The Great West Window

As with the East window the central figure is of Christ the King - all other figures in this window are subordinate to him.

Apex

Patterns containing the Greek letters IHS and XPS - the first three letters of the names Jesus Christ.

Angels

Latin texts mean - The Lord is King (Psalm 93:1) Praise the Lord of Heaven, praise Him in the height. Praise Him all ye angels of His, praise Him all His host. (Psalm 148:1) Praise the Lord O Jerusalem, praise thy God O Sion. (Psalm 147)r

Upper figures

(from left to right)

St Hilda holding a church.

St Michael and the dragon. (Revelation 12)

Christ the King

Angels swinging incense

St Gabriel the Archangel with the latin shorthand text 'Ave Maria Gra Pia' -- Hail Mary, full of grace ...

St Columba holding a church with the latin words for 'Church of Iona'. (He died on the island of Iona in AD597.)

Lower figures

(from left to right)

St Oswald, King of Northumbria who died in AD.642.

Illustrations - The saints singing and making music.

Inscription - The Lord is King and has put on glorious apparel. The Lord has put on his apparel and girded himself with strength. (Psalm 93:1)

Inscription - Dominus Regnavit. (The Lord will reign.)

Inscription - Ever since the world began hath thine seat been prepared - Thou art from everlasting. (Psalm 93:3)

St Cuthbert carrying the head of St Oswald probably being responsible for the care of the Saint’s relics. (St Cuthbert was a Northumbrian who died on the Farne Islands AD687 and is buried at Durham Cathedral.)

Lower Left Dedication (In Latin)

Cum me jobes emigrare Iesu care tone appare

O amator amplectende Temet ipsm tone astende

In cruce salutifers.

Lower Right Dedication (In English) [n.b This is NOT a translation of the Latin]

To the Glory of God and the dear memory of Anna Deborah Richardson to whose counsel and encouragement the founding of the Neptune works was due, her brother dedicates this window AD1900.

The Great West Window is a 'Kempe' window ,named after Charles Eamer Kempe the great victorian stained glass worker, and what follows is a very 'potted' history about the man.

Charles Eamer Kempe was born in 1837 close to Brighton and brought up in the Church of England at the time of the Tractian revival in Church. He had hoped to be a clergyman but while studying at Oxford University it became apparent that, because of a speech impediment, he could not realise his ambition and so decided that if "he could not minister in the Sanctuary, he would use his talents to adorn it." To this end he worked firstly as an architect and was soon trusted to work on his own walls and ceilings of churches but it was to stained glass that Kempe was drawn and so went to work for the highly respected glass studio of Clayton and Bell.

The first recorded window of Kempe's was the Bishop Hooper Memorial Window in Gloucester Cathedral made in 1865 at Clayton and Bell's studio. In 1866 Kempe started work on his own in London and as an authority on mediaeval stained glass he became involved in many resoration projects. His business continued to expand but at all times the quality of the work was maintained. As well as stained glass, the studio also designed church furniture, screens, altars etc and Kempe himself, designed vestmants and altar frontals which were then embroidered by an order of Sisters.

From 1895 the studio used a 'wheatsheaf' as a form of trademark which was taken from the Kempe family crest. Charles Kempe died in April 1907 and was buried in the family tomb in St Wulfran's Church, Ovingdean near Brighton which he had helped restore and decorate in 1869 in memory of his father. His studio continued to function until 1937 but soon after his death a 'castle' was added above the 'wheatsheaf' as their trademark.

There are some known examples of Kempe's work in this area, one from 1877 at St Mungo's Church, Simonburn, Northumberland and another from the 1902 - 1906 period at St Hilda's Church, Whitby as well as several examples in Newcastle Cathedral, most of which are too high to see, but there is a rarity in St Margaret's Chapel, next to the bookshop. Here the 1896 window depicts Saints Hilda, Helen, Ethelburga and the Holy Women at The Tomb. This window not only has the early logo of Kempe's of three wheatsheaves in a shield but also, in the opposite corner, it has the initials AET - for Arthur Tombleson who was Kempe's principal glass painter and the only person Kempe ever allowed to be personally recognised. Considering our parish links with the diocese it seem appropriate that Winchester Cathedral also has some Kempe glass which dates from 1897 - 1900.

So next time you have time to spare look at the Great West Window and marvel at the quality and rarity of the stained glass and the illustrious company in which we find ourselves.

The above notes were mainly taken from a booklet on 'A Guide to the Stained Glass Windows in Christ Church Walker, Newcastle Upon Tyne' written by a much loved and sadly missed member of our congregatioin, Tom Todd. It is thanks to his enthusiastic love of local history that we have such a wonderful record of the past life and story of our Church.