THE Wellington Museum is searching for the long lost history of a 19th century artist whose work features as part of a new exhibition which is set to open this April.

Sarah Cross was just 10 years old when she produced a sampler of the prospective Wellington Monument in 1818.

After its donation to the town’s museum in 2024, the team is now on a mission to unearth the history of the sampler’s creator.

The creation of such samplers was common practice for girls and young ladies at the time, in order to show-off their sewing skills, hence why Sarah produced hers with immense skill at such a young age.

The 19th century sampler featured in the museum depicts the Wellington Monument at its centre, with the Duke of Wellington - a leading political and military figure best known for his defeat of Napolean Bonaparte at Waterloo in 1815 – standing on top of it. Surrounding the obelisk are birds, plants and other figures, all encased by a decorative border.

Sometime after its completion, the sampler was bought by Lorraine Mootz who resided in Germany and who for years had researched and collected samplers. She then sold it to the Toms family of Wellington, who formerly manufactured violin strings in the town. The family allowed her to look after it in her collection where it stayed until 2024, when it was donated to the museum.

Now that the work is in the hands of Wellington Museum, the team is calling on the help of locals, and possible descendants of the creator, to unpick the history of Miss Cross, who they believe to have been born in West Buckland in 1808.

Sarah’s sampler is now set to feature in the museum’s upcoming exhibition which will be unveiled in an official opening ceremony on April 7.