258 replies to this topic

[Lancashire Fusilier]

With so many problems currently arising regarding the theft and desecration of Great War memorials, there is still one form of Great War memorial which due to its form and location should be safe from such problems. These are the beautiful stained glass Great War memorial windows to the fallen located throughout Great Britain and Northern Ireland in many Churches, both large and small.
Hopefully, with the help of Forum members we can document as many as possible, giving the names of the fallen.
These are wonderful works of art, and with many now 100 years old, it may be a good opportunity to start listing them.
To start, I have a photograph of a beautiful stained glass window in the Church of St. Luke's, Hodnet, Staffordshire commemorating 2 brothers. The memorial dedication is as follows :-
Left hand side - St. Michael - Lieut. Richard Houlbrook Whitfield RE who fell in France fighting for his country May 12th 1916 aged 29 years, and Right hand side - St. Gabriel - Lieut. John Burrows Whitfield RE who died of wounds January 20th, 1916 aged 26 years, sons of Thomas Nichols Whitfield of Stoke Manor. The memorial was erected by their widowed mother.

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•  StainedGlassWindows-WW1.jpg   39.42K   2 downloads

[HERITAGE PLUS]

The Wilson Window in St.Andrews Church, Chippenham.

Photo and details are on Pal John Belcher's website here:

http://www.pro-patri...ings_wilson.htm

Dave

[Lancashire Fusilier]

Dave,
Thank you for the reply, and a wonderful example of a Great War memorial stained glass window.
LF.

[David Underdown]

The East window of St John's, Ainsdale is a memorial to a KLR officer whose name escapes me just now. It was mentioned on the church's Facebook page around Rememberance Day. I think strictly speaking it's painted glass, rather than stained glass

[Scritch]

This link will take you to our website where you can see the memorial window to Lieutenant Bernard Ridley Winthrop-Smith at St. Matthew's church in Pentrich, Derbyshire. If you would like a higher resolution image of it feel free to pm me with your e-mail address.

http://derbyshirewar... Winthrop-Smith

Kind regards
Richard

[Kate Wills]

Windows were included with all other types during the recording campaign implemented by the
National Inventory of War Memorials

You can search their database by type of memorial, including windows.

Perhaps an update to the NIWM would be a useful centenary project, especially as digital photography was in its infancy during the NIWM's collecting years.

[Michelle Young]

St Marys Church in Calne has a window to Lord Charles Mercer-Nairne

Michelle

[GrahamC]

One of my local churches - St Peter, Fairfield, Buxton - has a beautiful Memorial window. Images of soldiers, sailors and airmen are shown in the lowere panels, with the flags of al the participating nations (well on the allied side!).

Perhaps, uniquely a tiny airplane is depicted alongside Christ's right knee in the middle panel.

Graham

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•  Stained Glass Window Memorial 2(red).JPG   40.34K   7 downloads

[FitzroyPC]

Sinclair Seamen's Presbyterian Church in Belfast:
 Sinclair Seamen\'s PC - WW1 Memorial Window.jpg   89.51K   0 downloads

Nigel

[FitzroyPC]

The dedication of the Sinclair Seamen's Memorial window was reported in the Belfast Telegraph in June 1919:
 Sinclair Seamen\'s War Memorial Window (BT 28-06-1919).jpg   38.23K   0 downloads

Nigel

[FitzroyPC]

World War 2 Memorial window in Ulsterville Presbyterian Church in Belfast:
 Ulsterville PC - WW2 Memorial Windows.jpg   76.5K   0 downloads

[ulsterlad2]

Belfast City Hall has a nice window to The North Irish Horse in WW1.

.

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•  NIH.jpg   72.2K   0 downloads

[keithgr]

They are fine works of art, but a problem to me is that they all seem to be in honour of officers from a wealthy family.

Keith.

[ulsterlad2]

.

.

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[Tim Fox-Godden]

I know of two in Essex; Willingale and Halstead, Holy Trinity.

I have been researching the Saulez Memorial window at Willingale for a little while off and on. The Halstead one I discovered a couple of weeks ago.

In addition, there is a generic memorial stained glass at Chelmsford Cathedral.

In Norfolk, North Walsham has a generic memorial window and there is the Beck family window at West Newton, near Sandringham.

Best wishes,

Tim

[Lancashire Fusilier]

keithgr, on 26 January 2012 - 06:19 PM, said:

They are fine works of art, but a problem to me is that they all seem to be in honour of officers from a wealthy family.

Keith.

I am not sure that is true, and this is not about rank, this is about honouring brave men who fought and died under the most horrid conditions.
Irrespetive, of rank, these were sons, brothers and husbands.
In some cases, the windows honour whole regiments, officers and men.
LF

[FitzroyPC]

Ulsterlad - Nice one but what about the Memorial window for the 36th (Ulster) Division in City Hall !!!!
 Belfast City Hall - 36th Ulster Division Memorial.jpg   91.1K   0 downloads

[tommy mcclimonds]

Folks

Here's one from my own pairsh church, Holy Trinity, Seapatrick Parish, Banbridge. A beautiful window indeed which commemorates "The Fallen" from the church and whose names are listed on the War Memorial close by. The detail is so good I notice something new everytime I look at it. The depiction of a wooden cross is the centre is a representation of an original grave marker and the small square window at the top carries the legend - "Gone West". Each window at the bottom carries the badges of  the Royal Irish Rifles, Royal Irish Fusiliers, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers and Royal Artillery respectively. Enjoy.

Regards, Tommy.

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[FitzroyPC]

Tommy

Nice one ... any idea why the designer(s) decided to include RA badge rather than one of the other Irish regiments?

Nigel

[ulsterlad2]

Very nice FitzroyPC

Tommy. Beautifull window.

[peter4447]

St Mary's Church, Brixham, Devon.

2/Lt Sydney Hannaford Hellyer.  4th Bn East Yorkshire Regiment.  Died of Wounds Boulogne Military Hospital 8th May 1915, returned to England and buried in St Mary's Churchyard.

The stained glass window was donated by his Mother and shows the 14/15 Star, War Medal and Victory Medal and the East Yorkshire Cap badge along the bottom.
This is a very unusual stained glass window as it shows an identifiable image of 2/Lt Hellyer even though images of people that can be identified are not normally permitted.

The family were very involved with the fishing industry and moved from Lamworth Hall, Hull to Brixham in 1911.

Peter4447

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•  St Marys Hellyer - Copy.JPG   87.17K   6 downloads

[Lancashire Fusilier]

With reference to my post of the stained glass memorial window in St.Luke's Church, Hodnet, Staffordshire, I attach the extract from the Parish Register dated 1918, showing the estimate for the stained glass window as being 80 Pounds 10 shillings, no doubt a lot of money back then. Also attached is the Artist's original 1918 rendering for the design of the stained glass windows.
LF.

1918 Artist's rendering.

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[Lancashire Fusilier]

Scritch, on 26 January 2012 - 04:39 PM, said:

This link will take you to our website where you can see the memorial window to Lieutenant Bernard Ridley Winthrop-Smith at St. Matthew's church in Pentrich, Derbyshire. If you would like a higher resolution image of it feel free to pm me with your e-mail address.

http://derbyshirewar... Winthrop-Smith

Kind regards
Richard

Richard,
Many thanks for the link to an excellent stained glass memorial window to Lieutenant B.R. Winthrop-Smith, along with his details. This is exactly the type of content I was hoping would be offered. Is there any way you can copy and scan the first page of the link showing the window, his photograph and his details directly onto this thread.
LF.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

Peter4447,
A very interesting point regarding the identifiable image of 2/Lt Hellyer, I wonder if there are any other window memorials with an identifiable image of the person being commemorated.
LF.

[David Underdown]

Oops, I got slightly confused, its the reredos that's dedicated to Capt Robett Shaw 7th KLR (killed at 3rd Ypres), not the East window. There is a stained glass memorial there, but it's for WWII