1st item: Early Germantown, Kentucky needlework sampler, silk on linen, rendered entirely in cross stitch, with seven lines of alphabet in tan, black and blue cross stitch, over a signature, "Jane McClane – Her Sempler (sic) Rouct (sic) In The Year 18011 (sic) And In The 8 Year Of Her Age". A line of numbers on the last line of the sampler appears unfinished, leaving off at 4. Simple stained wood frame. Sight: 11 5/8" H x 9 5/8" W. Framed: 14 3/8" H x 12 3/8" W. Note: Genealogy research indicates Jane McClane was born in 1803 in Germantown, Bracken County, Kentucky, to recent Northern Irish immigrants John McClane (1765-1860) and Ann Shaw McClane (1773-?). The spelling and imperfections in her simple sampler and random use of upper and lower case letters in words like "sampler" suggest she likely made the sampler at home, rather than at a female academy. In 1824, Jane married John Hooten (1798-1842) in Bracken Co., KY, and the couple moved to Putnam County, Indiana by 1832. They had at least three children. Jane's death date is unknown. A packet of genealogical information is available to the winning bidder. 2nd item: Virginia needlework sampler made by Lucy Wills of Fluvanna, VA in 1810. The sampler features 2 lines of small alphabet and 1 line of small numbers, and is signed "Lucy Wills, Taught by Mrs. E. Garland October 1810", above a large alphabet and divider lines rendered in blue eyelet stitches, and a family register listing for her family: "Lucy M. Barclay married to John Wills 10th November 1791/ Horatio Wills Born 6th day of January 1793/ John Wills born 7th November 1794/ Nancy Wills born 3rd May 1797/ Lucy Wills born 23rd November 1798 / Lucy M. Wills died 16th December 1798." Genealogy research indicates Lucy's father, a Revolutionary War veteran (3rd VA Regt.) whose family arrived in Virginia from England in 1695, never remarried after his wife died, less than a month after Lucy's birth (a packet of genealogy information is available to the winning bidder). The sampler appears partially unfinished, as the lower right section of the sampler is not stitched. It is framed under glass in a red-washed molded wooden frame. Sight: 9 1/2" H x 16 1/2" W. Frame: 14" H x 21" W.

CONDITION: 1st item: Even toning and fading to sampler, 1 1/2" area of possible repair at upper left edge barely visible under frame, otherwise very good condition. Some alligatoring to varnish on frame and small chips/losses. Not examined out of frame. 2nd item: 3 areas of loss up to 2" at right edge, 3/4" diameter loss and repair at center, other smaller areas of repair to ground and stitching, overall discoloration and fading; repair or reinforcement in blue/green thread to "Nov" in "November 1784. Not examined out of frame. Frame with wear and abrasions.