Pennsylvania weaver Samuel Meily antique coverlet, 1856 Cedarville IL

Dated 1856 woven wool and linen bed cover, marked Samuel Meily - Cedarville Illinois. This came right out of a farm estate only a few miles from Cedarville, just a few miles from us here in Monroe, Wisconsin. It hasn't traveled very far, and it's been very well cared for during it's 150+ years of life, as it's in amazingly good condition.

We found out quite a bit about Samuel Meily and his coverlets at the website for the Shelby Museum - http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ohsmh/ShelbyMuseum5a.html - it's well worth a look, as there are several of his pieces in their collection, and Cedarville marked covers are mentioned in the history of the Meily family. Cedarville and the neighboring Freeport Illinois were predominately Pennsylvania Dutch during the 1850s, and we can imagine Samuel (father, son, or both) would have easily found a winter or two of work weaving these Pennsylania coverlets for the towns and area farm settlers. This one has a very typically dutch design, with distelfink (distlefink?) birds, tulips, and stars.

The colors are excellent, very bright and rich without fading. Both the wool and the linen warp are the homespun of the period, and have lasted very well, all things considered. The headboard end is raggy, and there are a few raggy holes along the side at the foot end. There's very little wear to the fringe overall. The spread measures 72" wide, two 36" widths joined together at the center. (The center seam has been resewn at some point, not as neatly as originally!) It's 76" long overall.