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Sampler

1768
Embroidered by Betty Black (Scottish, 1760– after 1841)
Crowns and coronets were popular designs for Scottish samplers made after the restoration of the British monarchy in 1660. These motifs often had a letter underneath to indicate the rank they represented, but the initials of makers’ family members were also common, as seen in this example. Betty Black was the daughter of Jean Macvicar and David Black, a reverend of the Church of Scotland who led the Parish of Kilspindie from 1737 to 1771. Their initials are under the large crowns on the bottom left; the small crowns with initials on the right represent Betty’s siblings.

Object Details

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