Strathnaver Museum
Source: https://www.strathnavermuseum.org.uk/stitched-stories
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:10
Strathnaver Museum
Strathnaver Museum has welcomed Professor Laura Beard, University of Alberta to Bettyhill for the rest of June. Professor Beard will be delving into the family samplers held in the museum collection and inviting members of the public to share the stories behind the samplers in their own collections.
Samplers, a form of needlework, often made by young girls as part of their education demonstrate sewing skills but also offer an insight into the personal family stories of the maker and the wider societal issues of the time.
Professor Beard explains: “Samplers that have been passed down through families are not only particularly cherished but also sometimes serve as sources of genealogical information. We are interested in how the samplers in our family and community archives form part of the legacies of the past. What do we learn about life in the Highlands and in the broader Scottish diaspora by looking at these samplers?”
Professor Beard’s research project Stitched Stories will see her working with family and community archives, to explore Scottish samplers and the stories they tell as they trace out the life stories of their makers, their families, and their communities.
The samplers in the museum collection were made in the latter half of the 1800s by young girls from north Sutherland. These include a sampler made by Christina Mackay in 1872 when she was aged 13. Christina lived in Ardniskich, Bettyhill and emigrated to the United States of America aged 17.
Two samplers would appear to have been made by Durness sisters D Sutherland aged 14 in 1869 and W Sutherland aged 14 1873. Other names that appear are Isabella Gunn undated and Kate McIntosh in 1883.
Members of the public are invited to attend sessions where they can explore the stitched samplers in the museum collection and share and learn more about their own heirloom samplers. Professor Bear will be holding sessions at Strathnaver Museum at 11am on the 22, 12pm on the 24 and 7pm on the 27 June. For more information contact Strathnaver Museum.
Strathnaver Museum has welcomed Professor Laura Beard, University of Alberta to Bettyhill for the rest of June. Professor Beard will be delving into the family samplers held in the museum collection and inviting members of the public to share the stories behind the samplers in their own collections.
Samplers, a form of needlework, often made by young girls as part of their education demonstrate sewing skills but also offer an insight into the personal family stories of the maker and the wider societal issues of the time.
Professor Beard explains: “Samplers that have been passed down through families are not only particularly cherished but also sometimes serve as sources of genealogical information. We are interested in how the samplers in our family and community archives form part of the legacies of the past. What do we learn about life in the Highlands and in the broader Scottish diaspora by looking at these samplers?”
Professor Beard’s research project Stitched Stories will see her working with family and community archives, to explore Scottish samplers and the stories they tell as they trace out the life stories of their makers, their families, and their communities.
The samplers in the museum collection were made in the latter half of the 1800s by young girls from north Sutherland. These include a sampler made by Christina Mackay in 1872 when she was aged 13. Christina lived in Ardniskich, Bettyhill and emigrated to the United States of America aged 17.
Two samplers would appear to have been made by Durness sisters D Sutherland aged 14 in 1869 and W Sutherland aged 14 1873. Other names that appear are Isabella Gunn undated and Kate McIntosh in 1883.
Members of the public are invited to attend sessions where they can explore the stitched samplers in the museum collection and share and learn more about their own heirloom samplers. Professor Bear will be holding sessions at Strathnaver Museum at 11am on the 22, 12pm on the 24 and 7pm on the 27 June. For more information contact Strathnaver Museum.