Treadle Sewing Machine

In the bedroom of Schramm’s Cottage we have on display a Treadle Sewing Machine, with our Reg. No. 0100. It was made by Tuanku of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in the late 1860’s and has its Serial No. 1089783N engraved on the bobbin cover. The machine is similar to the Singer unit of the same period. 

This sewing machine can be folded down inside the table and the wooden extension folded back to form a solid table top when not in use. Under each side of the table top are drawers for the storage of cotton, pins and needles, all supported by the steel framework of the treadle drive. Although almost 150 years old this sewing machine is still in working order. 

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Why is this sewing machine so significant in our museum?
The sewing machine belonged to Kate Schramm and she with her mother Eliza Pickering used it to teach needle work and sewing in the School Room of Schramm’s Cottage. In 1973 Mrs Alice Clauge of Castlemaine placed the sewing machine on loan with the Doncaster-Templestowe Historical Society for the future display in Schramm’s Cottage. It was then recorded that Kate Schramm had passed this machine and Fanny Hislop, who in turn had passed it onto their descendants. Mrs Alice Mar jor ie Clauge (nee Crossman) eventually donated this sewing machine to our Society in 2013. 

As part of our Museum Accreditation program we needed more details on the ownership of this machine during the time since the death of Kate Schramm. For the two sisters to be nieces of Kate Schramm they had to be the daughters of one of Kate’s brothers. Extensive research could not prove this. In fact Kate’s youngest brother, Frederick had married Annie Louisa (Tot) Hislop in 1893 at Collingwood. 

Fanny Hislop never married and shared a house in Doncaster with Frederick and Tot. Fanny was the organist at Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Doncaster from 1912 to 1944. Frederick, the local Veterinary Practitioner in Doncaster and Tot had one son Henry born 1899 but died aged 17 years in 1916 at Doncaster. He is buried in Box Hill Cemetery. 

After the death of Tot and Fanny the sewing machine was passed onto their cousin Eliza Mary Crossman (nee Hislop) who had married Percival Edward Crossman. It is interesting to note that Mrs Eliza Mary Crossman in 1932 gave the slate for the roof of the new Chancel and Vestry of Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Doncaster. The slate was from the demolished home (The Grange) in Doncaster Road of her grandparents George and Elizabeth Hislop. 

The sewing machine was later passed onto Marjorie Grace Crossman (nee Bail) the wife of Eliza Mary’s son Claude Percival Crossman and eventually onto their daughter Alice Marjorie Clauge (nee Crossman). 

The above is perhaps 150 years of trivial information relating to an old sewing machine, but it also provides much local history associated with it. With more than 2,500 items in our museum collection there is still much more research to undertake. 

Source: John Boylett writing in 2017-12 DTHS Newsletter.