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Discoveries and Puzzles at Thorney Abbey Church

Tantalizing discoveries about the provenance of six panels German glass of c.1450 installed in the easternmost north and south nave windows of Thorney Abbey Church (Cambridgeshire), dedicated to St Mary and St Botolph, have been made after the glass was photographed during a visit by delegates attending the July 2015 Harlaxton Medieval Symposium [fig. 1].

The panels depict Christological subjects, and each has a strip of fragmented inscription below the figural scene. All six panels are ‘framed’ in mosaics of fragments of English late medieval stained glass. The panels in the easternmost north nave window show (west to east): the Mocking of Christ (prior to the Crucifixion), the Three Marys (on their way to the Sepulchre on the first Easter morning), and the Harrowing of Hell (when Christ rescues Adam and other souls from damnation). Those in the opposite south nave window (again east to west) depict the Denial of St Peter, the Supper at Emmaus, and the Pietà, with Mary cradling the dead body of her son [figs 2–7].

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There has always been uncertainty about the where the panels originally came from, and when, and by whom, the windows were installed at Thorney. Some of these questions were addressed in 1973 by Heinz Oettli, a student of German literature who was based at Cambridge University. By focusing on the inscriptions, he was able to show that the glass was German, not Flemish or Swiss as some earlier experts had opined. He also reported that the then vicar believed that the panels had been installed in the church in 1638, when the western end of the nave of the former abbey was restored by the 4th earl of Bedford, for the benefit of French and Dutch immigrants who had settled in the area as part of an ambitious campaign to reclaim water-logged fen lands [fig. 8].

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After accepting the 1638 date and extracting the name ‘Godart Hauyser’ from the inscriptions, Oettli then suggested that the panels may have been made in Cologne for a well-documented Hanseatic merchant of that name who died c.1494. He also postulated that, if the installation date was correct, the glass may have been bought by the 4th earl of Bedford in the aftermath of the despoliation of the Hanseatic Steelyard in London. This had been the main trading depot of the League in England during the Middle Ages until Elizabeth I ordered its closure in 1598. In the aftermath of this decision the site was looted, and stained-glass windows from the chapel reportedly stolen.

While much is owed to Oettli for his pioneering work on the inscriptions, it is now clear that he was misled about the history of the glass, albeit unintentionally. If the claims about the date when the glass was given to the church were accurate, 1638 would have been an extremely early moment for the purchase and gift of foreign glass to an English church. As regular readers will know, the purchase of foreign glass by English collectors appears to have become fashionable much later than 1638 –from the mid-eighteenth-century onwards, and particularly in the first forty years of the nineteenth century, when large amounts of Continental glass became available on the international art market following the Napoleonic invasions of modern-day Belgium and the German Rhinelands and the secularization of the monasteries. Moreover, some of these imports were often framed by English glaziers in mosaics such as can be seen at Thorney.

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One of the great advantages of the international Corpus Vitrearum is that stained glass historians throughout the world meet regularly, share information and help one another. So it has proved with Thorney. After photographs of the panels were sent to the German CVMA in Freiburg, Dr. Hartmut Scholz recognized them as belonging to the same series as another panel, ‘Christ expelling the traders from the temple’, which was listed in the auction catalogue of the Hirn/Schieffer collection in 1824 before passing into the collection of Baronesse Liebig at Gondorf Castle and eventually into its current home at the Suermondt Museum in Aachen [fig. 9].

The Hirn/Schieffer collection, which included panels from the Cistercian Abbey at Altenberg, was formed in the aftermath of the Napoleonic invasions. The inclusion of a panel from the same set of those at Thorney suggests that all the panels came onto the art market at around the same time and were subsequently dispersed. A date of installation at Thorney sometime around 1840–41, when the well-known Victorian ecclesiastical architect Edward Blore (1787–1879) restored the church for Francis Russell, the 7th duke of Bedford KG, PC (13 May 1788 – 14 May 1861), now seems far more likely than 1638 (fig. 10). Unfortunately, it has not yet been possible to determine the original location of the Thorney panels.

Apart from the German glass discussed above, the church also contains various heraldic shields, some of pre-Reformation date, known to have been introduced in 1840–41. The second, third, and fourth windows on the north have the following shields of arms respectively: Russell, early 19th century; John of Gaunt, late 14th century; and Henry VIII impaling Katharine of Aragon, first half of the 16th century. The second window on the south has the royal arms, of early 16th-century date. The church also features a large nineteenth-century east window scheme that copies scenes from the St Thomas Becket miracle windows in Canterbury Cathedral [fig. 11].

Historical Note

Thorney Abbey was founded in the 970s and substantially rebuilt in later centuries. At its peak, it was one of the five great Benedictine monasteries in the Fenlands (the others being Peterborough, Ely, Croyland and Ramsey), and the abbey church was about the same size as that at Peterborough. Extensive building work in the early fourteenth century during the abbacy of William Clopton (1305–23) saw stained glass fitted in the Lady Chapel and a carved and painted Tree of Jesse (presumably in wood) installed over the altar (Cambridge University Library, Additional MS 3020–21, the ‘Red Book of Thorney’, fols. 459–61). Sadly most of these riches were lost when Thorney was largely demolished after the Dissolution in 1539. Much of its building stone was sent to Cambridge, where it was used in the construction of the new chapel at Corpus Christi College. Excavations undertaken by archaeologists from the University of Leicester in 2002 in an area slightly to the north of the abbey church and possibly within the abbey’s outer court made several exciting discoveries relating both to pre-Reformation glazing in the monastery and to its post-Dissolution plundering.

The key find was a large number of broken fragments of high-quality thirteenth- and fourteenth-century painted glass, including intricate designs of very high quality in an area immediately surrounding a re-used architectural fragment, possibly a pillar base, which had been converted into a lead recycling hearth at the time of the Dissolution. The glass included elaborate border fragments with foliate and canopy designs and several pieces that, when joined, showed part of a heraldic motif depicting a lion passant. Apart from the glass, the archaeologists also found large amounts of lead window cames and other lead waste in the same area, as well as ashy spreads and areas of scorching. All the evidence pointed to the systematic destruction of at least some decorative windows in order to remove and recycle their lead.

Further Reading

John Thomas, ‘Evidence for the Dissolution of Thorney Abbey: Recent Excavations and Landscape Analysis at Thorney, Cambridgeshire’, Medieval Archaeology, 50, 2006, pp. 179–241

Heinz Oettli, ‘The group of foreign stained glass windows in Thorney Abbey Church’, Proceedings of the Cambridge Antiquarian Society, LXIV, 1973, pp. 101–113

‘Houses of Benedictine Monks: Abbey of Thorney’, in L. F. Salzman (ed.), A History of the County of Cambridge and the Isle of Ely, Volume 2, Victoria County History, London, 1948, pp. 210–17

CVMA (GB) Picture Archive: Essex Update

Christopher Parkinson reports.

A very large second batch of images of stained glass from Essex has recently been uploaded to the CVMA Picture Archive, covering the glazing of forty-four churches I visited during 2014. Apart from the medieval glass, all glazing from the seventeenth century right through to the present has been photographed, catalogued and uploaded. Presently, stained glass from a total of 133 different Essex churches, a restaurant, and a private residence can be seen on the website. Coverage of the rest of the county will follow in due course.

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The Essex project was started by Kerry Ayres, who used the four Essex volumes issued by the Royal Commission on Historic Monuments (published in the early twentieth century) to identify 190 different locations of old stained glass; a further 6 locations have subsequently being found, and of these 196 locations

• 166 are churches, either used for regular worship on in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust (all bar 6 of which have been visited, with the remainder slated for the start of 2016);

• 3 are churches that have been demolished;

• 4 are churches that have been converted into private residences since the RCHM survey;

• 1 is a church that has been converted into business use;

• and 22 are other buildings, mostly large country houses.

 

Both the RCHM and Kerry’s survey used the old Essex county boundary, which meant that the county extended into what is now east London. ‘Former’ Essex churches have all been visited, and images of their stained glass will be found in the London section on the website.

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In an earlier article for Vidimus I quoted F. Sydney Eden, who wrote that while Essex is generally supposed to be below average in remains of old painted glass, it would not be difficult to illustrate all the styles of painted glass with fine examples from Essex alone. While much old glass in Essex consists of fragments found mainly in tracery lights – a lot still in situ – Eden’s bold statement can easily be supported with glass currently to be seen on the website, including

• twelfth-century glass at Rivenhall (see Vidimus 70);

• late thirteenth-/early fourteenth-century glass at North Ockendon (under Greater London);

• late fourteenth-century Orders of Angels and the Coronation of the Virgin at Sheering;

• an almost complete mid-fifteenth-century Tree of Jesse at Margaretting;

• the remains of what would have been a spectacular early sixteenth-century east window at Stambourne;

• and imported sixteenth-century glass at Stisted and Prittlewell.

When the next batch of images has been uploaded, many more fine examples of glass from most centuries will be available. Now that nearly all the churches that possessed old stained glass during the 1920s have been visited, it is good to find that the majority of this glass survived the Second World War and has not been lost to acts of vandalism. In some cases where churches were demolished, such as at Manningtree and Wenden Lofts, old glass was removed and reset in windows at neighbouring churches. The RCHM gives tantalizing descriptions of old glass that may still be in some country houses of Essex. Let us hope that images of this material will eventually appear on the website and be appreciated by a wider audience.

Essex has I believe over 800 Anglican churches, not to mention places of worship belonging to other denominations. There may well be other examples of interesting stained glass yet to be found. As this initial photographic survey of Essex reaches its conclusion, thanks must be given to the many people who opened up their churches, allowing me – often accompanied by a pair of rescued Chihuahuas – access to see and photograph the stained glass. One person in particular who deserves special mention is Lesley Vingoe, who arranged the access to churches across the whole of the south of Essex and east London. A further update will follow when the next batch of images are uploaded.

Successful Harlaxton Symposium

July’s 2015 Harlaxton Medieval Symposium contained much of interest to stained-glass historians. Apart from papers by Professor Richard Marks, Sarah Brown and Nicholas Rogers specifically about aspects of pre-Reformation glazing schemes (see Vidimus 92), other speakers at the event also touched on the subject in different ways. Discussions over (not too many) glasses of wine also provided plenty of new ideas for future articles in Vidimus [fig. 1].

Two highlights of the symposium were the visits to Thorney and Croyland abbeys, the former containing the six panels of late medieval German glass set within borders of re-used fragments of English medieval glass that featured in our top story. The proceedings of the conference will be published by Shaun Tyas of Donington.

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The theme for next year’s symposium has also been announced. It will focus on ‘The Medieval Great Household’, in the British Isles from the eleventh to the early sixteenth centuries. Papers will look at changing structures of accommodation within the household and the use of space; household membership, lords and their servants; domestic material culture; literature, music and entertainment in the household; the role of private chapels; sensory environments, consumption and the routines of the household. The afternoon outing will be to Gainsborough Old Hall, one of the finest and best-preserved fifteenth-century manor houses in England. Speakers will include Martha Carlin, Emma Cavell, Caroline Dunn, Maria Hayward, Martin Heale, Elliot Kendall, Sue Powell, Kent Rawlinson, D. Vance Smith, Jenny Stratford, Jennifer Ward, Fiona Whelan, and Louise Wilkinson. Some of these papers are likely to be of interest to stained-glass historians, as such houses often contained private chapels with painted windows, heraldic displays in the glazing of great halls, and roundels displaying subjects such as the Labours of the Month, in smaller rooms.

Further information, including a provisional programme, will be available spring 2016.

Note

Gainsborough Hall retains a few reminders of its original glazing, including a late fifteenth-century example of the royal arms of England [fig. 2].

Job Opportunity at Lincoln

Lincoln Cathedral Works Department is seeking to appoint an additional member of staff who is skilled in working on historical and architectural stained glass. The glazing department is a small team dedicated to the care and maintenance of the large collection of stained glass and leaded windows of Lincoln Cathedral and the plain glazed windows of the Close Houses. We are looking for an individual who is able to demonstrate a high and diverse level of professionalism in the practical craft and who has a good understanding of current stained-glass conservation/preservation practices.

A relevant recognized qualification or equivalent proven ability is essential. Although you will be part of a team, this post also requires good organizational skills, and you will be expected to work with minimum supervision to complete projects. The ability to work on site and at high level is an essential requirement of this post.

Permanent contract. Salary up to £25,000, dependent on skills qualifications and relevant proven experience To download an application form and further information please visit the cathedral’s website, or email worksdepartment@lincolncathedral.com. Closing date Wednesday 16 December 2015. Interviews will take place on Monday 11 January 2016

Portrait of an Artist (1)

The Daniel Katz Gallery in London is currently selling a portrait of Einar Forseth (1892–1988) [fig. 1], the Swedish stained-glass artist responsible for some of the most striking modernist windows in Coventry Cathedral [fig. 2]. The portrait is by Axel Fridell (1894–1935), a leading Swedish painter and print-maker before the Second World War. A print of the painting dated 1914 was exhibited in Stockholm in 1936.

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Carl Einar Andreas Forseth was born in Linköping in southern Sweden. He studied at the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts in Stockholm (1912–15). From 1921 to 1923, he decorated the Golden Hall in Stockholm’s City Hall with mosaics in the Byzantine style, creating the Queen of Lake Mälar as the central figure. Apart from Coventry Cathedral, he also made windows for St Mary’s Church, Helsingborg (1937), and Sankt Nicolai, Halmstad (1937).

Stained Glass Exhibition at Girona Art Museum

An exhibition of fourteenth-century stained glass opened last month at Girona Art Museum and will run until 22 May 2016. The exhibition features eleven fourteenth-century panels belonging to Girona Cathedral, which were made by two different masters: El Mestre del Presbiteri and Guillem de Letumgard, alongside the Girona table and a replica of a white-washed table. Viewers will be able to gain valuable insights into the techniques and iconography used by Girona’s glaziers.

The exhibition was curated by Anna Santolaria Tura, a pioneer in research on the Girona table (see Vidimus 84) and author of Vitralls sobre taules de vitraller (‘Glazing on white-washed tables’), and Catalan CVMA member Sílvia Cañellas prepared the accompanying texts. Replica medieval glazing tools have been provided for the exhibition by Barley Studios and the York Glaziers Trust, and a video of the glass-making process produced by Glashütte Lamberts will be on view.

A video of the exhibition can be viewed here.

Portrait of an Artist (2)

A fascinating article about the life and work of the stained-glass artist and author Hugh Arnold (1872–1915) appears in the recently published 2015 Journal of the British Society of Master Glass Painters. Written by Peter Cormack, one of the leading scholars of the Arts & Crafts movement, the article not only describes Arnold’s windows, but also his interest in medieval stained glass [fig.1].

Hugh Arnold’s Stained Glass of the Middle Ages in England and France was published by A. & C. Black in 1913 and reissued in 1925. The genesis of the book was the discovery of a fine series of watercolours of medieval windows painted by the American artist Lawrence B. Saint (1885–1961). Arnold was asked to write an accompanying text to these paintings; the result, according to Christopher Whall, was ‘the best book ever written on stained glass work’. Second-hand copies may be found on line.

Apart from Peter Cormack’s article, the new BSMGP Journal has many other items of interest, including a study of the work of the nineteenth-century Belgian stained-glass artist, Jean-Baptiste Capronnier (1814–1891) in Yorkshire; an appreciation of the Holocaust survivor and stained-glass designer, Roman Halter by Caroline Swash; a review of the latest contemporary windows; and a technical note by Oksana Kondratyeva about acid-etching. To purchase a copy visit the BSMGP website.

Note

Hugh Arnold was born in Wimbledon, the son of a solicitor. He studied at the Central School of Arts & Crafts under Christopher Whall. In 1914, he designed a two-light window on the south side of the nave of the church of St John in Wimbledon, in memory of his father, who had been one of the first trustees of the church. The window was executed by James Powell & Sons. Hugh died on active service at Gallipoli in 1915.

A lancet window depicting Queen Victoria, which Arnold made in 1910 for St Mary Magdalene in Barnstaple (Devon), is on display at the Stained Glass Museum at Ely [Fig. 2].

The Society of Glass Technology Centenary

 The Society of Glass Technology celebrates its centenary in 2016, and is planning a conference that will be a significant opportunity to review the state of glass in its widest manifestations – from the theoretical challenges of understanding the glassy state and the glass transition to the latest developments in the application of glasses in windows and containers, information technology, medical applications, and waste vitrification, as well as the history and artistic applications of glass.

The huge area concerning the history and heritage aspects of glass will form a parallel stream in the conference, and stained and painted architectural glass of all periods will be a strong theme.

The conference will take place in Sheffield (UK), 4–9 September 2016. See the society’s website for more details as information becomes available.

Glass Workshops

The Architectural Glass Centre, the commercial arm of the Swansea School of Architectural Glass, is continuing its programme of glass-painting workshops and masterclasses with Jonathan Cooke in the autumn of 2016. The dates of the proposed workshops are as follows:

Glass-painting: 16–19 September

Silver stain and enamel: 20–22 September

The glass-painting workshops are run over three and a half days, and the silver stain and enamel over two and a half days. The workshops are suitable for beginners or for those with previous experience of glass-painting. Jonathan will demonstrate glass-painting using a technique whereby a number of layers of paint can be built up prior to firing. He will also discuss materials, tools, and firing schedules. During the workshop, there will be ample time for participants to practise the techniques and to produce samples.

Further details on all courses are available from Amanda Hughes (01792 481199, amanda hughes@sm.uwtsd.ac.uk) or Alun Adams (01792 481084, alun.adams@sm.uwtsd.ac.uk). A course at Jonathan’s studio in Yorkshire may also be available earlier in the year; visit his website for further details.

Rare Books on Stained Glass

Janette Ray Booksellers, York, has in preparation a first catalogue of out of print, rare and reference material on stained and painted glass. If you would like to receive a copy of this catalogue, please contact Janette Ray by email (books@janetteray.co.uk), telephone (+44 (0) 1904 623088), or post (at Janette Ray, 8 Bootham York, YO30 7BL).