McCraken Quilt gift to Surry County, Virginia, Historical Society and Museums, Inc. Surry County Virginia Historical Society and Museums, Inc.
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Surry County, Virginia, Historical Society and Museums, Inc.
P. O. Box 262, Surry, VA 23883   Phone (757) 294-0404
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The McCraken Quilt, a gift to Surry County, Virginia, Historical Society and Museums, Inc.
This spring, a very beautiful and unique quilt was donated to the Surry County Virginia Historical Society and Museums, Inc. In May, Robert and Beth McCracken, SCHS members who reside in Utah, came east to bring their family's treasured heirloom back to Surry Co. Bob has deep roots in Surry. His mother was Bessie Virginia Rowell, and his grandparents were William Richard Rowell and Lucie Baxter Edwards. He also has ties to the Berrymans and other "Surry families".

The crazy patch quilt has rich colors. One of the directors of the Historical Society who viewed it for the first time described it as "regal looking". The history of the quilt is also rich, although sketchy. We were told that the quilt squares were sewn by family members of Surry County Confederate soldiers. The 36 squares were joined and the quilt, according to family lore, was raffled as a fundraiser perhaps about 1885. Surry fundraisers were common to help veterans and their families. One of Bob's ancestors won the quilt and it has been passed down from generation to generation.

Each quilt square contains decorative stitches. Some have embroidery of birds, swords, cotton, flowers and popular Victorian era symbols, as well as embroidered initials. Could they be the initials of a soldier or of the person who made the square? What group or organization held the raffle, and for whose benefit? In what year was the fundraiser held?

Hopefully, the answers to these questions exist somewhere in our membership. If any of this sounds familiar, please let us know so we can fill in the gaps. And please make time to stop by the Surry Historical Society Office on Bank Street and welcome The Quilt home to Surry.

From The Surrey Side News, vol. 15, no. 3, Fall 2015
Quilt


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