SAMPLER, Fanny Tatlock

Alphabet in upper and lower case followed by numbers 0 - 9 and then a verse: 'Thy will be done. Matthew VI.10. Father whate'er of earthly bliss [T]hy sovereign will denies Accepted at thy throne of grace Let this petition rise Give me a calm a thankful heart, From ev'ry murmur free, Thy blessings of thy grace impart, And make me live to thee. [Row of stylized flowers in pink, yellow and green] Fanny Tatlock Liberated African Bathurst Sierra Leone xx December 18 1828' xx [xx = urn of stylized flowers] All within a geometric border. Fanny Tatlock was brought up and educated by the Tatlock family in England and became a missionary in her homeland, Sierra Leone. Family tradition records that she had been found at sea as a small child, having been cast overboard in a barrel from an illegal slave ship. (Slave Trade with the British Empire was abolished in 1807) Captain Tatlock, who was in charge of the Royal Navy ship which was in pursuit of the slave ship, noticed a barrel floating in the sea and had it raised on board. Tatlock raised and educated the young African child with his own family in England. She was named Fanny after Tatlock's wife, Fanny Tree Tatlock. As a young woman Fanny returned to her homeland, Sierra Leone, to work as a missionary. She sent the sampler, worked in 1828, from Sierra Leone to the Tatlock family in England as a gift. The sampler was brought to Western Australia in 1838 by Fanny's 'sister', Frances Tree Mitchell (nee Tatlock, daughter of Captain Tatlock) Frances married the Rev. William Mitchell in 1832 and migrated with him to the Swan River Colony in 1838. Mitchell had been employed by the Western Australian Missionary Society (formed in 1830s by several laymen from the S.R.C. including G.F. Moore and F.C. Irwin) to act as clergyman for the Upper and Middle Swan districts 'which owing to their remoteness from the Colonial Chaplain's residence, were destitute of spiritual leadership and devoid of public worship' (Greenslade, Mitchell Amen, p.9) (Mitchell's appointment followed that of Giustiniani who left the Colony in 1838) He settled at Middle Swan in the house built for Giustiniani, and within three years had built three new churches in his area; at Guildford, Middle and Upper Swan. (details Greenslade, pp.12-35) and for many years worked with the Aborigines. In about 1858 he moved to Perth with family to work as Prison Chaplain at the Perth Gaol in Beaufort Street. The sampler is donated by Mrs Doreen Effie Berliner (nee Wright), great-great granddaughter of Frances Tree and Rev. William Mitchell. (see family tree pp.147&177 of Greenslade.)
See Provenance for more recent historical research which suggests an alternative history.

New research 2011 - see Provenance

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