QUILT INDEX RECORD
30-26-21
Date data collected:
March 31, 2010
Documentation Location:
Private non-profit
In which county does this quilt currently reside?
Wayne
Owner's Name:
The Henry Ford
Ownership of this quilt is:
Private
Who documented this quilt?
Michigan Quilt Project
Where are the records for this quilt housed?
Beaver County Historical Research and Landmarks Foundation
Beaver County Historical Research and Landmarks Foundation Quilt Documentation Number:
WP.BVR.0187
Alternate inventory control number:
2013.29.1
Access and copyright information:
Restricted
Copyright holder:
The Henry Ford
This is a:
Finished quilt
Quilt's title:
Chintz Applique Quilt
Names for quilt's pattern in common use:
Basket
How wide is the quilt?
111 3/4in
How long is the quilt?
103 1/4in
Shape of edge:
Straight
Shape of corners:
Straight
What color is the quilt?
Blue or Navy; Brown; Cream; Gold; Green; Pink; Red
Overall color scheme:
Multicolor
Quilt's condition:
Good/moderate use
Damage:
Fold marks or creases; Stains
Type of inscription:
Message; Signature
What is inscribed on the quilt?
Work of my mother, Ruth McConnell & her cousins, Hannah & Mary Parry in the year 1793 and previous to my birth (September of that year) during yellow fever. Julia M. Miles May 14, 1849
Method used to make the inscription:
Ink
Describe the method used to inscribe the quilt:
Also red letters near inscription.
Location of inscription:
on back
Time period:
Pre-1799
When was the quilt finished?
1793
Family/owner's date for quilt:
1793
Subject of the quilt:
Broderie Perse quilt with large central basket emanating with floral vines surrounded by small bouquets and cornucopia. Yellow Fever Epidemic 1793
Number of quilt blocks:
4 basket designs
Describe the quilt setting:
Top pieces 36", 24 3/4" 36". 2 cornocopia in corners. 1 large center basket. 2 baskets on side. 1 basket (urn) on center bottom.
Number of borders:
2
Describe the borders:
1 3/4" - 5 1/2" sides 3 1/2" top, 4" bottom - same fabric as inner border. Note: inner border was corner miter. Looks like outer border was added - it is not quilted. 2nd border has more glazing. Possible 2nd border added in 1849.
Fiber types used to make the quilt top:
Cotton
Fabric types used to make the quilt top:
Chintz; Glazed
Fabric styles used in the quilt top:
Premium type; Solid/plain
Applique techniques used to make the quilt top:
Hand Applique
Piecing techniques used to make the quilt top:
Hand Piecing
Describe the techniques used to make the quilt top:
Some joints pieced, some applied on top.
Materials used to make the back:
Cotton
Description of the back:
Same fabric as front - 2 glazed panels on sides different.2 loops on back for hanging
Width of pieces on the back:
5 3/8", 36", 11", 8", 38 1/4", 7 3/4" 5 1/4"
Describe the back:
Hand sewn; Same fabric used throughout
Materials used in the quilt binding:
Cotton
Fabric structure of the binding:
Twill weave
Describe the binding:
Folded in half & applied with 2 running stitch.
How is the binding made?
Hand sewn; Separate binding applied; Straight grain; Woven tape
What is the width of the binding (measure on the top only)?
less than a half inch
What kind of filling is used in the quilt?
Cotton
How thick is the quilt?
Thin (Less than 3/16?)
How are the layers held together?
Hand quilting
Thread type used for the quilting:
Cotton
Color of thread used in the quilting:
White - brown in inner border
Number of quilting stitches per inch, place 1:
6
Width between quilting lines:
1/4" - 3/8"
Quilting designs used, overall motifs:
Echo; Grid diamond; Single parallel lines
Describe the quilting designs used:
Single parallel lines on a diagonal following applique. Zig-zag on inner border.
Person filling out this form is:
Quilt owner; Quilt collector
Choose the best description of the source to the quilt:
Quilt collector; Quilt owner
If you are the quilt owner, how did you acquire this quilt?
Purchased the quilt
Quilt top made by:
MConnell, Ruth
Quilted by:
McConnell, Ruth
Where the quilt was made, city:
Philadelphia
Where the quilt was made, state:
Pennsylvania (PA)
Where the quilt was made, country:
United States
How was this quilt acquired?
Purchase
Tell the story of how the quilt was obtained:
It was purchased by The Henry Ford at an auction of the McCarl collection in 2013. Muriel and Foster McCarl started collecting quilts in the 1950's. The purchased quilts from the Lancaster, PA area as well as in Delaware and Medina, OH. They purchased the quilts from Auction Houses such as Garth's (Delaware,OH); Pennypackers(Lancaster, PA); and Horst Auctions (Ephrata,PA). They also purchased quilts from many dealers such as George and Mildred Samaha, Sr; George Samaha, Jr.(Medina, OH); Hattie Brunner (Lancaster, PA); Fran and Elise Beaven (New Jersey);Dave and Maze Pottinger (Michigan). The McCarl's loved antiques that were signed and dated. They felt that the signatures enhanced the value of the item.
Quilt owner's city:
Dearborn
Quilt owner's state:
Michigan (MI)
Quilt owner's country:
United States
Quiltmaker's maiden name:
Hall
Quiltmaker's gender:
Female
Quiltmaker's birth date:
1758
Quiltmaker's birthplace, city:
Philadelphia
Quiltmaker's birthplace, state:
Pennsylvania
Quiltmaker's birthplace, country:
United States
If the quilt was made by a group, when did the group start?
1832
Quiltmaker's religious affiliation:
Presbyterian
Quiltmaker's city:
Philadelphia
Quiltmaker's state:
Pennsylvania (PA)
Quiltmaker's country:
United States
Quiltmaker's father's name:
Hall, John
Quiltmaker's father's birthplace:
Pennsylvania
Quiltmaker's mother's name:
Hall, Sarah Parry
Quiltmaker's mother's birthplace:
Pennsylvania
Quiltmaker's spouse's/spouses' and/or partner's/partners' occupation:
Merchant; Stockbroker
Number of children:
4
How many of the quiltmaker's children were girls?
1
How many of the quiltmaker's children were boys?
3
Any other notes or stories about the quiltmaker:
In 1793, 35-year-old Ruth Hall McConnell created this exquisite quilt, assisted by her young cousins, Hannah and Mary Parry, who lived just around the corner from Ruth’s home at 66 Chestnut Street in a prosperous section of Philadelphia—a few short blocks from Independence Hall. The quilt’s flowers, birds, and decorative borders were cut from colorfully printed chintz fabric and sewn onto the background fabric. This highly-prized, imported cotton chintz was readily available in the fashionable port city of Philadelphia—especially to someone like Ruth, whose husband Matthew McConnell was a wealthy merchant and stockbroker. About the time that Ruth finished this quilt, a virulent Yellow Fever epidemic broke out in Philadelphia, spreading like wildfire. Between August and November 1793, 5,000 Philadelphians died—about a tenth of the population. Another 17,000 fled (including Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and members of Congress). Any family with the means left the city. Matthew and Ruth McConnell and their sons 12-year-old Robert and 7-year-old Matthew, were among those who fled the epidemic. Ruth was pregnant. Her daughter Julia was born at Beverage’s Farm in the countryside outside of Philadelphia on September 10. Many years later, Ruth’s daughter, 55-year-old Julia McConnell Miles, wrote an inscription on the back of the quilt. Julia’s words read: “The work of my Mother Ruth McConnell & her cousins Hannah and Mary Parry in the year 1793 previous to my birth (September of that year) during yellow fever - Julia M. Miles May 14th 1849.” Julia clearly wanted to make sure that her mother’s name and the quilt’s story—including its ties to American history and her own birth—would not be lost to memory.
Details
Cite this Quilt
MConnell, Rut. Chintz Applique Quilt. 1793. From Beaver County Historical Research and Landmarks Foundation, Michigan Quilt Project. Published in The Quilt Index, https://quiltindex.org/view/?type=fullrec&kid=30-26-21. Accessed: 03/29/24