Dennis Mills 2024 donation coverlet #41
Transcription notes:
Overshot Coverlet c. 1850-60
Ref. Keep Me Warm One Night – Burnhams #240
Quilts and Other Bedcoverings R. McKendry #99
Unidentified weaver
Prob. Lennox & Addington Co.
DePoncier Collection
Strathcona (outside Napanee)
Poss. Peter Fretz weaver
The pattern draft for this coverlet is called “Beauty of the Lake”. It was a very popular
pattern since examples have been found across Southern Ontario and beyond.
This example is dramatic with equal bands of red and black wool on a natural white
warp. The centre seam for the two joined panels is well executed. The finishing at the
seam was probably completed by the weaver.
There are at least two other examples in the collection all collected in Lennox and
Addington Co. (the ROM example #240 was found in Prince Edward Co.). I suspect a
local Napanee area weaver can be linked to these coverlets. The main candidate is
Peter Fretz who worked as a weaver just north of Napanee (Van Luven Rd) in the mid-
19th c. I have made possible attributions to him for at least two other quality pieces. Nice
side borders [illegible - could be 'extended'] from the field pattern.
Condition: Good – overall excellent but one hole appears near the bottom left (black
square loss)
Source: Purchased at a contents sale in Napanee c. 2013. DePoncier family previous
owners from Strathcona, a village on the Napanee River (near Napanee),
Dimensions: 84” (213.5 cm) l. x 62 ½” (159 cm) w.
The DePoncier family linked to early Loyalist family Davy from L+A south.
