Collection |
MHS (unaccessioned) Textiles |
Date |
1885 |
Description |
An 1885 coat or wrap known as a Dolman. Made of black silk velvet with black watermarked taffeta collar, lapels and cuffs. At the waist centre back the velvet falls into box pleating to accommodate a bustle. Dolman is fastened centre front by metal hooks and eyes (9). There is a ribbed tape that secures the waist, tying centre front. Heavy velvet tassels hang from the back of the sleeves and from the extended lapel. Fully lined with dark brown polished cotton. Some stitching is insecure. Machined with handstitched finish. Very elegant garment.
This garment belonged to Mrs. Chaytor of Hazel Grove near Stockport in greater Manchester, Cheshire County, England, as written on a dark brown linen tag inside the neckline at the back. It was donated by Miss Chaytor of Picton. [There were two Miss Chaytors of Picton, both the daughters of John Clervaux (1836-1920) and Emma Fearon (died 1913) Chaytor. Beatrice Emma (1871-1950) Chaytor and Isabel Clervaux (died 1976) Chaytor. Source: MHS Archives cemetery index and VF records. The Mrs. Chaytor is possibly their mother, Emma Chaytor.]
The Mrs. Chaytor is most likely Emma Fearon Chaytor, wife of John Clervaux Chaytor, her daughters-in-law all married after the coat was made. Two of Emma Chaytor's children, Elinor Mary and D'Arcy, are not on the New Zealand birth indexes, so the Chaytor parents may have been out of the country in the mid 1870s. Elinor Mary Chaytor is on the English birth indexes being registered in the December Quarter of 1874, in Darlington on the boundary of Durham and North Riding of Yorkshire counties. D'Arcy is not on either index. [Source: Free BDM for England and Free BDM for New Zealand, both sites on the internet 16 April 2010].
Part of Ethel Collins collection. Some of the clothing collection attributed to Mrs. Ethel Collins was gathered before she became a member of MHS. Later, as volunteer in charge of the Textile Department, garments were donated to her for the Society [see MHS minute book 5, page 211]. These garments joined her own donated collection and all became part of the MHS Textile Collection. |
Object ID |
0000.600.0258 |
Object Name |
Coat |
Other # |
T2036 |
People |
Chaytor, Beatrice Emma Chaytor, Isabel Clervaux Chaytor, Emma (nee Fearon) Fearon, Emma (later Chaytor) |
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