In Memory of Queen Elizabeth II
When visiting the Cowper & Newton Museum in Olney, Bucks, I always admired a piece of lace that featured a ‘Crown’. The sample was acquired by the museum by way of a gift from a relative of a Mrs Elizabeth Whitehead of Shelton Hall, Shelton in Bedfordshire. The lace was made for Queen Mary for her Coronation alongside King George V in 1911.
The ‘Crown’ Lace itself - curiously the Crown is upside down! Normally would be attached to hang from the footside.
The lace was worked by Jane Morris (nee. Bettles) from the village of Shelton from an old parchment pricking. Jane was married to Isaac Morris on 25th March 1864, and she subsequently died in 1923, having been born in 1843. Twelve yards of this lace was worked by Jane. It is not known how long it took to work but a rough estimate has been given at 3000 hours. Sadly, there appears to be no trace of the original pricking, no doubt destroyed due to the lace being worked for Royalty…. but that’s just my assumption.
Jane Morris of Shelton working the Crown lace on her pillow.
There is a photograph of Jane and the lace is in Thomas Wright’s book “The Romance of the Lace Pillow” and is also on display in the Museum at Olney.
This brings me onto a piece of lace that features in the Lace Dealers pattern book and is also of a ‘Crown’ (ref. LDPB 21.6.1). Kate Riley drafted this and many other samples and in conjunction with the Lace Guild produced a book called “Bucks Point Prickings” from the Luton Museum Lace Dealers.
Extract from the Lace Dealers Pattern Book.
As the sad news broke that our beloved Queen Elizabeth II had passed on 8th September 2022, I thought I would re-draft and adapt the ‘crown’ design myself and add that little bit of sparkle which I felt was apt for a crown. I like to think that Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II would have approved!
The finished Lace Crown, worked by myself.
For your information:
Thread: Fil au Chinois 60/2 & Finca Perle 12 for Gimp
No of Pairs: 38 Pairs for a Footside Edge all round & 6 Gimp Pairs
Sparkle: 2mm Crystal & 2mm Glass Pearls (EIIR), 1 x 5mm Crystal Sequin,
1 x 3mm Crystal Sequin and finally 2mm FLAT Sequins.