Lorina Bulwer embroided this sampler in Great Yarmouth workhouse female lunatic ward in around 1900. The 12ft by 1ft long sampler is just one long confused rant with no punctuation, much like this blog!
The sampler is addressed to the Maharajah of Kelvedon Brandon Thetford and begins:
“The Chatter is I Miss Lorina Bulwer Cambs Woman Drove to Thrigby Hall Norfolk E. Bulwer Married An Hemaphrodite Eunich I Miss Lorina Bulwer Was Examined By Dr Pinching of Walthamstow Essex And Found To Be A Properly Shaped Woman”
Below I have added a cutting from the Great Yarmouth Mercury which gives more details on this amazing and thought provoking sampler…
How fascinating, seriously odd and disturbing all in one go. You’d have to be slightly insane to be bothered to handstitch all that rant really. And why addressed to Duleep Singh (another really interesting character)? Thanks for that C really enjoyed it.
Lisa x