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These splendid hangings
were made by Anna Margaretta Brereton of Brinton Hall near Melton
Constable, Norfolk, between 1801 and 1805.
The textiles remained in family hands until 1929, when they were
donated to Strangers' Hall.
Last year, a request to display the bed-hangings
at an international textiles exhibition in France, led to vital
conservation work being carried out.
As a result, these fragile textiles will be on show at Strangers'
Hall until summer 2004.
Curator Cathy Terry said: "As far as we know, they are the
only surviving set of patchwork and appliqu茅 hangings for
a four poster bed.
"They consist of 19 separate items, all pieced together from
many hundreds of fabrics in a completely original and harmonious
way.
"The fabrics themselves are superb examples of early nineteenth
century furnishing chintzes and dress fabrics.
"Most unusually, we know why these hangings were made and by
whom, and they were given by the maker's descendants for the specific
purpose of enriching the displays of Strangers' Hall," added
Terry.
Anna Margaretta Brereton was a lady of substance
living in one of Norfolk's finer residences.
Her set of bed-hangings was the height of fashion and luxury in
its day and was typical of the kind of grand interior d茅cor
project that ladies of leisure turned their hands to in the early
19th century.
Tassel detail from a bed hanging |
Family lore tells how Anna made the textiles as
solace and creative therapy following the collapse of her health
after the death of her eldest son.
A recently discovered sermon written as a tribute
after her death, reveals that the loss of her son changed Anna's
life, causing her to abandon the material world and become involved
in the Church.
The hangings, other furnishings and objects donated
by the Brereton family were displayed at Strangers' Hall for around
thirty years.
By the 1960s the bed-hangings were frail, dirty and in need of rescue.
They were conserved by former curator Pamela Clabburn and her team
and until now, have remained in store at Strangers' Hall and Carrow
House Costume & Textile Study Centre.
The set was made using a technique known as 'Broderie
Purse'. Whilst it was not unusual for single bed-covers of Broderie
Purse to survive, the Brereton hangings, made as a complete set
for a posted bed, is unique.
The bed-hangings were shown last year at the Mus茅e
des Traditions et Arts Normands au Ch芒teau de Martainville,
near Rouen, as part of a prestigious exhibition of international
antique textiles and were the highlight of the English section of
the exhibition.
A programme of related talks and events is planned
to complement the display, including a 'Quilt Day' on Saturday 9
October, run in association with the National Quilters' Guild.
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The poignant story of how Anna Margaretta Brereton found
solace in needlework after the death of her eldest son
is something we can readily empathise with. Everyone involved
in putting the display together found it to be a tremendously
moving experience to see the pieces assembled as they
were originally intended. 
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