Christening robe, cream-coloured, embroidered silk, about 1740-70

Christening robe made of quilted fine cream silk, with lambswool wadding and a thin cream silk backing. The quilting is worked in silk, in a find running-stitch. The gown is quilted all over in small square diamonds, with borders of tendrils and leaves. The robe opens centre-front, where it is decorated with five cream silk ribbon bows; there are no fastenings.

Given by John Laughton

The object has been in the Laughton family since it was made. The family lived in Tickhall , South Yorkshire, near Doncaster. They first arrived there in the late seventeenth century. Their primary home was Eastfield Farm. The family was land owners. Edmund Laughton, the donor's great, great, great grandfather, left Tickhall for the Isle of Man with all his family, except his eldest son, William Eastfield Laughton, who was an attorney plasticising in Rotherham. He did not marry.

The family returned to the mainland, Notthinghamshire initially, and then back to Tickhill. One member of the family remained on the Isle of Man, Alfred Nelson Laughton, where he became an attorney, the High Bailiff of Peel, and a member of the House of Keys. His son, Frederick Augustus Laughton, qualified as an attorney and then emigrated to Natal, South Africa, where the donor's father, Roger Laughton and the donor, John Laughton, were born. John Laughton emigrated to England in 1956.

The christening robe followed the family through all these moves. In 1957, the robe was first offered to the V&A Museum by Roger Laughton. It was not accepted and was loaned by the family to the York Museums Trust. In 2017, it was offered to the V&A Museum of Childhood and accepted.

The family's archives are depositied in the Doncaster archives.

B.94-2017