Findings Under the Floorboards: Sutton House's 17th-Century Fragments

This talk establishes the identification of paper fragments found underneath the floorboards of Sutton House in Hackney, London, as important material survivals of a 17th-century schoolgirl craft, specifically the decoration of domestic goods with coloured and cut prints. The rediscovery of these fragments 30 years after they were first found brings to light connections to groundbreaking early modern author Hannah Woolley and other contemporary literature, as well as re-establishes Sutton House's role in the landscape of 17th-century Hackney, the centre of girls' education.

Image description: Floorboard finds from Sutton House © National Trust / James Dobson