The Ackworth School was founded in 1779 in York/Great Britain by the Quakers. Girls and boys should have the same education in reading and writing; but after that they were separated: boys learnt scientific themes and girls were taught needlework and other housewife's skills.

The Ackworth girls stitched samplers. One of the particular Ackworth School Samplers are medallion samplers. The medallion samplers are constructed geometricly and have an extraordinary remarkable charm by their structure, density and grafical succinctness. "Recent speculation suggests that the medallions," .... " were mathematical stitch problems teaching the concept of whole, half, and quarters. Often only half a medallion appears as a form in a bordertreatment.
Other motifs on the samplers include typical Quaker designs such as a bird on a branch, paired doves, swans, tulips, lily of the valley, and other floral and decorative motifs. ..." (quoted from: Stephen and Carol Huber, Treasure or not? How to compare & value SAMPLERS, Old Saybrook, Connecticut)

Literature:

- Betty Ring: Girlhood Embroidery I und II, New York 1993

- Cora Ginsburg LLC: A Catalogue of exquisite & rare works of art including 17th to 20th century costume textiles &   needlework, New York 2004

- Jacqueline Holdsworth: Engagement, The Ackworth School Engagement Diary, A Token of Friendship, 2005

- Pamela Clabburn: Samplers, Princes Risborough 2002

- Witney Antiques: Samplers – Town and Country, Oxford 1997

- Witney Antiques: Diligence, Industry and Virtue, Oxford 2002

- Carol Humphrey: Samplers, Cambridge 1997

- Stephen and Carol Huber: Samplers, London 2002