Housewife, 1815 (c)

This housewife belonged to Captain Newton Chambers who was killed at the Battle of Waterloo on 18 June 1815. Chambers served with the 1st Regiment of Foot Guards and was aide-de-camp to Lieutenant-General Sir Thomas Picton, commander of 5th Infantry Division, who was also killed in the battle.

While most early housewives were handmade from scraps of material that soldiers would have at hand, this one is made of silk. It contains pastel-coloured silk threads, five buttons and a small pincushion in a card tied with a pink ribbon. From its contents and his beautifully embroidered name, it can be assumed that it was probably given to Chambers by someone very close to him.