The Collection

18th Century

The earliest three items in the Collection date from the 18th century. This means they are over 220 years old now. Just sit and think about that for a few minutes. It is quite an awe-inspiring thought.

A tiny vest for a baby has been dated by experts at Christies who had a stand at the Antique Textiles Fair (where we found the vest) to date and value items brought in by dealers and members of the public.

It is knitted in white cotton and measures just 7 inches across the chest. It is knitted like a traditional Guernsey, i.e. in the round with gussets at underarm and made to be cut up the centre front and hemmed. There are others from the same period in museum collections, but, as far as we know, this is the only uncut one.

According to Richard Rutt's A History of Hand Knitting the cotton to knit this would not have been readily available before 1780.

Also from the 18th century are two purses. One of a similar shape and size in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, is dated 18th century.

Miser's purses or stocking purses (they seem to be the same thing) were long thin purses, so called because they were made to disgorge a single coin or just a few coins at a time.

The most striking is knitted with a fine red silk top with the lower part crocheted in metallic thread, with couched metallic thread wound into a circle at the base.

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