The framed needlepoint sampler was sewed by Jessie Mercer at the age of eight in 1841. Jessie was the maternal great grand-aunt of the donor, and at that time was a pupil at Miss McKenzie's School in St Ninians.
No firm details have been found as to the location of the school, but a
teacher named Isabella McKenzie was living in the Barnsdale area of St
Ninians in the 1840s.
The scene depicted in the sampler illustrates a story passed down
through the Mercer family, and is the legend of a young woman, the
daughter of a wealthy man in the north of England, who fell in love with
her father's shepherd. When her father found out, he had the shepherd
"done to death". The heartbroken girl left home taking the flock of
sheep with her, wandering the countryside until she was found dead by
the roadside with the few remainders of her flock. Her story was known
as far north as St Ninians.
"But Jesus said, suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me, for of such is the Kingdom of heaven".
It is a significant achievement for an eight year old child, and measures some 30 x 26 inches framed.The gift to the Smith is accompanied by a collection of family photographs, documents and ephemera. Research is currently underway to establish more details about Jessie's identity and the Mercer family's connections with St Ninians. If anyone can assist with information please contact the Smith on 01786 471917.
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