When Lockdown happened to us all and we were all restricted and confined to our homes, Muriel began to develop an interest and empathy to the situation of Mary,Queen of Scots, during her long incarceration. As a stitcher she also used her time on embroideries, as did Mary, and as did many of us.
We are familiar with Mary's story, how she was sent to France at the age of five to marry the Dauphin, and how she came back to Scotland when he died. It was while she was in France that she learned to embroider, probably from her mother-in-law Catherine de Medici. Printed books were becoming more available then, and many illustrations provided inspiration for the designs. Also steel needles were being made in greater quantities, the best ones from Spain and probably introduced by Catherine of Aragon.
The types of embroidery common then were such as blackwork and canvas work, which could be worked in small pieces that could be held in the hand, and joined together to make larger hangings and other household items.
We know the story of Mary's disastrous marriages, and how she eventually ended up being imprisoned for twenty years in various castles and houses, all halfway between England and Scotland and away from the sea, so she could not be rescued. Many of these were owned by the very wealthy Earl of Shrewsbury, as he was chosen to guard her because he could afford to support her and her large household, numbering up to 60 staff, including her own chef and embroiderer. Mary had her own income as Dowager Queen of France, but she refused to spend her own money unless she was freed.
She had a comfortable life, with her own apartments, and she was able to afford the best silks, satins and threads. Initially she was allowed visitors and some freedoms like riding, and even allowed to go to Buxton when unwell, to take the waters. Later her imprisonment became more onerous, and her embroideries were a great solace to pass the time.
The fabrics were linen and canvas, and the threads she used were wool, silk, gold, silver and silver gilt. Natural dyes enabled the threads to last longer than our modern chemical dyed threads (that was an eye-opener!). Most of her threads came from France.
Her embroiderer took designs from books and transferred them to canvas for her to work in cross stitch and tent stitch.
She often stitched hidden meaning into her work, for example the ginger cat below represented Elizabeth I with the paw on the tail of the mouse, Mary.
She signed her work with a motif, which showed her as Queen of Scotland and of France, and left a large body of work until her sad end.
'In my end is my beginning'.
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