Dress fabric of silk braid, England, ca. 1898

Dress fabric of silk braid.

Given by Mrs Muriel Baker

This fragment of fabric formed part of the wedding dress outfit (T.309 to K-1982) worn by Harriett Joyce, the donor's grandmother, to marry Mr Sam in early October 1897 in South Wimbledon. The family came from High Easter near Chelmsford. The bride chose to be married in a purple silk day dress due to her advanced age (she was 37). While purple is typically a half-mourning colour, there is no known association with a death in the bride's family.

Before marriage Harriett was a lady’s maid to Mrs Crowley Boevey in West Kensington. Harriett's husband was a representative from the Water Board. She was a accomplished needlewoman who made her own dress and who may have altered it the following year to make the skirt narrower (parts T.309:C to F-1982 are two skirt gores and interlinings; the other parts H to J are also fabric remnants from the dress) and more fashionable, although the alteration is so neat as to be invisible. Harriett was known as a neat, brisk woman who was said to have bought her and her husband's home with her own savings. (Information given by donor upon delivery of dress)

T.309H-1982