GIRLS
Winsome
BOYS
Moxley
Robert Frost's poem "A Cliff Dwelling" reminds me of the people who must have lived here "Oh years ago--ten thousand years" and enjoyed the beauty and safety of a cliff. A place "to rest from his besetting fears". Welcome to mine.
GIRLS
Aloua
Anatla - someone listed in a sampler, so there is some guesswork on gender here.
Arietta - nickname? There is a Harrietta with the same last name in another sampler.
Edeny
Editha
Harrietta-
Hitty - a nickname, I guess, though I'm used to Hetty or Kitty.
Lieze
Maieson -
Melia - perhaps a nickname, though you couldn't know if it was for Amelia, Pamelia, or some other name (there is a Pamelia who was listed as an owner of a sampler).
Mella - another nickname? For something like Camilla, perhaps (or Camella)
Meribah
Morilla
Richea
Sabra
Slomey - wondering if this is Salome?
Wait
BOYS
Bradbury -this is not someone who made a sampler, but owners of samplers are listed and given how old the book is married women are usually identified by their husband's name, so Mrs. Bradbury Bedell owned a sampler made by Catherine Bond in 1797 (among others).
DeWolfe- although a middle name, this was a time when it was common to go by your middle name instead of your first name (the middle initial is listed only so it seems that was the case here).
Oakford
Offin - again this is the owner of a sampler though in this case, the man himself and not his wife is identified.
Piatt
Renwick
I've been exploring embroidery and cross stitch samplers and some of the names I thought were well worth sharing.
Girls
Andes
Anzolette
Appha
Constant
Content
Faithy - nickname?
Leafea
Lendamine
Loann- I assume this is a version of Lou Ann.
Loara - another spelling of Laura?
Mithra
Nabby - I assume this is a nickname.
Perese
Petheny
Precinda - this was a middle name
Robe
Rocksalana
Rosefaire
Thetis
Tryphenia
Welthe
Zebiah
GIRLS
Elfrida - a queen, who rather cruelly had an abbot murdered (hot irons put under his armpits). She was rumored to be a sorceress.
Ermenilda - a Christian saint, buried next to Ethelreda and Sexburga at Ely, England. Queen of Mercia. She was originally buried in Derham. A feast was held and while everyone enjoyed themselves, her remains were located in the church cemetery and stolen (they tried to battle the thieves and get them back, but failed). The thieves being the abbot of Ely and his monks. St. Ethelreda was her aunt and St. Sexburga was her mother.
Ethelreda - a Christian saint, buried next to Ermenilda and Sexburga at Ely, England (but her shrine was later destroyed and her relics removed). She was a princess, queen, and an abbess who founded a monastery there. Daughter of King Anna of the East Angles and wife of Toubert, ealdorman of Suth Girwa and then Prince Egfrid of Northumberland. This saint is also known as Audrey. She was the younger sister of St. Sexburga and aunt to St. Ermenilda. Talented, amiable, and beautiful, she was religiously devout from a young age and remained a virgin. St. Ethelreda wore woolen clothes, prayed all night, and ate only once a day. After she died her body remained uncorrupted.
Sexburga - a Christian saint, buried next to Ermenilda and Ethelreda at Ely, England. She was also a princess and a queen, and the eldest sister to St. Ethelreda and mother of St. Ermenilda. Abbess of Ely after Ethelreda's death.
Werburga-
| Ely, England |
BOYS
Adulfus - king of the East Angles and brother of St. Ethelreda
Brithnoth - an abbot murdered by Queen Elfrida, first abbot of Ely, England.
Burrhed - a king of Mercia
Egfrid - king of Northumberland, son of Oswy and married to St. Ethelreda. He is sometimes called Egfridus.
Elsin-2nd abbot of Ely, England in the late 10th century.
Ercombert - a king of Kent, husband of St. Sexburga.
Ethelwold -abbot of Abingdon
Guthmund
Leofsin-abbot of Ely, England in the 11th century.
Oswy- king of Northumberland, father of Prince Egfrid.
Ovin - an ealdorman of Ely, England
Theodwin - a monk at Jumiege
Thurston-7th abbot of Ely, England
Toubert-ealdorman of Suth Girwa and husband of St. Ethelreda. He is sometimes called Todbertus. Suth Girwa was the Isle of Ely and had also been called Elig and Elge. There were a lot of eels, you see, there and so that is how the island got its name.
Wilfric - 6th abbot of Ely, England in the mid 11th century.
Wilfrid- bishop of York, founder of