In the context of Five Sisters window, discuss the Fundraising efforts of the Becoming a memorial.
In 1922 Little and Almyra Gray, a suffragist, former president of the National Council for Women Workers, local magistrate and social reformer, launched an appeal to raise £3,000 from "Yorkshire women" towards the restoration of the Five Sisters window before they were returned to the Minster. She proposed its dedication in memory of "the brave women who laid down their lives in the service of their country", most of whom were nurses. Consent was given for the dedication by the Minster's Dean and Chapter, and by the Army, Navy, civilian nurses, VADs, WAACs, WRNs and Stewardesses.Within nine weeks of launching the appeal 32,000 women from far beyond just Yorkshire, from across Britain and the Empire, had donated £3,500. Donors ranged from "Princess Mary (£50) to the widow, who, at considerable personal sacrifice, sent her whole week's pension". A booklet published to mark the rededication read "Princess Mary's keen interest thus directly...helped in a very great degree to bring about the swift response to the Appeal." In it Little made special mention of the female transport drivers "who went right up to the firing-line and the stewardesses who stuck to their posts."Cities from the North of England also financially supported the restoration: bronze plaques under the window of the Minster's Choir record that Carlisle, Durham, Chester, Ripon, Manchester and Liverpool all contributed to the cost. Florence Bell wrote a pageant play, The Heart of Yorkshire, as part of the fundraising effort.In 1922, while speaking at a fundraising meeting, the Dean of York revealed that, the previous year, a 30"x 30" panel of 14th century English stained glass had sold at auction for £18,500. From this, he extrapolated that the glass of York Minster was worth "about £73,000,000" [equivalent to £3.3 billion in 2023].
VADs York Minster York Liverpool Princess Mary Carlisle right Durham Chester Ripon WRNs Dean Dean of York Florence Bell WAACs Manchester Almyra Gray