Acquired from Mrs Alice Hedley, 8 Mansfield Street, Cavendish Square, W. along with 695-1902, 696-1902 and 698-1902, two chasubles of similar date and a maniple, all for £50. The recommendation from Keeper Kendrick for the Council for Art at a meeting held on 23 June 1902 stated: 'These 3 chasubles, the property of Mrs Hedley, came from Hexham; they have not been in use for 20 years. The black chasuble appears to have been made from a pall, and the blue and red ones, as is very usual, from copes. They are all of English needlework; early 16th century'. (A. Kendrick's Report, 21/06/1902, RP. 87187/1902) Robert Thornton, to whom the initials RT refer, was 22nd Abbot of Jervaulx Abbey, Wensleydale, Yorkshire, from 1510 to 1533. His tombstone is in nearby Middleham Church. Historical significance: Black textiles of this period seldom survive intact because of the corrosive effect of the dyestuffs on the fabric. This is interesting as an example of a garment made specifically for a particular clergyman, and for the fact that after the Reformation it was probably cut down into its existing shape and continued in use.