view sampler
Loading zoom, please wait
Move mouse over image to view details.
Region: East Tennessee
c.1821 Martha Ann Ensor

16"V x 1712"H © TSS 194
fibers: silk
ground: 22 V/30 H ct. linen
Biography:
Martha Ann Ensor (1811-1906) was the sixth child of William Talbott Ensor and his wife, Martha Ann Lasley. The Ensors were originally from Maryland. Thomas Ensor, Martha’s grandfather, purchased land in Washington County in 1787. Both William Ensor and Thomas Ensor were farmers.
Description:
Just like an early rose
Ive seen an infant bloom
But death PerhaPs before it blows
Will lay it in the tomb

This quatrain, found on Martha’s sampler, is from the hymn “The Lilies of the Field” by an unknown author. This text appears in many 19th century hymnals and can be found on period tombstones.