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Don’t be brash with your brass!
When it comes to caring for historic metalwork, less is very often more. Over-zealous cleaning and sometimes (dare-I-say-it) scrubbing, can lead to loss of carved detail in decorative metalwork. This can is undesirable when it comes to commemorative floor-brasses or plates, amongst other things. Inscriptions and dedications can be lost forever, disassociating the object from its history and ultimately losing its significance. In addition, excess polishing or waxing can lead to built-up residues on the metalwork. While the build up of residue is unsightly, it can also be damaging to the metal itself and cause long-term corrosion problems where moisture has been trapped. With this post I will briefly explain the…
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Radiant Roundels: working wonders with glass, paint and light
Roundels are small glass wonders which display detailed draughtsmanship and rich subject matter. They use light as the main medium for enriching an interior and are a delight to behold in any setting. Over the years I have been lucky enough to work closely with collections of these artworks and help preserve them for future generations. Netherlandish-style stained glass roundels are different from regular stained glass windows or panels. While stained glass windows usually use the whole space of the window, multiple pieces of glass and sometimes a building-wide scheme to create scenes, tell stories and depict figures within an architectural framework, roundels have a whole scene depicted on one piece…
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Why do I love visiting historic churches?
“Historic Church” – There must be thousands of these signs scattered across the country yet every time I see one I am gripped! My mind races and I wonder what could be waiting for me at the end of that road. ‘Shall I follow the sign?…Do I have time?…Will I be late?…It probably won’t even be open…’ are some of the thoughts that fly through my mind. But I can’t drive past. What if… just what if I miss something amazing? So I follow that sign. I follow a spire or a tower. I follow bells! Location Unless you have already spied a spire or tower it can sometimes be…
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‘Weep not for me your sighs and tears are vain’
In the quiet leafy churchyard of St. Everilda’s church in Nether Poppleton I came across this beauty: Husband farewell and earthly friends adieu What in my power I’ve done for you My debt is paid, sec urely now I rest And trust through Jesus’ merits be blest Weep not for me your sighs and tears are vain I hope in heaven we all shall meet again The headstone is written in memory of Jane Bewley, wife of John Bewley of the city of York. She died at the age of 51 on 22 January 1703. Like many headstones this one is losing out in its battle against time and weather…
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‘But it’s only a jumble of fragments!’ – Investigating one stained glass panel
Not worthy of attention? Some stained glass panels and whole windows are dismissed because they have no clear subject matter, are a jumbled mess and are difficult to date. In this post I discover that a small, jumbled and confused stained glass panel can tell an important story about its history and interesting science-y facts about its composition and degradation. The panel pictured comes from the church of St. Peter’s in Barton-upon-Humber and is one I worked on as a portfolio project for my degree. It has a chequered history which I enjoyed piecing together – and is certainly worthy of attention! The Task To investigate the history and significance…
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Redisplaying the Houfe Memorial Chairs
In a damp cupboard in a little old North Yorkshire church, sat two dusty chairs… In 2015 we received a letter expressing deep concern about the whereabouts of a pair of chairs which had been donated by an ancestor of the letter writer. She had been to Allerton Mauleverer church and not seen the chairs. She wanted to know where they were! In some confusion I set about their discovery. The wooden chairs in question were made and presented to the church by ‘M.E.A. Houfe’, in memory of her mother and father, in 1902. They have beautifully carved backs, with intricate patterns and details of birds. The Houfe memorial…
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One week to go!!
Hi all there’s just one week to go until the Stained Glass Book Launch at All Saints’ Parish Church in Stamford. I am gearing up to sell a lot of books and also planning to fit in two short talks at 2pm and 6pm. Everyone is welcome to join us for refreshments throughout the day and what better place to buy the book than when surrounded by the windows it is dedicated to!! Look forward to seeing you all there!! To order the book please click here!!! It costs £20 and will be delivered within 3-5 working days after you receive a confirmation email.
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1895 Newspaper report on a new stained glass window!!
Found on the online newspaper archives in an 1895 Grantham Journal, Saturday 9th November. The article mentions a new stained glass window which has been installed in All Saint’s church, Stamford, Lincolnshire. It is a window in memory of Orlando and Mary Edmonds and can be found in the East end of the south aisle. It was gifted by the family of the late Mrs Edmonds and was dedicated on All Saint’s day. Although the newspaper article does not mention an artists name, we know from the faculty papers to be found in the Lincolnshire County Archives that the window was made by the company Heaton, Butler and Bayne, a…
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Hannah Hartley – Haworth
Weep not dear friends, but be content, For I was only to you lent; In love we lived, in peace I died, You ask’d my life, but was denied. Gravestone in memory of Hannah Hartley wife of John of Stanbury. She died on December 19th 1854 aged only 26 years. Also interred here are two children of John Hartley’s latter marriage with Alice Hartley. William Edward died in the first year of his life (1862) and Frederick who died at only 10 months of age (1864). The beautiful sentiments on this gravestone mirror the sadness that must have been felt by the man who lost his wife so young and…
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John Bland – Haworth
“Farewell vain World thou shop of toil and pain. With the Redeemer now we hope to reign. Welcome sweet death thou entrance into bliss. A place of rest owhat a change is this.” This gravestone is to be found in the churchyard of St. Michael and All Angel’s, Haworth – famed for its connection with the Bronte family. It commemorates the lives of John Bland who served in the army for 30 years as sergeant of the 1st Dragoon Guards. He died in 1821 aged 68 years. Also memorialised are his wife, Sarah and his son Michael – who served in the same regiment as John. Finally is John’s Grandson…
