Saturday 17 August 2013

St Mary's in Dunblane

On the way to the cathedral in Dunblane I passed St Mary's Episcopal church. It was unlocked, which is all I need to tempt me in for a look at their windows. I'll start off with these two from the 1940s.



I could find very little information on the windows in this church except that it had stained glass by James Hogan who worked for James Powell and Sons of London. A little further investigation showed that the company's signature was a cowled monk, which appears on both the windows above. Here it is enlarged from the second one.

Above the altar was this patterned window.


At the other end of the church was another patterned window, except that this time is was just glazed in plain glass. Perhaps it had once been coloured and refilled with plain glass due to damage or it had started out this way. Quite striking in it's own way.


A much more recent window.


Also with a signature but this time with no clue for finding out who it's by. [Since writing this blog, I have been sent some information for which I am very grateful. This was made by Aurora Glass in Alloa, which was the studio owned by Emma Shipton, who I assume made this window. The words in the window, "Know thou, o stranger to the fame, of this much lov'd, much honour'd name!" are words from Burns (though sharing a surname, there is some added significance since when Sir John was a prisoner of war he carried a volume of Robert Burns in his pocket). Burns originally wrote the lines to Robert Aitken and here they subtly display only half the verse, the whole of which is more obviously an epitaph.

Know thou, O stranger to the fame
Of this much lov'd, much honour'd name!
(For none that knew him need be told)
A warmer heart death ne'er made cold.]


I nearly missed this window, just beyond the door in the side of the church. I spotted it from the outside while leaving and went inside to see what I had missed. It features a couple of lines from Psalm 126 and a delightful painted poppy in amongst some wheat.



6 comments:

  1. Beautiful windows - Ive taken loads of photos of church windows recently - i'll have to do a special post. I love the modern ones just as much as the old ones - the poppies are particularly beautiful.

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  2. Always pleased to see somebody elses windows - certainly there's more than I can get round. I have to admit a preference for the modern windows (probably shows) though I like the old ones too.
    Whoever did the windows with the poppies has done well in the school of less is more. One little piece of glass with the poppies on painted to great effect.

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  3. Yes, that window was done by me, when Aurora glass was based in Alloa. thanks for posting the photo, I has lost all copies of my work when we moved. Cheers Emma

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  4. Hi Emma - only just found your comment - I've been taking it slow in the blog world just now. Thank you for dropping by. If you want a bigger copy of the picture (it's not particularly huge or great quality), I'll send it to you. I can be found at miceforlent@yahoo.co.uk

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  5. Powell's windows aren't signed with a monk, they are signed with a white friar since they were based in Whitefriars in London

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    1. Just realised this sounds snotty, sorry, it's just a small correction!

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