page_title: Mary Linwood
section_title: Early life
hierarchical_section_title: Mary Linwood / Biography / Early life
context_page_description: Mary Linwood was an English needle woman who exhibited her worsted embroidery or crewel embroidery in Leicester and London, and was the school mistress of a private school later known as Mary Linwood Comprehensive School. In 1790, she received a medal from the Society of Arts.
context_section_description: Born in Birmingham in 1755, Mary Linwood moved to Leicester in 1764 with her family after her father, a wine merchant, became bankrupt. He died young and her mother opened a private boarding school for young ladies in Belgrave Gate. When her mother died Linwood took over the school and continued it for 50 years. Linwood made her first embroidered picture when she was thirteen years old, and by 1775 had established herself as a needlework artist. By the age of 31, Mary had attracted the attention of the royal family, and she was invited to Windsor Castle by Queen Charlotte along with Mary Delaney and Mary Knowles whom the queen also engaged with to show their work.
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