Note 6 — III—HISTORY OF THE TAPESTRY.

One of these fragments of the Tapestry was sold to Mr. Bowyer Nicholls and was purchased from him by the South Kensington Museum in 1864. It was soon decided to return this fragment to Bayeux, which was done in 1872. Mrs. Stothard has usually been accused of abstracting these two pieces. She was, however, able to show that she was not married to Mr. Stothard till 1818, the third and last year in which he visited Bayeux, and that at this date these fragments were already in his possession. Prior to his marriage he had possessed these two pieces, and said that they were so ragged as to be incapable of restoration. But how he had acquired them was not divulged.