Here is everything you need to recreate The Robertson Quilt and track its journey from Baltimore to Whidbey Island.
From Elizabeth A. Hancock,
GGG granddaughter of
William and Mary Jane Robertson
The Robertson story and quilt provenance are unique in their depth and continuous history from 1836 through today.
Family historians researched, recorded, archived and told the stories for each generation. It is a mesmerizing journey; a long line of sea captains living adventures of the sea trade, early to mid-nineteenth century Baltimore, movement to the west coast and Northwest Territory, and leaving a historical impact on a land celebrated for its history.
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Mary Jane Robertson
Even though there is little directly recorded about Mary Jane Robertson, she left traces of a significant impact on those around her. She had a drive and determination to make lives better for those around her.
She was a seamstress for sure. Her Chinese sewing table with all its carved ivory tools are testament to that. It is highly likely that she made at least two Robertson quilts herself, one being Capt. Robertson’s Independent Order of Odd Fellows founder’s quilt and the other being an early high-style Baltimore Album quilt, “The Robertson Quilt.” A shared I.O.O.F. medallion pattern is testament to her connections to the Baltimore Album quilters around her.
Mary Jane fought for women’s rights even when there was considerable opposition. She was instrumental in the founding of the first Rebekah Sisters organization, although the Robertsons sailed west just before it became official. She remained true to the ideals of this organization through her entire life.
Mary Jane’s bravery was clear. She made the journeys from Ireland to Virginia, from Maryland across the isthmas of Panama to San Francisco and finally to Whidbey Island. We know she traveled horseback through the woods and across the beaches to and from her beloved Lea Bluffs homestead. With her family she rebuffed a northern Indian attack. We know her famous Christmas banquet was served with people coming from islands all around to enjoy her cooking. And we know the captain cared deeply for her. When tensions were high in the territory, this sea captain even allowed his mate to take his ship, the Tarquina, on its next voyage so he could stay home and keep her safe. The mate stole the ship, but that is another story.
William J. Robertson
William John Robertson was drawn to the sea from a young age. The family has always said he ran away to sea at 14 and was a sea captain at the young age of 19. He was already an established mariner when he and his wife Mary Jane moved from Virginia to Baltimore, Maryland.
In Baltimore, Capt. Robertson set his sights on making lives better for those around him. In addition to his seagoing ways, he ran a mariners’ temperance house for sailors who preferred a quieter stay in port. He was also a founder of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows in Maryland, a new Odd Fellows that focused on benevolence. He used his shipping expertise to raise funds for the library with excursions and banquets.
Capt. Robertson chose the Whidbey Island homestead, Lea Bluffs, for its waterfront shipping ease, its arable land and the forests. He was known up and down the West Coast for shipping his own timber for the new San Francisco piers and for transporting supplies and carrying news to and from the northern territories. It was not surprising then that the well known captain was chosen to ship the first library to the Washington territory.
In 1861, after the theft of his ship, the brig Tarquina, Capt. Robertson entertained other endeavors, including, serving as the first keeper of the light at the new Red Bluff Lighthouse at Admiralty Head. Capt. Robertson’s life did not slow down, but continued on with hard work, determination, and with a keen sense of entrepreneurship. The Robertson family’s legacy is still evident in buildings and vistas on Whidbey Island today.
Lea Bluffs
Capt. Robertson chose Lea Bluffs from endless other homestead opportunities on the West Coast. He saw a rich arable land, perfect beach access for his shipping to Port Townsend and beyond, and forests for timber piles he would ship to San Francisco. In fact they may have named this place Lea Bluffs because “lea” means an open area of grassy or arable land. They may also have named it Lea Bluffs because they came from a county named Lea or because there were so many Leahs in the family.
Today, the Whidbey Camano Land Trust has seen the same qualities in this place. Without knowing its history they describe it as “226 acres of incredible farm and forest, with two-thirds of a mile of shoreline and beach. It’s also one of the oldest farms on Whidbey Island, surrounded by 175 acres of forest . . . It has been one of the Land Trust’s highest protection priorities for years because of its size, long natural coastline, important Puget Sound salmon habitat and climate resilience benefits.” They have named it The Keystone Farm and Forest Preserve.
Throughout the years, this land has given in abundance to generations of the Robertson family. It has maintained its integrity, is still intact, and holds tight to the Robertson years. These ship bollards are a testament to its ties to the Robertson legacy.
