Mrs Wiggins made this crazy patchwork tea cosy in the Young Historical Museum’s collection.
Tea cosies were first used in Britain in the 1860s when afternoon tea had become a tradition.
According to Marion Harland’s 1876 book on etiquette ‘Breakfast, luncheon and tea’, the tea cosy ‘is a wadded cover or bag made of crotcheted worsted, or of silk, velvet or cashmere, stitched or embroidered as the maker may fancy, with a stout ribbon-elastic drawn loosely in the bottom.
'This is put over the teapot so soon as the tea is poured into it and will keep the contents of the pot warm for an hour or so.'
Crazy patchwork designs became popular towards the end of the 19th century and were used on quilts as well as other decorative items around the house.
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Mrs Wiggins has used feather stitches to join the velvet and cotton pieces together.
This dome shaped tea cosy covered the whole teapot, unlike the ‘bachelor’s tea cosy’ which left holes for the spout and handle.
The Museum’s documentation doesn’t record which Mrs Wiggins made this tea cosy but comparison with other known crazy patchwork tea cosies suggests a date towards end of the 19th century.
The presence of Lucy Wiggins’ school workbook in the collection also suggests a possible familial relationship.
Lucy’s mother Mary Wiggins, née Wales, was born in 1846 at Rye Park.
She married William Wiggins at the age of 26 in 1873 at Young.
He selected land at the Black Range in 1874 where they resided until taking up land at Wambanumba, on a property they called ‘Hillside’.
They ‘were a very quiet, reserved couple, keeping a home life, and rarely venturing very much into company. Both were much esteemed for all their quiet habits.’
In 1921 at the age of 74, Mary was the subject of a day long search when she left home with a hurricane lamp at 4.30am to bring the cows in for milking.
‘She has no need to perform such work, but it has been customary for her to rise early.’
The police and residents of Wambanumba were notified around daybreak that she was missing.
Constable Mann and Aboriginal tracker Thomas Montague ‘Monty’ Byrne scoured the country, as did her neighbours.
'Her tracks were ‘picked up on the Cowra road five miles across rough bush country from where she was seen crossing Marengo Road.
'Later her tracks were seen near Woodonga church.’ She eventually arrived at her son’s residence at 5.30pm after having walked 20-30 miles which included wading through the Wambanumba Creek, her faithful dog at her side.
She was tired and remembered nothing of her adventures but was otherwise well.
William died in 1923 and Mary died in 1932.
Karen Schamberger – Young Historical Society
