96/47

Heart-shaped pin cushion from Hearns Farm in Gallowstree Common, Oxon. Decorated with an image of the East Surrey regiment badge.
A heart-shaped pin cushion which came from Hearns Farm in Gallowstree Common, Oxfordshire. It is decorated with an image of the East Surrey regiment badge, silver thread, beads, sequins, a red tasselled fringing. It also bears a patch of four flags and a inscription poem 'Think of me'. This 'sweetheart' pin cushion was probably made during World War One.

1 pin cushion: good condition

MERL ‘Handwritten accession form’ (Institute of Agricultural History) – ‘Standard museum name: PINCUSHION // Accession number: 96/47 // … // Recorder: JMB // Date: 15.4.97 // Description: A heart shaped pincushion decorated with silver thread, beads and sequins. There is a heraldic picture on card pinned in the centre with flags to the right and an inscription to the left. It has a tassled red fringe round the edge. // Inscription: EAST SURREY THINK OF ME etc. // Dimensions: Length: 20.0 cm Width: 18.0 cm // Associated information see 96/46 [items 96/46–96/53 were donated by Mrs Old but came from her mother-in-law’s home when she died in January 1996.]’, MERL Miscellaneous note - According to the Imperial War Museum this type of 'sweetheart' pin cushion were made by soldiers during World War One. They were made from a kit, and sent home by the convalescing soldiers to family. The central panel shows the East Surrey regiment badge: an eight-pointed star, the topmost point of which is mounted by a crown. At the centre is a shield bearing the Arms of Guildford: a castle with three towers with two woolpacks, and a lion passant. Below the star a scroll bears the unit title. The regiment was in existence between 1881-1959. The top right patch shows flags: Union flag (1801-present), French flag (1794-present), Russian flag (1705-1922, 1991-present) and Romanian flag (1867-present). The top left patch is a poem 'Think of Me When the golden sun is sinking, and your mind from care set free, when of others you are thinking, will you sometimes Think of Me'

1914 - 1919