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All Saints, Boyne Hill, Maidenhead

 

THE STAINED GLASS WINDOWS

 

The windows in All Saints are a remarkable collection of works by foremost designers of their day, many to the designs of G E Street, including Hardman, Wailes, O’Connor, Heaton and Comper. Information about the windows is based on two sources, the main one being unsigned but believed to be the work of Paul Joyce of the Victorian Society, the foremost G E Street expert of his day, and another paper signed KJ.

The description of the windows, below, starts in the North East corner of the church with the Nativity and should be followed in a clockwise direction.

 

North Wall

 

1 1st window from West: three lights and a tracery circle over. The Nativity with The Adoration of the Shepherds and the Magi, adoring angels above. Carries inscription ‘To the Glory of God. In memory of Constance Maud Lamotte who died March 29th 1863 aged 7 years also of Lewis Jarvis Allen of trinity College Cambridge aged 21 years who was drowned in endeavouring to save the life of his friend August 21st 1864 + They shall see his face and his name shall ce in their foreheads Rev.22.4&5 verses’.  M & A O’Connor. 1865.

(replaced 1857 quarried glass windows by William Wailes).

This window was originally at the end of the North Aisle behind the Requiem Altar and was moved to its current position as part of the 1911 extension.

 

2 Clerestory cement panels above simulating windows: two panels.

By Arthur Street. 1911

 

3 2nd window from West: two lights and a tracery circle over. The Flight into Egypt and the Massacre of the Holy Innocents; in the circle Vision of St. Joseph with the quotation ‘Arise and take the young child with his mother’ (Matt.2.13).

By William Wailes. 1864.

(replaced 1857 quarried glass window by Wailes)

 

4 3rd window from West: two lights and a tracery circle over. Jesus as a boy among the Doctors in the temple, and the Baptism of Christ. Presentation of the baby Jesus to Anna and Simeon in the Temple in circle above. A brass plaque is located on the wall to the east of the window with the inscription ‘In memory of  Elizabeth Mary Carden  who went home to rest 30 Apr 1861 aged 14’.

By William Wailes. 1864.

(replaced 1857 flowered quarries with coloured borders by Wailes)

 

5 4th window from West: two lights and a tracery circle over. St. Augustine and King Ethelbert the first Christian King of Kent. In the circle, the landing of St. Augustine in England. Carries inscription ’To the Glory of God in commemoration of the landing of S. Augustine 597AD 1897’

By Heaton, Butler and Bayne. 1897.

(replaced the Miracle at Cana and the Calling of St. Matthew, with an Agnus Dei in the tracery by Wailes 1857 for G E Street)

 

6 Clerestory windows above: three separate pairs of cusped lights, each light containing an angel with a musical instrument.

By William Wailes 1857 for G E Street.

 

7 North aisle East window: two lights and a tracery circle over. The Annunciation by the Angel Gabriel to Mary. Inscribed ‘For the safety of this church 1939-1945 Thanks be to God’

By Sir Ninian Comper.1958. The original Crucifixion in the tracery remaining as below.

(replaced The Good Shepherd and the Prodigal Son, and the raising of Lazarus and the restoration of Jairus’ daughter with crucifixion in circle over, by M & A O’Connor Exec 1857 for G E Street)

 

The Chancel

 

8 North window: Four lights in two pairs with a tracery circle over each pair. The four Evangelists above and four Doctors of the Church below, St. Ambrose furthest from the Altar shown with a beehive on his left to represent a swarm of bees which is said to have landed on him when he was a child, symbolising his future eloquence; St. Jerome, known for his translation of the Bible into Latin, the lion recalling an episode when Jerome removed a thorn from its foot; St. Augustine of Hipp whose writings influenced the development of Western Christianity; and St. Gregory the Great with the Papal tiara to his right and a dove on his shoulder, in which form the Holy Spirit is said to have appeared to him and dictated what he should write.  The symbols of the Evangelists in the tracery circles.

By William Wailes 1857 for G E Street.

 

9 Great East window: Five lights and geometrical tracery. In the centre the crucifixion with Our Lady, St. John the Evangelist, St. Mary Magdalen and Angels of the Precious Blood, Eight side lights with scenes from the passion, Centre tracery with floriated cross. Two censing angels in flanking circles.

By John Hardman 1857 for G E Street.

 

10 Clerestory windows on South wall. Three separate cusped circles, each light containing an angel with angels bearing instruments of the Passion. On the left the Cross, in the centre the Crown of Thorns, and on the right the sponge on a reed in one hand and three nails in the other.

 By William Wailes 1857 for G E Street

 

South Wall

 

11 1st window from East: Three lights and three geometrical circles over. In the centre light, the Resurrection and two women meeting the angel on their way to anoint Christ with myrrh; in the left light  the Walk to Emmaus with, inset, a medallion of Christ breaking bread and the two travellers realising his identity at the Supper at Emmaus, and in the right light St. Mary Magdalen meets the Risen Christ in the garden with, inset, a medallion of St. Mary Magdalen breaking the News to the Apostles. In tracery circles, discs surrounded by conventional foliage.

By William Wailes 1857 for G E Street.

 

12 2nd window from East: two lights and a tracery circle over. On the left the Resurrected Christ appears to the Apostles, and on the right the Incredulity of St. Thomas.

By William Wailes for G E Street 1864.

(replaced quarried glass window by Wailes 1857)

 

13 3rd window from East:  Two lights and a tracery circle over. Christ appears to His Disciples on the waters, a shell in the bottom right hand corner; Peter getting out of the boat in response to Christ’s invitation. With floriated borders. Inscribed ‘+ In memory of Nigel Scott Gresley who died December 6 1863’.

By William Wailes for G E Street 1864.

(replaced quarried glass window by Wailes 1857)

 

14 Clerestory windows above. Three separate cusped circles, each light containing an angel with a musical instrument.

By William Wailes 1857 for G E Street

 

15 4th window from East: The Baptism of Christ, appropriately by the font. Text in the right hand light – ‘Hic est filius meus dilectus’ (This is my beloved Son). Also Inscribed ‘To the Glory of God and in loving memory of Isabella Margaret Walford at rest 24 May 1907 aged 89 years, this window is dedicated by her children’.

By Kempe and Co 1911, under the chairmanship of Walter Tower. From 1900 until his death in 1907 C E Kempe used a wheatsheaf as his hallmark. From then until 1911 Tower superimposed a black tower on the wheatsheaf and this emblem can be seen at the bottom left-hand corner of the window. Winged angels above carrying a text. The use of peacocks’ feathers on the wings of angels is also a distinguishing feature of Kempe and Co.’s work. 

 

16 5th window from East: St. John the Evangelist; the Angel of Revelation; Angel swinging a thurible in quatrefoil above. Inscribed ‘To the Glory of God and in Memory of John Cardey Wootton July 1909’

By ? 1911.

 

17 Clerestory windows above: two lights with plain squared matching glass.

By ? 1911.

 

West Wall

 

18 South West window: two lights and tracery circle over. In principal lights, below, a circle of Disciples etc gazes upwards past Angels bearing the text ‘He was parted from them and carried up into heaven’ to Christ’s Ascension; in the tracery, supported by  Angels on a starry background. Carries inscription ‘To the Glory of God in memory of Harriet Grimshaw who died on St. John’s day 1863 aged 77. They will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee Isaiah 26C 3rdV’

By M and A O’Connor 1865 (replaced quarried glass window by William Wailes 1857)

(this window was moved further west from its original position as part of the 1911 extension.)

 

19 Great West window: Four lights and geometrical tracery. A Te Deum: in the principal lights, adoring Saints, Apostles, Martyrs. and Prophets. centre tracery with Enthroned Christ in Majesty, and each side with Cherubim and Seraphim.

By John Hardman in 1857 for G E Street.

(this window was moved further west from its original position as part of the 1911 extension.)

 

Ken Smith

25 June 2017

There are some excellent images of the Stained Glass windows taken by Ian Wood and posted on flickr which can be seen here.