A late 17th or early 18th century English band sampler, worked by Mary Greening

Embroidered in coloured silks on a linen ground with rows stitched with the alphabet and interspersed bands of trailing flowers above the inscription…

‘A·Wise·Child·Maketh·A·Glad·Father / But·A·Foolish·Child·Is·The·Heaviness· / Of·His·Mother’

…followed by the initials ‘R·G’ ‘M·G’ ‘W·G’ ‘M·G’ amid hearts and crowns., over further bands of trailing flowers and an alphabet followed by the inscription…

‘Beauty·Is·A·Blossom·That·Faideth·A· / Way·But·Virtu·Is·A·Flower·That·Will / Never·Decay’

Then numbers, hearts and crowns, a band of large trailing roses, and the inscription…

‘Count·That·Day·Lost·In·Wich·The·Rise / ing·Sun·Ven(?)s not ·In·The·Some·Worthy· / Actions·Done’ …followed by the name and age…‘Mary·Greening♥·Aged·8Ye’

…and a final inscription…

‘With·Care·y·Cost·This·Have·I·Wroug / ht·y·Finsht·With·Virguns·Thought·’

It is not possible to be certain of the birthplace of Mary Greening, but it is intriguing to note the baptism of a child of this name in the Long Crendon Parish Records for 28th July 1689, the daughter of another Mary Greening and her husband Thomas.

The Buckinghamshire village was notable as a centre for the making of needles, and Christopher Greening, ancestor of Mary and tenant of Dragon Farm in Long Crendon in the16th century, is reputed to have been the first in England to make them from steel, having learnt the necessary techniques in Europe prior to his return to England. From then until the end of the 19th century the village remained an important producer of needles and, in the early part of this period, the presence of the Greening family in the village remained strong, with further Marys born during the course of the 18th century.

The sampler 42.1cm (16⅝”) high and 22.9cm (9”) wide.

Mounted, and in a frame 49.3cm (19⅜”) high and 30.4cm (12”) wide.