Thursday 30 April 2015

Two dear little embroidery book finds .....





“A room without books is like a body without a soul.” 
 Marcus Tullius Cicero







I am always on the look out for antique books of all sorts and I guess there are three types that I really love, cookery, poetry by Shelley or Byron ( still looking for things from Oscar Wilde) and Embroidery books.  There is something about a book that a kindle just hasn't got ..... soul!

As you turn each page with its descriptions and photos and little drawings it is so magical for me.  From a very little girl I have loved history, it fascinates me.  When I pick up an antique book I wonder who has read it before me, who owned it, what joy it brought to the person .... thus the soul! There is something about the paper contained between the binding that almost whispers to you.

I found this lovely little embroidery book from the late 1940's and it is really delightful.  The book is by a lady called Winifred M. Clarke and it says that she has City and Guilds of London - Honours Grade, Kings Prize and Bronze Medallist and Late Instructor: Loughborough College and Leicestershire County Council.

The contents lists a host of goodies including Equipment, Designing Embroidery, Borders, Leaf forms, Flower pictures, Lettering, Aprons, Transfers and Pincushions and needlebooks to name a few.

One that caught my eye though was the Michaelmas Daisy!  There are drawings of daisy's and two designs to use them on and this little poem to draw on and stitch....

Why does the Michaelmas daisy stay
out of doors in the wet to play?
The Autumn days with rain are grey
Most summer flowers have gone away
Leaving the Michaelmas daisy to stay
out in the rain all day.

The Michaelmas daisy seems to say
I am not in the least afraid to stay 
out in the rain all day
The sun is coming to warm my flowers
Which open in spite of Autumn showers
And I shall blossom in sunny hours
Though I stayed in the rain to play.

It is not the best poem I have heard but the lady goes on to point out that when writing this carefully with good pen ship! the line "Most Summer flowers have gone away"  - Make an illustration for this
line.  It affords great scope, and can be enlarged upon, giving much interesting information about the various flowers.!!

There is another poem about Yellow Jasmine and to quote from the section in Lettering " Suitable and pleasing lettering gives character and interest to a design, and may be introduced in various ways"
In addition there is a little bit about monograms in this delightful book as well.  Drawing a large letter and making it decorative with little flowers and vines entwined around it...

The second little book is older by a decade I believe and it a small encyclopedia of needlework by TH.de Dillmont and is a great little book covering all sorts as you can imagine. There is mending, plain sewing, applique, linen embroidery, knitting, crochet work, macrame ,embroidered laces and so much more!

It is such a wonderful reference book and you know we come up with all sorts of new ways of doing things but sometimes the original way is the best.  It is a wonderful thing to read, the way they went around embroidering table linen, and look how sort after that is right now!

The section on applique  is my next read in this dear little green book and that is what I will be doing later after I finished work and waiting for my husband to come home from his long week.  I am going to make a warm drink and curl up in my favourite chair and learn some tricks of the trade!!

Firstly though it is away to my sewing room to sort out some things and carry on stitching....

I am hoping to be able to show you a snippet of a new design I will be working on next week for publication..... With some of the great fabrics I have been showing you..

Have a wonderful day and a great May Bank Holiday..... There will be the stitch of the week tomorrow as normal and I will let you know what I am up to as well...

Happy Stitching!





“Good friends, good books, and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life.”
 Mark Twain







Wednesday 29 April 2015

Toile de Jouy, Antique textiles and ticking! ... an interview with Sallie Ead





Toile is a fabric, from the French word meaning "linen cloth" or "canvas", particularly cloth or canvas for painting on. The word "toile" can refer to the fabric itself, a test garment (generally) sewn from the same material, or a type of repeated surface decoration (traditionally) printed on the same fabric. The term entered the English language around the 12th century.





When I went to the Vintage Bazaar the other weekend in Frome there were so many stalls and I named some.  Others I could not get near to when I was there to take photos without hands and heads in the way and there was one I wanted to save to tell you about on its own.  This is Antique Textiles and Costume owned by Sallie & James Ead.

They specialize in textiles from the 17th Century through to the 20th Century.  Some of their textiles are so old they are block printed and they are stunning pieces of art in their own right.  It is wonderful to be able to add a piece of fabric to my work that is that old and precious.  Contained behind non reflective glass to be preserved forever.

Whenever you find these lovely people and their stall there is so many goodies to tempt the antique fabric addict to.  The one thing I love about it is that Sallie always has information on all her fabrics.  Little pieces of fabric or toile are in little clear packs clearly marked with the date and what is, as well as the price. Larger pieces always have a tag on doing the same.  You know what you are purchasing and when you get it home and do not go to use it for a month maybe, there it is in plain site what you purchased and its century of birth!... This is my go to couple for Toile de Jouy and exquisite early block printed pieces.  I trust Sallie with her dating and you will see why! I was thrilled that she consented to talk to us about her textile knowledge.

I spoke to Sallie about her love of textiles and this is what she said:

I have always had a great passion for textiles which started at school in general sewing lessons, where I would do my friends sewing homework in return for her doing my French homework ... a good swap until the exams!

Then I studied textiles at Bath achieving an honours degree in fine art textiles, working with surface design and woven textiles especially batik which was my main study area for four years.

After my degree I went on to teach art design and textiles in secondary level, so all of my life I have worked in some way with design and fabric.

My business started about 20 years ago when I used to have a stand at Portobello every Saturday and then going to fairs on a Sunday selling mainly at that period pre 1940's clothing.  I began over the years becoming far more interested in very early textiles and costume and have a good collection of 17th and 18th Century fabrics and clothing in my personal collection.  The look of my business began to change as this fascination with early fabrics and production methods increased and I do now really specialise in this field.
 Selling tiny scraps of fabrics for design purposes and re use right up to large panels of top end textiles.  I love the idea that these pieces can be re used and a tiny scrap can find its way into another project and new life.
Serious pieces I have sold to couture designers and the important museums in this country and the States.

My husband works with me now not just carrying the bags in but also on the research side as his historic knowledge of this country is very good and that is important when looking at a textile and why it was used at a particular period in time and how it was produced.

I sell at the textile society fairs in London and Manchester, have a regular pitch at  Frock Me in Chelsea, the Salvage magazine fairs and all the IACF fairs, Bath decorative and Cotswold fairs run by Sue Ede, Frome Vintage Bazaar and one of my favourites the Shepton Flea market, so we are very busy all year long.

I have a website.  A shop on www.Rubylane.com called Lucia Collectables and I use Ebay frequently.

I am happy to answer questions and my email address is jimandsallieead@hotmail.com




This is a truly lovely lady with remarkable knowledge.  I love buying pieces from her not only because they are beautiful and full of history but that she can tell you about the fabric and to me this is very important.

I would like to thank Sallie for sharing her story with us and I hope you all found it as fascinating as I did.  Sallie has kindly given her email so if any of you have a question for her than please email her directly and she will get back to you.  She is a busy lady and could be at a fair but within in a few days she will answer your query.

Well I am off to my stitching room now and I am playing catch up this week.  The weather has not been great again so its back on with the lights and listen to the rain on the window whilst stitching away.

Have a great day and Happy Stitching!






Tuesday 28 April 2015

Delicate vintage French monograms ..... My latest find!





Everything is better with a monogram!
unknown





Recently I found a source for vintage French monograms! to say I am happy is an understatement.  I love using them on baby samplers (B for baby) and of course other things as well.  But baby and wedding samplers the most.

I have just take possession of my latest little bundle and they are really beautiful.  One I am very happy with as it is very unusual to say the least, and the Italian in me is thrilled! .. Bella for beautiful in Italian.

This will be simply great on a baby sampler and it is rare.  So the next baby sampler commission I get I will give them the choice of this one apposed to just a B .... 

They are lovely stitched on to a cushion cover as well.  Although I get lots of my cushions made for me by Emma
from Little Wren Vintage I do, occasionally make them for our bedroom as well.  I am in the middle of covering cushions for Lloyd loom chairs as you know.  So it is wonderful when I get our initials.

I found one on with an A and some with S and H.... So I will put those onto something for us.  Also in my stash of these lovelies I do have one similar to Bella and it simply says Baby!  So that is another one for a baby sampler to be designed.  Normally the ones I make are totally generic as people who buy them are doing their nursery or grandparents to be are buying them for that reason.  Some ask me to start them and then hand embroider a name when the baby is born.  Then it is off to the framers and is normally with them within 2 weeks of the baby being born.

So these beautiful monograms have been put away to be brought out when someone would like a sampler made for the nursery...

I hope you have enjoyed your little peek at them.  I am off now to my stitching room to put them away and to get on with some sorting out and then some stitching is in order....  This week is going fast and I have lots to finish off.

Have a great day and Happy Stitching!


Monday 27 April 2015

Vintage at the Village Hall .... Vintage fair in Blandford




It was a real treat yesterday for two reasons, firstly a vintage fair on a Monday!  and only 20 miles from where I live and secondly the drive to Blandford in Dorset is such a beautiful one.  I have to go via Wimborne and then through a tree lined road called Badbury Rings and the sun was shining as I drove happily along.

The fair was being held at The Corn Exchange in Blandford and the organiser of this gorgeous event is Elaine and she owns the business Ted and Bunny.  It was only £1 to get in and this beautiful venue was packed with amazing stalls ( lots of which are new to me) and also it was busily bustling with people all looking to find wonderful vintage goodies...

The Corn exchange was packed full of beautiful stalls and some very talented people who made things from various vintage materials of all kinds. I could not go in any order because of people looking at stalls so I went around in a random fashion and took photos and spoke to people getting in as many as I could.

I found this amazing stall where the lady made unusual hats.
 They were simply beautiful and were from all sorts of things.  I was very lucky as she agreed to have her photo taken in one of her hats that she was wearing.

The hat she was wearing was so pretty and in the pictures there are hats made from peacock feathers. One has a teacup on with a prop biscuit and the last one of the photos there are dolly mixtures.





Moving on there was a lady who made her own soap from goats milk and there were so many to choose from all of which were wrapped beautifully.  The scents coming from this stall were
wonderful.

As I was wandering around taking photos I came across this very talented lady who made some beautiful things.  Deer and fox heads, birds and so much more.
 There were ornaments for you to put around your home or lovely pins with birds or dragonfly's....

Then I found the very talented Emma from Little Wren Vintage and as always her stall was outstanding.  It always looks so beautiful and today was no exception with vintage ribbons under glass cloches and tiny vintage bottles with mop buttons inside, china and cushions, throws and vintage quilts plus beautiful lavender filled hearts and horse heads..... Plus some more of the great bags she makes for us all to fill with vintage booty!!

There was a beautiful stall with lots of such different things on display for you to buy and it was called Random!
 The lady made some beautiful jewellery as well as some china and an art deco ornament for sale.

There was so much to look at and every time you did stop and look you saw something else.... It was such a pretty stall indeed.

I found Sue and her stall Vintage to Victorian and there is always something on there to delight me and she said she had something to show me which was the most beautiful vintage pillow case with embroidery (all white work) and the words are in Italian, which
pleased me with my heritage.  I had to come away with it and it will be on our bed as an extra cushion rather that used as a pillow.  we had  a little chat and a laugh over a vintage pinny that she had on there ( you had to be there to appreciate it) then I moved on as she became extremely busy.

I found the lovely Liz and Jack that own The Washerwoman and I love this stall, there is always but always some
stunning fabrics on here for me.  Today one of the things that I found was some 1920 eiderdown fabric ... Oh my!  I am over the moon with that.  I can not understand why that was not snapped up before I got to them but it was my lucky day...


Next I spotted Tilly D stall and had a stop and chat.  The stall as always had some outstanding fabrics and vintage goodies displayed beautifully for all to see.  The temptation was endless..


There was a talented lady with her stall called Made by Swimmer and she uses vintage wool blankets and with some clever
embroidery and stitching makes some beautiful aminals out of the blankets.  There are fox faces, lions and a pillow with a greyhound on and so much more.  These are lovely and would be fabulous just in a chair amongst cushions...




Along from this table there was some beautiful lampshades covered in gorgeous vintage fabrics.  The table was full of vintage wonders to look at.

Then I found Ted and Bunny tables which was brimming with all sorts of vintage goodies.  I spotted some beautiful vintage embroidered linens and I was restrained in only buying one.
 There were some lovely ones there with embroidered pansies on and they looked almost like they had been painted on because the needlework was excellent.

Opposite Ted and Bunny was a new stall to me as well and was called Handmade and Vintage and there was so much to gaze upon. It was full of quirky things as well as haberdashery items and some fabrics.


Beyond France was there as well with a huge stall piled high with Vintage linens and treasures including some really unusual wall hangings made from vintage linens.  You could be forgiven if you were mistaken in thinking they may be cushions but upon closer inspection you could see what they were.
 I think these lined in a row behind your bed would look superb ..... They are flower shaped and plump and would decorate a wall beautifully!

You can see one of them on the bottom right of the photograph.  Being that they are cream in colour they would fit in anywhere.  I thought they were beautiful...

There were so many stalls and as I moved off I found the Hetty Green stall and next to her was Pick and Mix vintage both brimming with beautiful things to buy.


Moving around this large hall all decorated with British flags and bunting I found a delightful stall  called Win Armand Smith with china goodies, jelly moulds, vintage embroidered cloths and cutlery as well.  There was a basket of linens and I had a little root around in there and found some pretty ones that came home with me.  I have quiet a few now in a big box but they are so good to have.  You can make all sorts of things with them if you are brave enough to cut them up or you can simply display them on little tables in your home.

Then before I left I found the lovely stall that fills all sorts of objects with scented wax and makes candles out of them.  Teacups and saucers, jelly moulds, jugs and so much more,  It always smells so delicious.  Do you remember I bought a jelly mould one at the Vintage Bazaar the other week.  Well the lady that owns this business and makes all the candles was not on her stall when I bought it but I actually met her today and we had a lovely long chat.  Her stall looked and smelt divine!

So I will leave you with some pictures of this beautiful stall and I must myself away to my stitching.  Yesterday I actually did not pick up a needle so I have to play catch up today... Its not every Monday there is a scrummy vintage fair on so it had to be done!  If you would like any details from any of the businesses I have shown today then message me as I have their details.

Have a wonderful day and I hope you have enjoyed a little look around this wonderful fair.

Happy Stitching!


Vintage at the Village fair ..... in Somerset.





 A work of art is the unique result of a unique temperament.
Oscar Wilde



The Art Deco .. of Laura and Phil Payne.






Yesterday we went to Somerset to a little village called Puriton.  In that particular village hall there was  Vintage at the Village fair organised and run by a lovely couple Laura and Phil.

As we pulled up the village hall and surrounding parts were packed with cars and people to get into this lovely hall.

We walked in and Laura was on the door and welcoming people.  The pretty hall inside had been laid out beautifully and there was bunting all around.  By the window and through and archway there were tables laid to have coffees and teas and a lovely man dressed as a railway guard (more about that later!)  The stallholders had laid out their tables and they were brimming with goodies.  Laura pointed out that there was a lady selling vintage haberdashery and this she said would be my heaven!.. she was not wrong!

Laura and Phil specialise in Art Deco and the little area where they had set up was through another little archway, looked outstanding.  Phil was smiling and in his element in his era of dreams with music of the time playing in the background....

There were a few faces I knew and lots of new and exciting sellers that I was yet to meet.  The village hall was brimming with goodies and people.

My husband had spotted the little cafe part with cakes, buns and savoury pastries on offer, all dished and served in and on vintage china.  The cakes were some of the best that anyone had tasted.  They were all homemade and some of the goodies on offer were chocolate cake, lemon drizzle, carrot cake, chelsea buns, bread pudding scones with jam and clotted cream, coffee cake and so so many more.
 My husband was to be found in this area practically all the time and is proud to say he had a slice of nearly all of them! ( where he puts it I really could not tell you! .. Laura and I had a conversation whilst laughing about 'how can he eat like that and not be round like a pudding'!! ... )

I went around taking some photo's and of course I lingered at the haberdashery ... Oh my! there were ribbons, threads, embroidery threads, lace, Jars brimming with untold goodies.
 The lady that owned this stall and business is Helen and she was such a lovely, helpful lady who had the same love of all things haberdashery as me ...  I had to stay a while and look through all the delicious goodies that this stall had to offer ( whilst my husband was in cake heaven!) and I bought some lovely bits and bobs.  Including some wonderful ribbons...

Suddenly I spied a beautiful stall and really unusual in the fact that this lady only sold one kind of product... But oh my! vintage picnic baskets.  They were beautiful.  Each one different in colours and with all that you needed for a great day out .. just add your food

and drink with a something to sit on.  Some were in actually baskets and some in colour picnic sets of different eras.  Apart from taking the photo's I just had to look at them all.  She says on her card that they love picnics as a family and they all have the same ingredients .. fun people, fantastic food and a special location which will create the ultimate relaxing day for special memories.  All you need to do is buy one of these and pack it up and voila!  I think we can all agree these look wonderful....

I found a beautiful stall selling just vintage suitcase.  This was the work of Malc Stacey who was dressed as a railway guard.( he did not want his photo taken particularly so I had to respect that) but he looked fabulous.  Malc explained that he was given alot of these antique cases and trunks.  Then he would clean and mend them and go to all these types of shows with them.
 The money he makes? you may ask.... well all the money goes to the West Somerset Railway to help preserve and maintain the steam trains and tracks.  You can get more information at www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk  The cases and trunks were stunning and the way they were all put together the nostalgic travel days just seem to be there..  Malc said that I lot of people buy the huge vintage trunks and make them into coffee tables , adding little legs and some perspex glass for the tops.




Moving along there were two lovely ladies called Louise and Sam and they own Sammi-Lou Vintage.  There stall had some beautiful vintage embroidered clothes, china, laces and all sorts of
wonderful goodies.  I stood and talked to them for quiet a while and learnt all sorts of wonderful information.  It is so lovely when people share.... It is what makes the world go around.  I had to buy a few bits from them including some vintage embroidered linens...... One happy lady!


By now the hall was brimming with people and so I decided to join my husband for a piece of cake and a coffee (if he had not eaten it all)  I found him by the cakes... Yes and I choose a piece of the chocolate cake which was outstanding.  He had a chelsea bun and some lemon drizzle cake and I had a little bit of each to try.  Honestly it is the best lemon drizzle cake I have ever tasted!

I had a few more stalls that I wanted to go to including Blue Lias Vintage who had some really beautiful china.  I ended up buying three coffee cups and saucers that were too pretty to leave behind.


The top left hand picture has the little cups and saucers that came home with me.... they really are beautiful.








Wandering along there were there was a lovely stall with beautiful vintage goodies on there, from starfish in a jar to an antique radio.  She has a shop in Weston-Super-Mare.  The address is 22 Baker Street!... honestly and the postcode should you not believe me is BS23 3AE.  There was some amazing things to tempt people on this stall and so unusual.
There were some beautiful stalls there.  A lady selling vintage brooches and a stall called Amanda Jane's selling mostly ladies millinery  and a lady who made some pretty little bags and purses from fabrics as well.

Stefanie was there with her fabrics ( she sells a lot of vintage liberty fabric) and she has some ribbons and notions as well.














This vintage fair really was beautiful and very well attended.  Laura and Phil have some more planned and the next one is  on Sunday 24th May at Walton Village Hall, Meadow Lane, Near Street, Somerset BA16 9LA  it is from 10.am - 4pm and is £1 entry fee.

If you can make it, you will not be disappointed and I believe Laura was hoping to get the ladies who made the cakes back for that event too...
Put this one in your diaries ladies and gents ... It is worth the visit!


I hope you have enjoyed your little look around and I know there is a fair on in Blandford today so I am now off to that hopefully.... Although I am running a little late today so please excuse me.

Have a wonderful day and as always Happy Stitching!!

Saturday 25 April 2015

Stitch of the week is Knotted Diamond Stitch ... By Mary Corbet




The stitch of the week is the knotted diamond stitch by the lovely Mary Corbet and is a really beautiful stitch for a border.

It actually looks more complicated than it is but honestly watch the tutorial and Mary will walk you through it.


Make a warm drink and enjoy learning this new stitch to add to your ever growing embroidery skills.... I have to say the stitch of the week will be coming to an end soon (sad face) but it has done us all proud or about 17 months! Do not worry there is a few more to go.......

Have a great weekend and as always Happy Stitching!











Friday 24 April 2015

Vintage seed packets and cigarette cards.....











 Flowers always make people better, happier and more helpful.  They are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul.

Luther Burbank.











Dear little vintage seed packets and cigarette cards with flowers and fruits and vegetables on are wonderful things.  Firstly if you have some yourself you can use than in mixed media work by stitching them on to beautiful fabrics ( this would be something not needing washing at all, like a picture behind a frame)  You could of course use decoupage on something  you loved.
The picture above is of two little vintage seed packets that I have... they are dear little things.  Why can't they make them like this any more!!

I have some beauties that are a new purchase for me and I have been experimenting with our colour photo copier....

The results have been fabulous.  You can photocopy them onto special papers and then use then.  The paper that you can iron onto fabric and the one that you wet and slide onto furniture say (The inkjet water slide Decal paper).  You can buy these papers on Amazon on line.

If you do not have any little seed packets then you can Google them on line in images,  The statute of copy right is 80 years so most you are able to download to your computer and use.

I found some really pretty ones take a look...

So you can use them on the iron on paper for a T -Shirt maybe or on some vintage French linen for part of a cushion cover or anything you fancy really.  I have some great ideas for some of these beauties...

At the weekend I am going to get my design book out and have a go at project I have in mind for some of these beauties.  Also giving the Decal water ones a go as well... I have just the thing for them.

But for now I must get to my stitching room and get on with my sewing.....

Have a great day and Happy Stitching!






Wednesday 22 April 2015

An update on the beautiful vintage journal and its owner Lilian Maxwell.




As you all may remember the other week I posted about a charming little poetry journal that I bought which had some wonderful little drawing inside as well.

The owner of the journal was a Lilian Maxwell, as she rather artistically wrote her name in the front.  She also must of invited others to draw sketches in there because these people put their names in and dates of their sketches.....

There was also a Ruth Maxwell who drew a rather impressive picture of a fairy like creature carrying a tulip aloft and I thought that this was either her mother or a sibling.... It turns out it was her sister and she was a very clever lady, she actually went to University ( which back in the early 1900's was something!

Well because of the dates in the dear little book I searched the 1901 Census for a Lilian Maxwell and particularly with a Ruth Maxwell in the house hold as well....There was only one!

On the night of the 1901 Census in the household of 153 Wormit Road in Forgan in Fife, Scotland there is:

Kate E Maxwell wife age 44
David K Maxwell son  age 5
Eric Maxwell son age 9
Lilian Maxwell daughter age 6
Ruth Maxwell daughter age 13
Georgina G Ross general servant age 18

There is no mention of Lilian's father who was not there that night, but he was still alive as Kate Maxwell is wife on the census not widow....

This all makes sense with the little drawing in the book of St Andrews and a poem as well that was drawn and written in there by a E R Burnett 1909.  The poem was by Andrew Lang... It is a stunning page in this little book.

I then went back to the 1891 Census and found this family ( Lilian was not born yet but her sister Ruth was 4 at this time.)
Her father was called David Chalmers Maxwell and he married her mother Kate Ellen Maxwell (nee Holmes in Hull in 1886!

I am now looking for Lilian's Birth and on the census the place of Birth states England not Scotland so I have some more digging to do. I believe by the time Lilian was born they had left Hull and Sulcoates where Ruth was registered born. The 1901 Census says she was born in 1895 but it does appear that she was so digging about was the order of the day and she was infact born a year earlier!.  I now know her mother and fathers names so when I get the right birth I will know it...... ( will keep you updated on this)

In the meantime there is this that I have found via Genes Re-United and put out a message to see if anyone had access to more than I did and could they help and a lovely lady came up trumps! (Being that their young life seems to have been lived in Scotland from 1901 at least)








Children's Bazaar.—A children's bazaar organised by four schoolgirls, Elaine Hopkins, Nellie Lawson, Rachaei Scroggie. and Lilian Maxwell, was held at Highfield, Wormit, the other afternoon. There were two stalls, one devoted to sweets and confections, and the other to general goods, mostly the work of the girls and their friends while afternoon tea was served to the visitors. The enterprise was entirely successful with the sum of about £4 being collected, which was forwarded to Comerton Home.
01 June 1905 - Dundee Evening Telegraph - Dundee, Angus, Scotland




ST ANDREWS UNIVERSITY GRADUATION.
Norman Bell Anderson, Dundee, with second-class honours in Philosophy. Ruth Maxwell. Wormit, with second-class honours in Mental Philosophy. Jessie Braid, Kirkcaldy, with honours in English. _ Alexander Hynd
15 October 1908 - Dundee Courier - Dundee, Angus, Scotland 




LEGACY TO DUNDEE HIGH SCHOOL
The Directors of Dundee High School have received a legacy of £500 from the trustees of the late Mrs Kate E. Holmes or Maxwell, Westmount, Wormit, in memory of her son, David Kenneth Maxwell. Tho legacy is " to be dealt with by the directors in the form of a bursary in whatever method they may determine.
01 May 1930 - Dundee Courier - Dundee, Angus, Scotland
(Kate E Maxwell nee Holmes is Lilian's mother!)


David C Maxwell.

ESTATES

David Chalmers Maxwell, merchant, Westmount, Wormit .... £1,775 15 s 7d
01 January 1930 - Dundee Courier - Dundee, Angus, Scotland




Did David marry again?


MAXWELL—DOWNlE.—At Dundee 11 October David C. Maxwell, Wormit to Louisa M G Downie, Carnoustie.
12 October 1922 - Dundee Courier - Dundee, Angus, Scotland










DEATH OF DUNDEE MERCHANT Many on both sides of the Tay will learn with deep regret of the death after.........
.... of the Dundee office. took up residence in Wormit, where, in the quietly helpful way characteristic of him, he identified himself with many of the interests of the place. He was one of the promoters of Wormit Bay Golf Club, in which for several years he
03 October 1929 - Dundee Courier - Dundee, Angus, Scotland


Obituary of David C with a photo. He was married twice and lost his younger son in the war. He was the head of DC Maxwell & Co Ltd, sack and twine merchants, Dundee. ( I have a copy of this now .. this is Lilian's father) He was a very clever man and well liked.  He had his own business and was the head of his own firm D C Maxwell & Co Ltd which was a twine merchants.
His father was an author and wrote 'Bygone Scotland'  David Maxwell had three other brothers called Alexander, Charles and George all with literary gifts too.



Kate Ellen Holmes
Birth 29 Mar 1857
Death 1 May 1921 (David did re marry but he himself died in 1929 just eight years later)




David Chalmers Maxwell
Birth 25 July 1858 in Gloucester St., Portsea
Death 2 Oct 1929


Ruth Maxwell
1887 –

Erick Maxwell
1891 – 1979

Lilian Maxwell
1894 –

David Kenneth Maxwell
1896 – 1917 ( He was killed in the 1st World War)




This little poetry/sketch journal is starting to gather provenience and I am so happy that I found it.  I really hope I can just get Lilian's Birth certificate... Then I will be one happy custodian of this rare little book!

Well I hope you have enjoyed this little update and now I am away to my Stitching room and have lots of hand stitchery to get on with....

Have a wonderful day yourself and Happy Stitching!




Picture of part of a drawing from the little journal.
Photo taken by Sally Calve.