QUILT INDEX RECORD

2-33-24

Where are the records for this quilt housed?

Signature Quilt Pilot Project

Who documented this quilt?

Signature Quilt Project Public Submission

This is a:

Finished quilt

Quilt's title:

New York Signature Quilt

Names for quilt's pattern in common use:

Chimney Sweep Quilt, Album Quilt, Christian Cross

Brackman # or other source & #:

3266

How wide is the quilt?

80 inches

How long is the quilt?

92 inches

What color is the quilt?

Lavender; Purple; Red; Rust; Turquoise or Teal; White

Antique colors:

Butterscotch; Chrome Green; Double Pink; Madder Red or Cinnamon Red

Type of inscription:

Multiple Names; Place; Signature

What is inscribed on the quilt?

The numeral represents the horizontal placement and the alpha representing the vertical placement. R = Row. Therefore, R1-a is in the upper left hand corner of the quilt, R7-a is in the bottom left corner, R1-f is in the upper right corner and R7-f is in the bottom right corner. R1-a....Evans Frank E. R1-b....Smeaton David D. R1-c....Shanks Naomie R1-d....Evans Willie R1-e....Evans Jacob R1-f....Evans George W. R2-a....Weightman Annie E. R2-a....Adams William R2-b....Smeaton Douglas P. R2-c....Anthony John R2-d....Smeaton William R2-e....Ruggles Walton R3-a....Shanks William R3-b....Adams, Myra - Hudson City R3-c....Stanhope John R3-d....Adams Anne C. R3-e....Evans Caroline C. R3-f....Evans Kati R4-a....Adams Thomas R4-b....Shanks Sarah R4-c....Evertt Rebecca R4-d....Evans, William R4-e....Weightman George W. R4-f.....Brown Myra -----NYC R5-a....Adams Edward F. R5-b....Adams Mary Adelaide R5-c....Smeaton Willie H. R5-d....Ruggles George R5-e....Smeaton Harriet L. R5-f.....Anthony Abigail R6-a......Galina? Grandmother R6-b.....Everett Henry R6-c....Brown Sarah ----- NY R6-d....Ruggles Jamie R6-e....Evans Nathaniel R6-f....Weightman Mary E. R7-a....Adams Eva R7-b....Ruggles Simon R7-c....Evans Martha R. R7-d....Evans Carrie L. R7-e....Ruggles Elizabeth R7-f....Evans Ann

What is the date inscribed on the quilt?

none

Method used to make the inscription:

Ink; Stamped

Describe the method used to inscribe the quilt:

handwritten with ink

Location of inscription:

on block

Time period:

1850-1875

Date estimated by an antique dealer, quilt historian or appraiser:

ca 1875

Further information concerning dates:

Most likely a ca 1865-1875 quilt due to the fabrics in the blocks. A couple of fabrics may be earlier.

Describe the quilt's layout:

Block pattern

Fiber types used to make the quilt top:

Cotton

Fabric styles used in the quilt top:

Paisley; Print; Solid/plain; Striped

Piecing techniques used to make the quilt top:

Hand Piecing; Machine Piecing

Features or notes about the quilt's appearance, materials, or construction:

I don't think this quilt was actually used to sleep under, but its binding is quite worn on both sides at rows 3, 4 and 5.

Where the quilt was made, city:

possibly within one of the five Boroughs of New York City

Where the quilt was made, county:

The Borough of The Bronx is Bronx County. The Borough of Brooklyn is Kings County. The Borough of Manhattan is New York County. The Borough of Queens is Queens County. The Borough of Staten Island is Richmond County.

Where the quilt was made, state:

New York

Where the quilt was made, country:

United States

Describe anything about the history of the quilt that wasn't already recorded in a previous field:

In March 2008 a descendant of the Weightman family on this quilt got in touch with me as a result of the 2000 article I posted on RootsWeb. She has now helped me connect 27 people on this quilt to whom she is related by blood or marriage. She feels that everyone on the quilt is somehow related by blood or marriage and continues to work on it. We are guessing the quilt was to commemorate a family event of some kind.

Why was the quilt made?

Unknown

Describe the source of the pattern:

Public domain

Describe anything about the design of the quilt that wasn't already recorded in a previous field:

THIS IS AN ALPHA LISTING here of the same names to make it easier to find a name at a glance. The numeral represents the horizontal placement and the alpha representing the vertical placement. (Info in parens is not actually on the quilt but comes from research.) Only three names indicated a geographical location. Hudson City, NYCand NY. Hudson City is west of the Mass. border but east of the Hudson River. There are NO DATE on this quilt. 2b...Adams William 3b...Adams Myra - Hudson City 3d...Adams Anne C. 4a...Adams Thomas 5a...Adams Edward F. 5b...Adams Mary Adelaide 7a...Adams Eva 2d...Anthony John 5f...Anthony Abigail 4f ...Brown Myra -----NYC 6 c...Brown Sarah ----NY 1a ...Evans Frank E. 1d ...Evans Willie 1e ...Evans Jacob 1f ...Evans George W. (b. 3 Oct 1866-Brooklyn) 3e ...Evans Caroline C. (mother of Annie Weightman) 3f ...Evans Kati 6e...Evans Nathaniel 7c ...Evans Martha R. 7e ... Evans Ann 7d ...Evans Carrie L. 4d ... Evans, William 6b ...Everett Henry 4c ...Evertt Rebecca 6a ...Galina? Grandmother 2f ...Ruggles Walton 5d ...Ruggles George 6d ...Ruggles Jamie 7b... Ruggles Simon 7d ...Ruggles Elizabeth 1c ...Shanks Naomie 3a ...Shanks William 4b ...Shanks Sarah 1b ...Smeaton David D. 2c ...Smeaton Douglas P. 2e ...Smeaton William 5c ...Smeaton Willie H. 5e ...Smeaton Harriet L. 3c Stanhope John 2a ...Weightman Annie E. (maiden name EVANS. b. Nov 1842. Died 1 Spt 1911) 4e ...Weightman George W. (b. 23 July 1843 NYC) 6f ...Weightman Mary E.

Related items such as diaries, obituaries, wills, household inventories, or pictures of the quiltmaker:

Have photo of each block and have scanned some of the signatures

Quilt owner's name:

Karen Biedler Alexander

Quilt owner's city:

Lopez Island

Quilt owner's state:

Washington

Quilt owner's country:

United States

Description of quilt:

New York Friendship Signature Quilt ca 1875 (80x92) with 42 blocks and 42 signatures. 27 so far are proving to be related by blood or marriage. Hudson City, NYC and NY are the only geographical locations on the quilt.

Essay:

Notes from the descendant who is helping me: William Evans (4d) is married to Caroline C. Evans (3e). Their son Jacob (1e) is married to Carrie L. Evans (7f) and they have Frank E. (1a) and Willie (1d) as children. William (4d) and Caroline C.(3e) also have a son, George W. (1f) who is married to Kati Evans (3f) with Nathaniel (6e) as their son. That leaves Martha R. whom I believe is Martha Rebecca Evans (7c) as a daughter of William (4d) and Caroline C. (3e). I am not certain where Ann Evans (7e) fits in. In my research I have found another daughter of William and Caroline C. : Caroline who is not on your quilt. My working theory but I have not proven it yet is that Anne C. Adams is Anne Caroline Evans and she switched her first and middle names because there were too many Carolines in the family. In census records Caroline Evans and Anne C. Adams are the same age and that links the 2 families. So, Thomas Adams (4a) is married to Anne C. Adams (3d) and their children are: Edward F. (5a), Mary Adelaide (5b), Eva (7a), Myra (3b). I have not found William Adams for certain. So, to repeat an earlier email: George W. Weightman (4e) is married to Annie Elizabeth (Evans) Weightman (2a) with Mary Elizabeth Weightman (6f) as their daughter. Remember there are other children in this family not included on the quilt. I have not connected the Smeatons or the Shanks into my family tree (but they are linked to each other and sooner or later we will find how they are linked to the Evans). William P. Smeaton is married to Harriet L. Smeaton and their children are: David D., Douglas P., and Willie H..

Who photographed this quilt?

Karen Biedler Alexander

Access and copyright information:

Restricted

Details

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