This message was sent to us from Robin Campbell, the curator at Peebles 
Island where the towels are stored.

"Mystery solved - Mary and I both feel pretty sure they are towels. They 
are quite lovely. They run selvage to selvage 22" wide and at each end of 
the 50" length is a 2" wide hemstitched edge. Most of the field is plain 
with a very large calla lily pattern - looks almost art nouveau to me - 
that meanders. If you fold the fabric in thirds so that it measures about 
7" wide by 50" long the monogram (for William & Lucy?) is clearly in the 
center of the panel. (Which is how it would be seen if it hung on a towel 
rack). They really are a very fine linen - certainly nice enough quality 
to be dinner napkins. I can see why Brielle thought they were napkins. 
There is another set with them that clearly are napkins - also with the 
WLJ monogram. They have the monogram in one corner and the pattern is 
clearly designed to fit a sq piece of cloth."

The tri-fold nature of the cloth along with the fact that they are only 
hemstitched at the top and bottom, as opposed to all the way around like a 
napkin, indicate that they are, more likely than not, towels.  A huge 
thanks for the sleuthing and for the chuckles.  

FYI - William II and Lucy Jay, the great-grandson and wife of John Jay 
were married in the 1860s so the supposition was that they were from their 
bridal trousseau.  However, the calla lily pattern would indicate that 
they were a bit later, perhaps the 1890s, which would be appropriate for 
William and Lucy's dates. 

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