wedding dress & petticoat

Summary

Blue silk robe, altered at a later date in the 18th Century. Belonging to Anne Wollridge and said to have been dress worn at her wedding at Leeds, 1735 (aged 18). Bodice lined with cream linen. Two sewn-down pleats each side narrowing to waist and falling through into skirt. Side ending at shoulder with narrow section addes each side, falling in tongue-shape below bodice level in front, leaving centre open over stomacher. Narrow band sewn and then falling loose from each shoudler. Back of neckband trimmed with pinked ruching. Elbow length sleeves with small turnback cuffs of blue ribbon, edged with silk bobbin lace. Skirt hem faced with glazed cotton (callamanca). Ties of raw-edged strips of material inside skirt, sewn below waist and above hem on right (missing on left). Petticoat : Blue silk satin, lined with cream wool, quilted in small diamond pattern with formalised leaf and floral pattern at hem between heavy cord pipings with ribbon with figured edge. Shaped lined waitband, open at back (tapes sewn on later and waitband also may be later addition as it is sewn over sewn-up pocket slits on right and left).