Rachel Kay-Shuttleworth

Rachel Kay-Shuttleworth MBE
Born	(1886-02-17)17 February 1886
Died	20 April 1967(1967-04-20) (aged 81) Gawthorpe Hall, Padiham, England
Occupation(s)	Embroiderer Textile collector Girl Guide leader

Gawthorpe Hall, Kay-Shuttleworth's home where her textile collection is now displayed

The Hon. Rachel Beatrice Kay-Shuttleworth MBE (1886–1967) was an English embroiderer, lace-maker, textile collector, teacher and philanthropist. Her textile collection is held at Gawthorpe Hall in Burnley, Lancashire, her family home.^[1][2][3][4]

Early life

Kay-Shuttleworth was born on 17 February 1886 and was the daughter of Ughtred Kay-Shuttleworth, 1st Baron Shuttleworth (1844–1939) and Blanche Marion Parish (died 1924).^[5] She learned to sew, draw and paint in her childhood, and often visited the Victoria and Albert Museum when staying at her family's South Kensington home.^[1] She was influenced by the Arts and Crafts Movement and believed in the importance of creativity and craft for social and economic development; she taught textile skills in the community.^[1]

Textiles

Kay-Shuttleworth was an embroiderer and lace-maker, and started to collect textiles around 1912 to help with her teaching.^[1] The collection grew through donations from her family and friends, and during her lifetime grew to some 11,000 items, now increased to around 30,000. She gave the items hand-written labels, often written in green ink.^[6] Her collection is now maintained by a charity, The Rachel Kay-Shuttleworth Collections, operating under the name Gawthorpe Textiles Collection.^[7][8] It is held and in part displayed at Gawthorpe Hall, which is managed by Lancashire County Council and owned by the National Trust.^[9] Kay-Shuttleworth opened Gawthorpe to the community as a "Craft House" and worked to secure funding for its future.^[1] Schools, colleges and craft groups were welcomed to visit the house and collections during her lifetime, and talks and study tours are now arranged by the charity, along with work with schools which won the Sandford Award in 2014.^[10][11]

Girlguiding

Kay-Shuttleworth played a major part in the early days of Girlguiding in Lancashire. She was the first County Commissioner, appointed in 1916, and held that position for over 30 years.^[12] A sampler presented to her on her retirement included at least one stitch made by every Guide in the county.^{[13][better source needed]} She was awarded the Silver Fish, Guiding's highest award, for her services.^[1] A gate in the grounds of Gawthorpe Hall commemorates her association with Guiding.^{[14][better source needed]}

Public service

Kay-Shuttleworth was appointed as a Justice of the peace in 1934 and was on the county youth committee and the county records committee.^[15] She was involved with the British Red Cross, Women's Voluntary Service, and the Civic Arts Association,^[1] and was appointed MBE in the 1949 New Year Honours "For public services in Lancashire".^[16]

Death

Rachel Kay-Shuttleworth did not marry, and died at Gawthorpe on 20 April 1967, aged 81.^[15]

Legacy

Kay-Shuttleworth's collection, known as the Gawthorpe Textiles Collection, is internationally recognised as a significant collection.^[17] The collection influences other designers: as examples, a flooring company has produced a "Gawthorpe" range of designs, inspired by items from the collection and named after members of Kay-Shuttleworth's family,^[18] and a knitting designer has created a design for a tam based on a coverlet in the collection, which was embroidered by Kay-Shuttleworth in honour of a 17th-century ancestor.^[19]

The Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale Council for Voluntary Services (BPRCVS) headquarters building in Burnley is named the Rachel Kay-Shuttleworth building.^[20]

References

1. "Rachel Kay-Shuttleworth". www.gawthorpetextiles.org.uk. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
2. "Gawthorpe Hall exhibition celebrating Miss Rachel Kay-Shuttleworth". Marketing Lancashire. 11 April 2017. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
3. "Things to see and do at Gawthorpe Hall". National Trust. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
4. Lyons, Richard; Mannion, Alison. Discover Amazing Women by Rail. Mid Cheshire Line and Calder Valley Line. p. 34. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
5. As reported in deprecated source "The Peerage", citing Mosley, Charles, editor. Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes. Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A.: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003.
6. "Collections". www.gawthorpetextiles.org.uk. Gawthorpe Textiles Collection. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
7. "The Rachel Kay-Shuttleworth Collections, registered charity no. 1182054". Charity Commission for England and Wales.
8. "Welcome". www.gawthorpetextiles.org.uk. Gawthorpe Textiles Collection. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
9. "Gawthorpe Hall". Lancashire.gov.uk. Lancashire County Council. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
10. "Learning". www.gawthorpetextiles.org.uk. Gawthorpe Textiles Collection. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
11. "Awards to Recognise Heritage Education Excellence". www.bishopg.ac.uk. Bishop Grosseteste University. 4 December 2014. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
12. "Exhibition: Guiding Light in Padiham". Lancashire Telegraph. 24 June 2010. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
13. "Nice surprise - Gawthorpe Hall, Padiham Traveller Reviews". Tripadvisor. 2014. Retrieved 22 March 2022. the embroidered sampler presented when Miss Shutttleworth retired as County Commissioner. Every Guide in the county contributed at least one stitch and it pictures camping scenes and other Guiding activities
14. "Girlguiding gate at Gawthorpe Hall. Rachel Kay Shuttleworth was a supporter of the Guides and a good friend of Lady Baden-Powell". Pinterest. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
15. "Miss R Kay-Shuttleworth (obituary)". The Times. No. 56922. 22 April 1967. p. 12.
16. "No. 38493". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 1948. p. 19.
17. "Gawthorpe Textiles Collection". trc-leiden.nl. Textile Research Center, Leiden. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
18. "Introducing the woman born in 1886 who inspired our Gawthorpe collaboration". For The Floor & More. 20 February 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
19. "Gawthorpe – pattern release!". KDD & Co. 19 February 2014. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
20. "History Of BPRCVS". www.bprcvs.co.uk. Retrieved 22 March 2022.

Further reading

• Williams, G. A. (1980). Rachel Kay-Shuttleworth - a memoir 1886-1967. Kendal: Titus Wilson.

External links

• Portrait of Kay-Shuttleworth by Peter Brannan, 1960
• Lancashire Legends - Rachel Kay-Shuttleworth YouTube video