Description:Linen background. Coloured silk threads in cross and eyelet hole stitches. Alphabet, numerals, verse, simple border patterns, crown, tree, flower and bird motifs. Inscribed 'Elizabeth King Thringston October 4th 1791'. From the Staffordshire County Collection. 450mm x 267mm.
Verse: 'Jesus permit thy sacred naame to stand
A feeble effort of an Infant Hand
And while her fingers on the canvas move
Engage her tender Heart to seek thy love
Imprint the virtue in her youthful Frame
and make thy chiefest good her greatest aim.'
Towards the end of the 18th century, samplers taught not only sewing but also literacy in the forms of alphabets, numerals and religious texts. These grew in importance and became an almost essential part of sampler making throughout the 19th century.