Family Record Sampler

Family record samplers such as this example represent a distinctive American embroidery tradition, particularly prevalent in New England between 1800 to the 1830s. Emma Flint’s sampler conforms to a characteristic regional format, that incorporates alphabets, a moral verse, genealogical data, an inscription, and a decorative section, bordered by elaborate meandering vine of blossoms, buds and leaves.


Emma recorded the birth dates of her great-aunt and uncle, her parents, and herself, thus documenting three generations of women who shared the name “Emma.” On March 17, 1836, she married a fellow Ashburnham native, Charles Hastings Barrett (1812-1894), who, like her father, was a farmer. Although there is no record of the couple having children, the sampler passed down through Emma’s descendants until it was donated to the museum in 2005. It represents an era when a young girl’s needlework documented not only her accomplishment but also pride in her family lineage.