These two lace bobbins were owned by lacemakers who wanted
to know where they stood. The one on the right says ‘My dear love me or leave
me alone’ an admonishment to a young man to make a commitment to the lacemaker or
to stop flirting with her. ‘My love, love me’ is a little sadder and perhaps suggests
unrequited love or it may just be a hint to a shy young man. This supposes that
the lacemaker purchased the bobbins herself. If in fact the bobbins were bought
by young men and given to the lacemaker they tell a different story. Perhaps
the lacemaker is the flirt and she is the one who is proving elusive to the
young man’s charms. The bobbin with the long inscription also has an unusual
addition to the spangle in the form of a sea shell which could have been a
present from a sailor in the family. The bobbin on the right was probably made
by James Compton as it has his style of head, tail and lettering. The one on
the left seems to be the work of Arthur Wright who is known for his bobbins
with pointed tails and a cruder style of lettering than the Comptons. Both
bobbins were probably made in the middle of the nineteenth century.
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