Hands Across The Sea - Ann Castle 1811

The design is suitable for intermediate and advanced needleworkers but is not beyond a determined beginner. The stitches used are cross stitch over 1 and 2 threads, satin stitch, stem stitch, a few Algerian eyelets and long-arm cross stitch.

Ann’s sampler is magnificent and caught our eye the moment we saw her listed for sale at an auction in England. The sampler was described as:

“A 19th century needlework Sampler by Ann Castle, dated 1811, 45cm x 32cm, (the owners grandparents believe the image of the house in the sampler is that of Holly Cottage, 18 High Street, Wargrave, Berkshire. Ann Castle lived in the cottage which formed part of the estate of the local manor house, the (owners) grandparents lived in the house as both were in service at the local manor house, one as a chauffeur and the other as a housemaid. They continued to live at Holly Cottage after their retirement and it is possible that the sampler was in Holly Cottage while they lived there and was subsequently gifted to them at some point. While the sampler shows three upstairs windows you can see from the photo with the sampler that the middle window was bricked up during the Georgian period to avoid the window tax”.

The sampler arrived with an old photograph of Holly Cottage and a square of cardstock attached with wax seal to the reverse of the framed sampler. From the information recorded on the reverse, we learnt that Ann had died on October 27, 1823 aged 25 and that the sampler was framed on October 27, 1816 and was reframed on December 31, 1836 by John Castle in Oxford.

From this we can deduce that Ann was born in the year 1798, and we have traced an Ann, a daughter of George and Elizabeth Castle, born August 8, 1798 and baptised on August 31, 1798 at St Mary Magdalen in Oxford. We have also found in family history records her burial on November 2, 1823 at The Church of St Peter-le-Bailey on New Inn Hall Street in central Oxford.

Ann stitched three verses on her sampler.

Under the heading “On Youth” she chose “Jesus permit they sacred name to stand ….” This verse is believed to have been composed by the hymn writer John Newton (best known for “Amazing Grace”) for his niece, but it is possible that it was composed by Isaac Watts for his niece.

For “Hope” she chose “From the beginning may the almighty powers blessing bestow in never ceasing showers….” This is taken from A New Guide to the English Tongue: In Five Parts by Thomas Dilworth. The Reverend Mr Thomas Dilworth was an English cleric and author. A New Guide to the English Tongue was a widely used schoolbook, both in Great Britain and America.

“Be faithful unto Death and I will give thee a Crown of Life” is taken from Revelation 2:10. The Christians from the church in Smyrna had been under a great persecution. Jesus spoke these words to comfort them. He knew they would be severely tested and would experience difficult times in their lives.

Was Ann tested? We shall never know the trials she faced in her short life. Her sampler stitched over 200 years ago when she was just twelve years old is all that remains to mark her short life.

Thread Legend

Ann’s sampler has been stitched with a palette of twenty colours from Au Ver à Soie’s range of Soie d’Alger. We have provided conversions for Soie 100.3 and DMC. Estimated thread quantities for varying linen counts and the number of strands of thread used have been listed below.

1 strand of Soie 100.3  on 46ct ~ Colour Description

 031   Old gold ~ medium

072   Grey green ~ medium

129   Mocha brown ~ dark

135   Terracotta ~ light

148   Yellow beige ~ medium

197   Brown grey ~ medium

211   Tan ~ ultra very light

217   Mahogany ~ ultra very light

378   Green grey ~ dark

492   Old gold ~ very dark

517   Hazelnut brown ~ dark

550   Blue green ~ dark

562   Yellow beige ~ light

603   Beige grey ~ dark

616   Golden olive ~ dark

621   Blue green ~ light

644   Salmon ~ very dark

712   Grey green ~ light

718   Green grey

756   Blue green ~ very dark

 

1 strand of Soie d’Alger on 46ct ~ Colour Description

F10   Tan ~ ultra very light

F22 x 2   Yellow beige ~ light

1814   Blue green ~ light

2242 x 2   Yellow beige ~ medium

2633   Terracotta ~ light

2644 x 2   Salmon ~ very dark

2756   Grey green ~ light

3424   Brown grey ~ medium

3425   Blue green ~ dark

3426   Blue green ~ very dark

3714 x 2   Green grey

3716   Green grey ~ dark

3745   Golden olive ~ dark

3746   Mocha brown ~ dark

3814   Old gold ~ medium

3834   Beige grey ~ dark

4245   Old gold ~ very dark

4525   Hazelnut brown ~ dark

4541   Mahogany ~ ultra very light

5384   Grey green ~ medium

 

1 strand of Soie a’Alger on 40ct ~ Colour Description

F10   Tan ~ ultra very light

F22 x 2   Yellow beige ~ light

1814   Blue green ~ light

2242 x 2   Yellow beige ~ medium

2633   Terracotta ~ light

2644 x 2    Salmon ~ very dark

2756   Grey green ~ light

3424   Brown grey ~ medium

3425   Blue green ~ dark

3426   Blue green ~ very dark

3714 x 2   Green grey

3716vGreen grey ~ dark

3745   Golden olive ~ dark

3746   Mocha brown ~ dark

3814   Old gold ~ medium

3834   Beige grey ~ dark

4245vOld gold ~ very dark

4525 x 2   Hazelnut brown ~ dark

4541   Mahogany ~ ultra very light

5384   Grey green ~ medium

 

1 strand of DMC on 40ct ~ Colour Description

347   Salmon ~ very dark

420   Hazelnut brown ~ dark

500   Blue green ~ very dark

501   Blue green ~ dark

642   Beige grey ~ dark

729   Old gold ~ medium

739   Tan ~ ultra very light

830   Golden olive ~ dark

926   Grey green ~ medium

927   Grey green ~ light

3022   Brown grey ~ medium

3046   Yellow beige ~ medium

3047   Yellow beige ~ light

3051   Green grey ~ dark

3053   Green grey

3778   Terracotta ~ light

3781   Mocha brown ~ dark

3813   Blue green ~ light

3829   Old gold ~ very dark

3856   Mahogany ~ ultra very light

 

1 strand of Soie d’Alger on 36ct ~ Colour Description

F10   Tan ~ ultra very light

F22 x 2   Yellow beige ~ light

1814   Blue green ~ light

2242 x 2   Yellow beige ~ medium

2633vTerracotta ~ light

2644 x 2   Salmon ~ very dark

2765vGrey green ~ light

3424   Brown grey ~ medium

3425   Blue green ~ dark

3426   Blue green ~ very dark

3714 x 2   Green grey

3716   Green grey ~ dark

3745   Golden olive ~ dark

3746   Mocha brown ~ dark

3814   Old gold ~ medium

3834   Beige grey ~ dark

4245   Old gold ~ very dark

4525 x 2   Hazelnut brown ~ dark

4541   Mahogany ~ ultra very light

5384   Grey green ~ medium

 

2 strands of DMC on 36ct ~ Colour Description

347 x 3   Salmon ~ very dark

420 x 2   Hazelnut brown ~ dark

500   Blue green ~ very dark

501   Blue green ~ dark

642   Beige grey ~ dark

729   Old gold ~ medium

739   Tan ~ ultra very light

830   Golden olive ~ dark

926   Grey green ~ medium

927   Grey green ~ light

3022 x 2   Brown grey ~ medium

3046 x 2    Yellow beige ~ medium

3047 x 2   Yellow beige ~ light

3051   Green grey ~ dark

3053 x 2   Green grey

3778   Terracotta ~ light

3781vMocha brown ~ dark

3813   Blue green ~ light

3829   Old gold ~ very dark

3856   Mahogany ~ ultra very light

 

2 strands of Soie d’Alger on 28ct ~ Colour Description

F10 x 2   Tan ~ ultra very light

F22 x 3   Yellow beige ~ light

1814   Blue green ~ light

2242 x 3   Yellow beige ~ medium

2633   Terracotta ~ light

2644 x 4   Salmon ~ very dark

2765   Grey green ~ light

3424 x 2   Brown grey ~ medium

3425   Blue green ~ dark

3426   Blue green ~ very dark

3714 x 4   Green grey

3716 x 2   Green grey ~ dark

3745vGolden olive ~ dark

3746   Mocha brown ~ dark

3814 x 2   Old gold ~ medium

3834vBeige grey ~ dark

4245   Old gold ~ very dark

4525 x 3   Hazelnut brown ~ dark

4541   Mahogany ~ ultra very light

5384   Grey green ~ medium

 

2 strands of DMC on 28ct ~ Colour Description

347 x 3   Salmon ~ very dark

420 x 2   Hazelnut brown ~ dark

500   Blue green ~ very dark

501   Blue green ~ dark

642   Beige grey ~ dark

729   Old gold ~ medium

739 x 2   Tan ~ ultra very light

830   Golden olive ~ dark

926   Grey green ~ medium

927   Grey green ~ light

3022 x 2vBrown grey ~ medium

3046 x 2   Yellow beige ~ medium

3047 x 2   Yellow beige ~ light

3051 x 2    Green grey ~ dark

3053 x 3   Green grey

3778   Terracotta ~ light

3781   Mocha brown ~ dark

3813   Blue green ~ light

3829   Old gold ~ very dark

3856   Mahogany ~ ultra very light

 

Linen Sizes

 

The design area is 327 stitches (w) x 395 stitches (h). Our calculations have included a 3″ margin for finishing and framing.

The model was stitched on Weeks Dyeworks 46ct Zweigart-based linen in Parchment. This colour is available in various counts. You should use a count of linen that you will enjoy working on.

28ct: Design: 23.36″ x 28.21″ Fabric: 29.36″ x 34.21″

30ct: Design: 21.8″ x 26.33″ Fabric: 27.8″ x 32.33″

32ct: Design: 20.44″ x 24.69″ Fabric: 26.44″ x 30.69″

36ct: Design: 18.17″ x 21.94″ Fabric: 24.17″ x 27.94″

40ct: Design: 16.35″ x 19.75″ Fabric: 22.35″ x 25.75″

46ct: Design: 14.22″ x 17.17″ Fabric: 20.22″ x 23.17″

56ct: Design: 11.68″ x 14.11″ Fabric: 17.68″ x 20.11″

52/62ct: Design: 12.58″ x 13.17″ Fabric: 18.58″ x 19.17″

62/52ct: Design: 10.55″ x 15.19″ Fabric: 16.55″ x 21.19″