Frances Grassby - Pleasure in perfection is

Frances’ sampler is a delight for the eye. Originally intended as a travel project for Nicola, the sampler became her main project from the moment the last stitch was charted. Some samplers call so loudly that you cannot ignore them. We hope that she will call loudly to you, too.

Frances (Fanny) Grassby was born on Christmas Day 1835 to Robert, an agricultural implement manufacturer, and his wife Matilda (nee Carrick). She was the second of their daughters to be named Frances, their first daughter having died two months earlier aged just 2 years. Frances was baptised into the Roman Catholic faith on April 26th, 1836 in the Church of the Holy Sacrament which was the only place of worship in Marton. The village can be found in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. Frances died in childbirth on August 23rd, 1860 at the age of just 24. Her daughter Fanny Matilda Grassby Batty was  baptised 6 days after her mother’s burial.

We wonder if the sampler Frances Grassby “ended” on November 13th, 1846 aged 9 was all Fanny had to cherish from the mother she never knew.

“Lead me to heaven the seat of bliss where pleasure in perfection is”