Hannah Leathers Wilson; Figured and Fancy weft loop coverlet; 1833; New Hampshire

Hannah Leathers Wilson (1787-1869) of Farmington, New Hampshire wove this Figured and Fancy, weft loop woven, Bolton- or Boutoneé-style coverlet in 1833 for Caroline Sawyer. The coverlet was woven as one long length of plain weave ground, divided into thirds, and joined together to create the finished textile. After every two shots of the white ground weft, Wilson would throw a shot of the patterning weft made from much thicker wool yarn which was dyed with indigo and using a hook would pull up and twist loops, locking them into place to create the tufted pattern. A large central octagonal medallion containing a star, pine trees, and floral motifs is surrounded by five concentric borders on three sides and three along the top edge. White cotton and dark blue wool, stylized floral and leaf motifs around star in center. Side selvage edges are turned under and tacked at corners. The bottom edge is turned under and stitched to an edge bound with tape. The tape appears to be original. The woven inscription, "Caroline Sawyer no 52 1833" appears along the upper edge of the coverlet. Caroline Sawyer was born December 20, 1809 to Enoch (1776-1857) and Eleanor Horn (1774-1870) Sawyer in Alton, New Hampshire. Sawyer married Ira Mooney and died April 23, 1890. Hannah Wilson was born Hannah Leathers 1787 in Barrington, New Hampshire. In 1829 she changed her last name to Wilson because some of her relatives were of "ill repute." There is some suggestion that the Leathers family and people of that surname may have been Roma or Travelers and viewed as thieves or ne’er-do-wells. She died May 29, 1869 in Farmington, New Hampshire. She numbered all her coverlets and the highest known number is 184. Thanks to Donna-Belle Garvin from the New Hampshire Historical Society for her research into finding the identity of this coverlet maker.

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