes. These four bands, in addition to Montenegrin stitch, include split, satin, double running, rococo, chain, bullion knot, Algerian eye, straight Gobelin, and brick.
The two next wide bands include needlelace techniques. The first includes a large, central rose, with needlelace petals, rendered in single Brussels stitch. The band has a symmetrical design, with acorns, other roses, pansies, pinwheel-shaped flowers, and leaves in yellow, green, blue, and white. The other roses, some of the pansies, and some of the acorn tops are also worked in single Brussels stitch. Underneath these three-dimensional forms are matching shapes worked in satin stitch. The rest of the band is worked in satin stitch and double running stitch. Following this band is a narrow band of arcaded eight-petalled yellow flowers made of satin stitches alternating with green, yellow, and white flowers made of brick stitches. The next wide band depicts a trio of irises in red, blue, green, yellow, and white. The petals of the central iris are made of single Brussels stitches and the body is brick, double running, rococo, and Montenegrin stitches. The two upside-down irises involve single Brussels stitch, straight Gobelin stitch, and brick stitch. The rest of the band involves satin, tent, bullion knot, and raised stem band stitches. The next narrow band has yellow, eight-petalled flowers with acorns, worked in satin, straight Gobelin, and double running stitches.
The final two pictorial bands are the broadest on the sampler. The penultimate pictorial band shows two fashionably-dressed men, called 'boxers', and a menagerie of animals. Two boxers in green single Brussels lace coats stand with birds. There is also a central rose in single Brussels stitch, as well as frogs, more birds, rabbits, a dog, and a stag. The animals have been worked in double running, satin, and trellis stitches. The background of this band is worked entirely in light-coloured long and short stitches. The final pictorial band shows a central rose with single Brussels stitch petals and a satin, tent, and rococo stem that is flanked with striped birds in double running and satin stitches. The background is Florentine stitched Bargello work in green, yellow, blue, white, and red.
At the bottom of the sampler is a narrow band of needlelace techniques, consisting of 12 squares of alternating hollie stitch and reticella made of bullion picots, buttonhole bars, and woven bars. The hollie point patterns include a heart, diamonds, and the initials 'CSM', with C standing for Collymore and S and M standing for Samuel and Martha, the names of Martha Collymore's parents. The sampler concludes with an inscription which reads, 'MaRTHa COLLYMORe HeR SaMPLaR/ENDed DeCeMBeR THe 24 1772 MC IC SC KC/IW MW'.
Though this sampler was made in 1771, nearly every band is typical of 17th-century band samplers, especially the bands of Celtic knots and stylised carnations, central rose and pinwheel-shaped flowers, irises, and boxers and a menagerie. The Bargello work band is the band most atypical of the 17th century; it is more typical of the 18th century, but its central flower and birds motif is unusual. The band of hollie point techniques is also more typical of the 18th century, though the cutwork techniques are more typical of earlier work.
Only one other sampler is known to have a similar band of Bargello work. This sampler was made by Jane Rollstone Alleyne in 1777 and is now in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum (T.24-1940). Though it is shorter than the Collymore sampler and features different bands, it, too, is an 18th-century sampler with 17th-century style bands. More importantly, it, too, features the flame stitched band with a rose at its centre. Jane Rollstone Alleyne was from Barbados, born there in 1767. This can be confirmed not only by genealogical records but also by the inscription ‘10’, her age, at the bottom of her sampler. The full inscription reads, ‘JANE ROLLSTONE ALLEYNE 10 1777’. Rollstone was born on 31 December 1767 and baptised on 10 March 1768 in St James parish, Barbados. She was the daughter of John Holder Alleyne and Mary Ann Alleyne (nee Skeet). The Alleyne family had been in Barbados for over a century at this point and were, as plantation owners, heavily invested in the institution of slavery.
The similarities between the Alleyne and Collymore samplers suggest they were taught by the same teacher. Though none of Martha Collymore’s genealogical records have yet been found, it is likely she was born in Barbados around 1760. A John Collymore was born to Samuel and Martha Collymore (nee Wilson) on 25 December 1758 and baptised in St Phillip parish, Barbados in October 1759. Given the timing of John’s birth and the initials on Martha’s sampler, it is likely that John was Martha’s brother. This family tree links up exactly with the family initials on Martha’s sampler: ‘MC’ is Martha Collymore, the sampler making Martha’s mother; ‘IC’ is John Collymore, her brother; ‘SC’ is Samuel Collymore, her father; ‘KC’ has not been identified but would presumably be something like Katherine Collymore; ‘IW’ is John Wilson, Martha’s maternal grandfather; and ‘MW’ is Mary Wilson, her maternal grandmother. Martha Wilson, Martha Collymore’s mother, was indeed the daughter of John and Mary Wilson. Samplers of this period often feature pairs of family initials, commemorating siblings, parents, and grandparents. A Martha Collymore was buried in St Phillip parish, Barbados on 15 September 1779 – could this be the Martha who made the RSN sampler? It is possible.
Like the Alleynes, the Collymores were an old slaveholding family in Barbados. It is likely that Martha Collymore was a relation, perhaps a cousin or even a niece, of Robert Collymore, who was known for his relationship with one of the women he enslaved. Amaryllis Renn Phillips, later Collymore, gained her freedom from her relationship with Robert Collymore, which led to her successfully running several plantations. She was, at the time of her death in 1828, the richest free Black women in Barbados. It is currently not possible to ascertain the exact relationship between Martha Collymore’s branch of the family and Robert Collymore’s due to a lack of available digital genealogical information.
Martha Collymore's sampler is an incredibly rare and important survival, one of only three known samplers made in 18th-century Barbados.
Dimensions
width: 24cm
height: 89cm
height: 89cm
Materials
Stitches
Double running stitch 
Satin stitch
Montenegrin stitch
Chain stitch
Tent stitch
Rococo stitch
Bullion knot
Bullion picot
Back-stitched chain stitch
Rice stitch (canvaswork)
Raised stem band stitch
Long-armed cross stitch
Split stitch
Algerian eye stitch
Straight Gobelin stitch
Brick stitch
Single Brussels stitch
Trellis
Long and short stitch
Florentine stitch
Hollie stitch
Woven bars
Buttonhole bars
Satin stitch
Montenegrin stitch
Chain stitch
Tent stitch
Rococo stitch
Bullion knot
Bullion picot
Back-stitched chain stitch
Rice stitch (canvaswork)
Raised stem band stitch
Long-armed cross stitch
Split stitch
Algerian eye stitch
Straight Gobelin stitch
Brick stitch
Single Brussels stitch
Trellis
Long and short stitch
Florentine stitch
Hollie stitch
Woven bars
Buttonhole bars
Techniques
Motifs
Catalogue number
RSN.1229
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