When we talk about supporting documentation, we generally think about documents – things on paper. But “documentation” can include fabric too! Family samplers, a form of needlepoint with information on the family structure and vital records events, can also provide evidence of birth, death, marriage and relationships.
According to the Smithsonian, the first known example of a sampler is dated to 1645.[1] By the 1700s, they were used as a display of a woman’s level of education.[2] The more complex the sampler, the stronger her needlework skills.[3] Many were simply decorative, but others contained important genealogical details. The family record style of sampler, which recorded the births of the children of a single family, became popular around the turn of the 19th century.[4]
Like family Bibles, these samplers – if they survive – provide valuable information. They were even included in pension files to support dates of birth and marriage.[5] As genealogists, we still need to weigh the value of the source. Do we know the artist? How likely were they to accurately report the information they provided? In some cases, these young women were present at the events they recorded; in other cases, they relied on written family records to provide the information.[6] Images of samplers, under the right circumstances, can be used as supporting documentation in a lineage society application.
And if you’re looking for a craft project to keep you occupied as we head into the cooler winter months, the sampler is a great option. Many needlepoint companies make a modern version as a kit. You can fill in your own tree to create a family record for future generations.
[1] “American Samplers,” National Museum of American History: Behring Center (https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/object-groups/american-samplers: accessed 17 May 2025).
[2] “American Samplers.” Valerie J. Davis, “The ABCs of Schoolgirl Samplers: Girls’ Education and Needlework from a Bygone Era,” Milwaukee Public Museum (https://www.mpm.edu/research-collections/history/online-collections-research/schoolgirl-samplers: accessed 17 May 2025).
[3] Davis, “The ABCs of Schoolgirl Samplers: Girls’ Education and Needlework from a Bygone Era.” “History Bytes: Newport Samplers,” Newport Historical Society, 27 March 2020 (https://newporthistory.org/history-bytes-newport-samplers/: accessed 17 May 2025).
[4] “Poyen Family Record Sampler,” The Met (https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/841226: accessed 17 March 2025).
[5] Jennifer Davis Heaps, “Remember Me’: Six Samplers in the National Archives,” Prologue Magazine, Vol. 34, no. 3 (Fall 2002); transcription, National Archives (https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2002/fall/samplers-1.html: accessed 17 May 2025).
[6] Heaps, “Remember Me’: Six Samplers in the National Archives.”