In 1826 one Elizabeth Sarah Witham completed a cross-stitch sampler back in the old country of England. She was just 10 years of age.
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Now, 190 years later, that priceless family heirloom returned to its second home of Young, NSW, Australia after being handed down through generations.
On Saturday, February 27 Sydney woman Judy Amos and her husband Keith donated the precious sample to the Young Lambing Flat Museum on behalf of Norma Campbell, believed to be a distant relative of Elizabeth and the one who ended up with the sample.
“I got a call one day about the sampler and me being a lover of craft, I thought this was really good,” Young Historical Society secretary Sandra Jenner said.
“It’s like a little, fine cross-stitch.
“I was thrilled to bits on Saturday and I think the family members were too.”
It’s believed Elizabeth became a stay-maker (corsetmaker).
She married carpenter and labourer Henry Hobson and the couple migrated from London aboard the “Palestine”, arriving in Sydney on March 7, 1842.
They eventually settled at Young and had eight children - Thomas Henry (born England 1840, died Cootamundra 1915), Matilda Ann (Australia 1843, died 1886 Young), Henry Frederick (Sydney 1845, date of death unknown), Joseph John (Sydney 1847, died Murrumburrah 1918), William (born 1849, died Young 1921), Charles (born 1851, died Cunningar 1931), Elizabeth (born 1854, died Wombat 1937) and George (Gundaroo 1858, died Parkes 1916).
“Now there’s hundreds of descendents in the Young and Murrumburrah area,” Sandra said.
Elizabeth Hobson died in 1887 at Tubbul and is buried at Young in the Church of England section, though she has no monumental record.
Henry Hobson died on August 12, 1883 at Murrumburrah and is buried at Murrumburrah, but has no monument.
He was listed as a farmer/gardener at Beggan Beggan Road, Young and was aged 67.
She said Norma Campbell was writing a book on the whole history of the Hobson family but passed away before she could finish it.
Family members, including John, Doug and Paul Hobson, were present at the museum when Judy and Keith donated the sampler.
“Beverley Spackman is one of our volunteers at the museum and she’s a relative,” Sandra said.
“It’s just so special, it’s more of a woman’s interest but still, if it was my family... it’s quite an acquisition for the museum.”