[7] An article in a 1950 newspaper begins the story with "Centuries ago there lived at a house called Calais Wold, not far from Bishop Wilton, in the Pocklington area, five sisters, each of whom made a tapestry.

"[9] At the end of the story, after one of the sisters had died, "they sent abroad to artists of great celebrity in those times, and... caused to be executed in five large compartments of richly stained glass a faithful copy of their old embroidery work.

[15] At the bottom of the central light is one panel of earlier Norman glass (c.1180), showing Habbakuk feeding Daniel in the lions' den.

[23] In 1847, York Minster's historian, John Browne, published contemporary coloured drawings of the windows, before the impact of dirt and corrosion discoloured them.

[24] In 1907, during renovation of the Minster, overseen by George Frederick Bodley RA, it was discovered that a layer of plain green glass, which had been added to protect the windows, had cracked, together with the surrounding stonework.

While in Egypt she had seen wounded soldiers arriving from Gallipoli, about whose carers she wrote, "I was witness to the untiring devotion under great difficulties of the nurses and other women who gave themselves up, entirely regardless of their own health, in some cases with fatal results, to alleviate the suffering of the men.

In the letter, she described entering the Quire at York Minster and seeing two young children in the centre of the North Transept, beckoning and pointing towards the window.

[44] 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.

"[46] 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.

[48] 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.

[50][51] After being reinstated, the newly restored windows were unveiled by the Duchess of York at a dedication service on 24 June 1925, together with an inscription reading, "Sacred to the memory of the women of the Empire who gave their lives in the European war of 1914–1918".

[55] At the end of the service, a guard of honour was composed of 70 female VADs from the North Riding of Yorkshire British Red Cross and 50 Girl Guides.

[61] With excess funds from Little and Gray's fundraising efforts ten oak screens, designed by Tapper,[62] were added to the north side of the St Nicholas Chapel.

"[65][66] The women are listed as serving in the following organisations, with the insignias of each service included:[67] In 1935, there was an infestation of deathwatch beetle in the roof of the transept over the Five Sisters window.

[72] Before being reinstated the windows required further restoration, which was part of an effort to make safe the entire west front of the Minster, to avoid its being "permanently defaced by gantries, erected as a necessary protection to passers-by against stones falling as they crumble away".

[74] In June 1950, in reference to fundraising for the Five Sisters window, the Dean of the Minster was quoted as saying, "We have been anxious that it should be the work of the women of Yorkshire and England, as it was after the First War.

[81] The scaffolding was fully removed in March 1951, giving the first unobstructed view of the windows since 1935 when work had been carried out to repair damage from the death watch beetle.

[86] After further investigation, it became clear that Medieval blue soda glass was not as rare as had been suspected, and that York Minster had at least ten times as much as was initially thought.