Eliza Oakes

June 14, 2025

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Location: Kings Landing, New Brunswick

Estimated Date Stitched:
1809 based on years of life and age

Estimated Age of Stitcher:
9

School and/or Teacher:
Mrs Betts

Name of Stitcher:
Eliza Oakes

Type of Sampler:
alphabet, numbers

Size of Sampler:
Width: 6.75in
Height: 12.25in

✔︎ Framed

Description:

Condition: Excellent

Description of condition:

See no deterioration.

Hemmed in rolled hem on 3 sides with the far right being the selvedge and stitched with the same colour thread as the fabric.

Colours – green, black, light blue, linen colour just lighter than fabric.

The information at the bottom has the “E” of Eliza in the pale linen colour with the rest of her name is in black. The rest of the information is stitched in green.

Border green cross stitch all around.

Row dividers

Row 1 is 2 rows of Cross Stitch alternating. With top row in groups of 2 except at the left end having 3 to fit into the line. Row 2 is groups of 3 Cross Stitched and only 2 at the far right.

Row 2 and 4 are 3 rows of Cross Stitch with row 1 and 3 being 1 stitch and then 2 spaces. The stitches are parallel to each other and the middle row stitches in between the spaces in rows 1 and 3.

Row 3 is 2 rows of Cross Stitch of 1 stitch alternating.

Row 5 and 7 are eyelet.

Row 6, 9 and 10 are a single row of Cross Stitch.

Row 8 is 2 rows of Cross Stitch in groups of 2 alternating.

Fabric Type:
Linen

Approximate thread count:
28

Embroidery thread type:
cotton

Number of letters: Number of Alphabets: 5

Case: Upper Case, Lower Case

Description of alphabets:

Row 1 is upper case and starts with 2 “A”s and the rest are single and only up to “H”.

Row 2 and 3 are one alphabet lower case. With “u” and “v” are reversed with the “v” upside down.

Row is 4, 5 and 6 are one alphabet in upper case. “U” and “V” are again switched. There is a ampersand at the end of the alphabet.

In the Latin alphabet the “u” and “v” were sometimes interchangeable with the “v” being before the “u”.

Row 8 and 9 is lower case with the “u” and “v” in reverse.

Row 10 is in upper case from A-E stitched in eyelet.

All other alphabets are stitched in Cross Stitch.

Number of sets of numerals: Number of sets of numerals: 1

Description of numerals:

1-10 starting at the end of row 6 and on row 7 with 2 # 10s and a space filler.

Borders: simple cross

Motifs:

Type of stitches: cross, eyelet

Name or initials on sampler: Eliza Oakf (the “f”being the old English of “s”) and seems she has spelled her last name without an “e’

Verse or Inscription:

Eliza Oakf worked this sampler under the tuition of Mrf Bettf aged 9yr

Mrf referring to “Mrs” with the old English “s” and the same on the last name of the teacher.

Owner / Donor Story:

William Ganong of Digby NS

Other Information:

Information on the back states:

Sampler worked by Eliza Oakes, aged 9 years (1800-1880) daughter of Henry and Mary (Fitz Randolph) Oakes. she married Daniel Ansley. Her father, Henry Oakes built the Oakes homestead in Acacia Valley, then called Pleasant Valley, Digby Co (county) Nova Scotia.