81/147

Non-reversible shirt type smock made from white brushed cotton and white thread. From Caterham, Surrey.
Collected by depositor's mother, Caterham, Surrey. It is not of the traditional style in cut or fabric. A non-reversible shirt type smock made from white wool or brushed cotton, and white thread. It is mostly hand sewn, although there is some machine stitching on the hem, yoke, sleeves and pockets. There is embroidery on the chest the front, and on the collar, yoke and cuffs. The body of the smock is made from two layers of fabric. There is no smocking at all on this garment. There is a large patch pocket on the chest. The smock is 69cm in length. An almost identical smock appears on the dust-jacket to the 2nd ed. of T. Hennell's 'Change in the Farm', 1936.

1 smock: white cotton; good condition

Citation in publication [Oliver, Tina, 'Smocks: A Guide to the Collections' (Reading: The University of Reading, 2000)] -‘A smock not of the traditional style, cut or fabric. It is short, square cut and with underarm gussets but without body fullness, the cotton twill weave fabric is lightweight and soft to the touch and is used double throughout. The front neckline is slit, with simply decorated sections added to form the reverse, a wide square collar is also attached. The garment is constructed with a combination of hand and machine stitching and has one patch pocket applied to the top left side of the front. The smock was part of a collection belonging to the donor’s mother when living in Caterham, Surrey. The garment was the subject of a letter published with a photograph in Country Life in 1968, enquiring as to its county of origin. The origins were not established. // A similar garment is featured on the cover of ‘Change in the Farm’ by T Hennell published in 1936.’ (pp.27), MERL Accession form- ‘Standard museum name: SMOCK // Accession number: 81/147 // Classification: PERSONAL, clothing, garment // Acquisition method: gift // Acquired from: Miss P Charon [...] Sussex // Date: 17.9.81 // Condition: good // Recorder: DJE. Date: 18.9.81 // Description: white, cotton smock, short length with broad collar which has wavy lines and crosses embroidered on it. The sleeves taper to the wrist. There is a single breast pocket. // Dimensions: width (at waist) 66cms, length 68cms // Associated information: Collected by the donor’s mother, Mrs K Charon, from Caterham Surrey, who died in 1977. She collected rural life material from the late 1950s. An almost identical smock appears on the dust jacket to the 2nd. Ed. Of Hennells ‘Change in the Farm’, 1936', MERL miscellaneous note – 'CLASSIFICATION: PERSONAL Clothing ['smock' scored through] garment // MUSEUM NUMBER: 81/147 // Name: SMOCK // Negative Number // [pencil sketch], MERL Miscellaneous note- ‘Brought in by: Miss P. Charon [...] Shoreham // Mother & owner of smock: Mrs K. Charon, [...] Surrey // Died 1977. Collector of rural life material from the late 1950s – esp. dairy material.’, Letter, Andrew Jewell to Mrs. Charon, 22 December 1976 – 'Dear Mrs. Charon, // I gather from my colleague that the smock and book got to you, safely I hope. I forgot to mention to Mr. Creasey, or to you on the telephone, that your photograph of the smock is within Hennell's book. // Thank you again for your kindness in adding to our collection and for giving us the opportunity of photographing the smock. I will pursue enquiries about it and will get in touch with you as soon as I have anything useful to report. The more I think about the matter the more likely I feel it is that Hennell may well have seen the garment that you now have and which he illustrated for the dust jacket of his book. Had you not brought that particular dust jacket to my attention, I scarcely think anyone else would ever have noted its relevance. We have found since that the publishers used this drawing for only one edition of Hennell's book. [...]', University of Reading ‘Memorandum Form’ – 'AJ // To H W // 81/147 // 22.12.1976 // Smock or overall brought to the Museum by Mrs. Charon of Caterham for recording [underlined] // The attached illustrations should be associated with the record and photographs together with correspondence fron Norfolk, etc. The smock was returned to Mrs. Charon by hand (John Creasey's) on December 21st 1976, together with a copy of Change in the Farm by Thomas Hennell.', Letter, Fiona C. Strodder, Norfolk Museums Service to Mrs. Hilary Woolley [MERL], 25 November 1976 – 'Dear Mrs. Woolley, // David Jones showed me the enclosed drawing of a smock in your collection and asked me to comment on it in relation to smocks in the collection at Strangers' Hall, which number 17 in all. // 1. We do not have any smocks with a collar like this one. In general our smocks fall into two basic types: // (a) Neck opens slightly back and front with rectangular turned-down collars on left and right and smocked panels back and front. // (b) Smock opens right down the front - button fastenings - with small turn-over collar and large square embroidered 'epaulettes'. Smocked panels back and front. // The nearest we have to your smock is one with a heavily embroidered 'shawl' collar, which opens in front and which is a wedding smock of the 1840s. // 2. None of our smocks have breast pockets - all pockets are at hip level or lower. // All sleeves on our smocks have smocked panels at cuffs and shoulders, even if there is no smocking on the rest of the garment. // Length: ost of our smocks are longer - around 100-180cm. We have two smocks around this length (80cm), the wedding smock mentioned above, and a smock said to come from Gloucestershire. // All in all, your smock is very unlike any in our collection, but I wouldn't like to say without seeing it, whether I thought it was genuine or not. // [...]', Miscellaneous note – ‘[ink sketch][pencil annotations]’, MERL Postal Deposit Form – ‘University of Reading // 81/147 // Museum of English Rural Life // Whiteknights Reading RG6 2AG // Telephone 0734 85123 Ext. 475 // The following is acknowledged with thanks: 1 Smock // 1 copy of Hennell, Change on the farm [underlined] // As a gift: // On loan (state time limit): // For identification, to be returned or collected on: // Donor’s name: Mrs. K. Charon [...] Surrey // Delivered by (if different from above) // Name // Address // For the Museum of English Rural Life // Signature: [...] // Date: 7 October 1976’

Fibre, cotton, Fibre

Smocked, Stitched, Embroidered

Charon, K. (Collector)