Rare Pennsylvania Needleworks, dated 1743

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Rare Pennsylvania Needleworks, dated 1743

About the Item

These two outstanding needlework panels are the front and back of a large, drawstring work bag made by Margaret Marshall in 1734. The front and back were separated many years ago and they were framed at that time; proper conservation mounting was done recently. The composition of each is a symmetrical design of flowering vines and plants with many birds and animals. Polychrome crewel wool was used and much of the needlework was accomplished in the chain stitch, worked onto tan fabric of linen warp and cotton weft. While this is the earliest known example of its type, there are other examples of similar large work bags and the overall composition and elements resemble other early needlework from Chester and Delaware Counties. Research regarding the needleworker leads to the conclusion that Margaret Marshall was a daughter of Quakers, John Marshall (1690-1749) and Johanna (Paschall) Marshall (1695-1731). She was born January 31, 1723 in Upper Darby Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. John and Johanna married in 1716 at the Darby Monthly Meeting House, and remained members of this meeting throughout their lives, living on 25 acres in Darby Township. Margaret was the fourth of their six children. On June 24, 1741, Margaret Marshall married James Lea (born 1723), son of Isaac and Sarah (Fawcett) Lea of Darby. Shortly after they were married, in July of 1741, they joined the Chester Meeting and then moved further until they settled in Wilmington, Delaware by 1753. In 1760, James Lea purchased a property at the corner of High Street (now 4th Street) and Market Street and the family resided there for many years. "The Ancestry and Posterity of John Lea … 1503-1906, by John Henry Lea and George Henry Lea" (Philadelphia, 1906), indicates that James was a, “prominent citizen and merchant of the town and a member in good standing of the Society of Friends.” He was Assistant Burgess of the Borough of Wilmington from 1757-1762, Chief Burgess in 1768 and 1769 and Town Treasurer in 1773-1775. Margaret and James had ten children and many of the records concerning this family are at the Wilmington Monthly Meeting. James and Margaret then lived next to the newly erected Wilmington City Hall, where James died in 1798 of Yellow Fever. Margaret died in 1805 and they are both buried in the Friends Burial Ground on West Street in Wilmington. Sight size of each: 25¾” by 15¾” Frame size of each: 28¼” x 18¼”

Dimensions:
Height: 28.25 in (71.76 cm)Width: 18.25 in (46.36 cm)
Sold As:
Set of 2
Style:
American Colonial (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Textile,Needlework
Place of Origin:
United States
Period:
1730-1739
Date of Manufacture:
circa 1734
Condition:
These are in excellent condition with some secured weakness to the ground fabric.
Seller Location:
Philadelphia, PA
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU85831654432