Jean Ketch brought two of her hooked rugs to Government House in Fredericton to ensure her family history lives on. She entered her work into the New Brunswick Mat Registry, a provincewide initiative documenting hooked rugs made in New Brunswick that are at least 25 years old. As originally reported by CBC News, this project prevents the stories of local makers from fading away.

One of Ketch’s rugs features a heraldic shield filled with items like a curling stone, a baseball bat, and a hockey stick. Every object on the rug symbolizes a loved one. “This is a history of my family,” Ketch says. She began hooking around 1980 and helped found Fredericton’s Heritage Rug Hooking Guild. While arthritis now prevents her from hooking, her 38 year old heraldry rug remains in pristine condition.

How the Registration Process Works

Entering a rug into the registry takes about two hours. Volunteers assign an official number to the rug and sew it onto the back using a cotton tag. The team then photographs, inspects, and measures the piece. They also interview the maker or their family members to capture the story behind the art. The rugs return home with their owners, but the paperwork finds a permanent home at the New Brunswick Museum right here in Saint John. A searchable online database also holds the photos and details. The registry currently holds records for more than 600 rugs.

Preserving Stories for Future Generations

Registry cochair Judy Morison and her team began planning the project around 2005. They noticed Nova Scotia and Newfoundland already had similar registries and realized New Brunswick needed one too. They wanted to stop people from throwing out worn rugs and losing the attached history. “We don’t know what’s going to happen to them,” Morison says. “They may treasure them, or some relative somewhere down the line goes and throws it out, who knows? But we have the story captured.”

The numbered tag ensures finders trace the rug back to the museum’s records years from now. These records hold important details. One documented maker was a botany professor who incorporated plant designs into her mats. Another was a mother of 13 who sold eggs at the county fair. Ketch feels relieved knowing her work and family history are officially on record. “Someday down the road,” she says, it will be noted “that Jean Ketch made this rug.”

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the New Brunswick Mat Registry?

The New Brunswick Mat Registry is a provincewide project that documents hooked rugs made in New Brunswick that are at least 25 years old.

Where are the registry records kept?

The physical paperwork is stored at the New Brunswick Museum in Saint John. The photos and details are also available in a searchable online database.

Do the rug owners have to give up their rugs?

No. After the two hour registration process, the rugs go back home with their owners. The registry only keeps the documentation and photographs.

How do they identify registered rugs?

Volunteers sew a cotton tag with an official registry number onto the back of each processed rug.