A map of Scotland, stitched by Margaret Montgomery
Stitched by Margaret Montgomery around 1800, March's 'Map of the month' is a finely worked map sampler of Scotland. The map features tiny cross-stitches in silk on a linen ground.
County borders and names are included, along with Montgomery's signature and an image of a ship sailing on the German Ocean — now known as the North Sea.
Samplers in education
Map samplers were worked in schools from the mid-18th century. Selected to mark Women's History Month, this map reflects the education of women in the Georgian era.
As a teaching tool in schools, map samplers enabled the scholar to show their geographical knowledge as well as their stitching prowess. They became so popular that some map publishers, particularly Laurie & Whittle of London, printed maps on fine paper to be stitched through as a template, or even directly onto silk.
'A general history of Scotland'
This particular map is unusual for a sampler in showing the grid for latitude and longitude. It is probably based on a map published in 'A general history of Scotland, from the earliest accounts to the present time' (1767) by William Guthrie. Points of comparison include the attribution for the Small Isles 'To Argyle' and the naming of 'The Scotch Sea' as well as the size and layout.
stitched map of Scotland.
Margaret Montgomery's name.