In the upper two-thirds, the sampler has nine rows of alphabets and numbers separated by narrow crossbands. The signature reads:
Lucinda Ellif born May the 26th 1803 worked 1816

Below the signature is a row of vine and strawberries and below this is an unusual, transverse multicolored chevron or flame stitch pattern, extending from side to side, only seen on one other sampler in the AKS Collection (see Francis Mary Darnaby). This flame stitch pattern is more frequently seen on Virginia samplers. (See inverse verso and the verso in the ancillary images.). While Lucinda's teacher is not known at this time, the possibility of "Mrs Spencer" of the "Young Ladies Seminary" in Maysville, Kentucky being her teacher is raised. (see the MESDA Craftsman card, #73035, "Mrs. Spencer", as advertised in the July 16, 1818 Maysville, Kentucky "The Eagle" newspaper)

Lucinda Ellis was born on May 26, 1803, in the city of Orange, Orange County, Virginia, when her father, Dudley Brown Ellis (1760-1837), was forty-two years old, and her mother, Elizabeth Watts (1779-1853), was twenty-four. Dudley Brown Ellis was placed on the pension roll, 1832, for twenty-seven months actual service as a private in the Virginia line in the Revolutionary War. Lucinda’s Daughters of the American Revolution identification number is “33941”. * (see the Dudley Ellis Revolutionary War Virginia Line service card and Lucinda's DAR grave marker in the ancillary images)

Her siblings included Joel (1804-1863, born in Campbell County, Kentucky), Nancy E. (1805-1860), David Yancey (1807-1900), Mahala (1807-1829), Nelson W.(1811-?), and John (1811-1885). Note that Lucinda’s parents had moved to Campbell County, Kentucky shortly after Lucinda’s birth.

When Lucinda was fifteen years old, she married William Stuart Dunlop (1804-1845) (age fourteen), (of Campbeltown, Argyll, Scotland), in 1818, in Campbell County, Kentucky where Lucinda lived until at least 1860. Lucinda and William Dunlop had four children during their marriage including Adelphia (1819-?), John Milton (1820-1846), Clarence Edward (1822-1887), and daughter Jerusha (1823-1899). After her husband’s death she remained in northern Kentucky in Campbell and Kenton Counties. (see ancillary images showing an elderly but age unknown Lucinda)

Lucinda Ellis (Dunlop) died on June 21, 1901, in Covington, Kenton County, Kentucky, at ninety-eight years old, and was buried in the Independence Cemetery, (Section 6, Lot 15, Grave 7), Independence, Kenton County, Kentucky. (see ancillary images)

While parts of the below are informationally duplicitous, AKS quotes Lucinda’s obituary directly from “The American Monthly Magazine”, Volume 19; Published by the National Society, Daughters of the American Revolution, Washington, D. C. 1901, (written by Mary Brelsford), because of its most eloquent prose:

“Lucinda Ellis Dunlop was born at Orange Court House, Virginia, May
26th, 1803. Her father, Dudley Brown Ellis, a Virginian by birth, was
of English descent. He enlisted in the continental army from Hanover
County, (Virginia) in 1778 and served until the end of the Revolution, for which
he received a pension. He died in Campbell County, Kentucky, October
11th, 1831, at the age of 74 years. In 1800 he was married to
Elizabeth, daughter of John Watts, of Albemarle County, Virginia. They
went to live in Orange County where he built the court house, being a
master builder. When Lucinda was quite young, her father moved to
Maysville, Mason County, Kentucky. While living there the war of 1812 broke out, and
Lucinda remembers seeing the Kentucky troops, and all the noise and
excitement of their departure.
She attended a school for young ladies in Maysville and learned
reading, writing, arithmetic and grammar, worked her sampler, and at
the age of twelve years left the academy, her education finished.
Her father now bought a large farm in Campbell County, Kentucky,
where he spent the remainder of his life.
Lucinda was married at the age of fifteen to William Stuart Dunlop,
son of Captain John C. Dunlop, of Colerain, County Antrim, Ireland. He
was a graduate of the University of Dublin.
He was stationed at the fort of Cincinnati
and was of the party that escorted the new-come settlers to Dayton;
later he surveyed the road from Cincinnati to Dayton.
A short time afterward, while out on government duty, he was scalped by Indians.
Being comfortably provided for, Mrs. Dunlop's chief care was the
rearing and education of her children.
She possessed great force of character and a strong personality. For
the times she travelled much. Two trips were made to Virginia over the
Allegheny mountains. For many years she lived on a farm--part of her
father's Campbell County purchase. The house commanded the Ohio river
and adjacent hills. Point Pleasant, Ohio, General Grant's birthplace,
could be seen from the porch. On a corner of the farm, overlooking the
river, is an old family vault. Here her husband lies buried. Although
it has been abandoned as a family burial place, it is her wish to be
put there when she dies.
Mrs. Dunlop has been a great reader and kept well abreast of the
times. Her mind is a bright as ever. She was noted for her fine
needle-work.
She has never used glasses; her sight, and hearing too, being
remarkable keen until a few years past.
She was a grandmother at thirty-five and a great-grandmother at
sixty. She has had eight grandchildren, fourteen great-grandchildren
and five great-great-grandchildren, the last arrivals being twins--son
and daughter of Mr. and Mrs. O. D. Buvinger, of Dayton, Ohio.
She has lived through four wars in which her country has been
victorious. She saw General Lafayette in Cincinnati when he was the
nation's guest in 1824. She is waiting to be called home.“
(Source *1)