first documented reference so far found to the embroidery:

318A. Embroidered Altar Cloth, white silk shot with gold, from the Church of St. Faith, Bacton, Herefordshire. Presented by Mistress Blanche Parry, maid of honour to Queen Elizabeth. The needlework of the foliage and fruit is of the most exquisite description, but apparently the birds, beasts, fishes, insects, reptiles, and human figures were added by a later and less skilled hand. Unfortunately, the altar cloth was cut down to suit a very small altar some time previous to the present century, and, later still, 'repaired' in a very bungling fashion. There are two traditions extant: one that the altar cloth was formed out of an existing cope, which is certainly false; the other that it was made from one of Blanche Parry's court dresses, which is probably not the case.[24]

The next reference to the embroidery is found in one of the Parish magazines[25] . This is No. 57, September 1910:

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[24] There are also descriptions of the chalice and paten. Revd. Brothers took the chalice and paten to the 1924 Oxford 'Exhibition. He could not take the Blanche Parry Embroidery in 1924 as it was framed. I am indebted to Roger Hull of the Liverpool Record office.

[25] These volumes were dispersed and sold at Revd. Brothers' death. Colin Brothers, his great-nephew has 1912. Others, including the 1910 volume, now belong to Mr. and Mrs. Bill Millington. Mr. Millington is currently the Churchwarden of Bacton Church. I am most grateful to them for allowing me access to these volumes.