Stained Glass: Essays

Greystoke St Andrew, Cumbria; Stained Glass

Page 5

Moving to the other windows in the church we come to the "Bestiary" and the Heraldic Shields Windows.

The "Bestiary" Window

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It is not surprising that humans take an interest in animals and have decorated their living spaces and places of worship for thousands of years, from neolithic cave paintings to the plethora of art we see in modern times, both for instruction uses and purely decorative.. Animals have always been important to man; as a source of food, of warmth derived from their fur and skin, for transportation, as powerful workers to drive machinery and pull ploughs, for protection and so on. It would also be sensible for men to understand which animals could be eaten, was a useful workhorse or would present a danger to them. Perhaps the earliest complete bestiary is an anonymous work written in the 2nd century in Greece, Physiologus. In it animals are illustrated and their characteristic described in detail. Animals also feature extensively in the Bible, where they are described as being created and ordered by God and can be an instruction to men (Job 12:7-10). Early Christians adopted the bestiaries and expanded them for instructional and moral guidance and they became particularly popular in England and France in the 12th century. For further reading go to the Medieval Bestiary site.¹

The window in the north nave of Greystoke church contains a set of diamond shaped panels set in modern plain glass. Each diamond contains a roundel within which there is an animal above, or around which labels in latin are attached. Leaves and bunches of grapes adorn the quarries around the edges of the roundels. The panels have been created exclusively with yellow stain and brown enamel. I have not been able to establish the provenance of this glass or its date of manufacture, but they are very redolent of 16th century continental roundels and images of birds and other animals (see Barton-on-the-Heath, Warwickshire etc). What is certain is that these roundels were moved to this location from another part of the church. The inscription reads: Henry Askew, Rector, restored this window AD 1848.

Top Left: What appears to be a white eagle, but could be a caladrius. A caladrius is a white bird from Roman mythology which was said to be able to take up any sickness in humans and fly away to disperse it, curing both the human and itself. The label above reads "Cantemus dno glrose". The second is clearly a contraction of "domino". The third word may simply be a typo and probably should read "gloriose": Cantemus domino gloriose (Sing to the lord).

Top Centre: A golden eagle with the label repeated three times; "O sanna, O sanna, O sanna";

Top Right: A mongoose. The label is illegible.

Middle Left: A white antelope or gazelle. There is a single word in the label which seems to read "nag"(?).

Middle Centre: Shield of the Trinity:

Middle Right: An ass with again the single word "nag"(?) on the label.

Bottom Left: A golden eagle with the label repeated three times; "O sanna, O sanna, O sanna";

Bottom Centre: A white bird, possibly a phoenix. Label reads (?) Finis.

Bottom Right: A golden eagle with the label repeated three times; "O sanna, O sanna, O sanna";

The Coats of Arms Window

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Also on the north side of the nave is a second window installed by Henry Askew in 1848 containing armorial shields of the fourth house of the Barons of Greystoke (Howard families) and their wives. Again I cannot confirm the age of the heraldic shields, but it is quite likely these were commissioned by The Rev Askew as part of the rebuilding. At top centre is a roundel in yellow stain with a dedicatory description (see below for text). Bordering the lights there is a repeating pattern of crowns surmounted with a cross fitchee over the letter h (for Howard). The inscription at the base reads: Henry Askew, Rector, restored this window AD 1848.

Top Left: Arms of Philip Howard 13th Earl of Arundel. Eldest son of Thomas 4th Duke of Norfolk. He married Anne, the eldest sister and co heiress of George Lord Dacre, by which he acquired the Barony of Greystoke². b. 1557 d. 1595. More of his life here:

Top Centre: Dedicatory text: "In memory of Philip Howard Earl of Arundel first son of Thomas Duke of Norfolk & Lady Mary FitzAlan, & of Anne Dacre Daughter of Thomas Dacre of Greystoke & Gillesland his wife & of their heir descendants Lords of the Barony of Greystoke."

Top Right: Arms of Anne Dacre, Countess of Arundel b. 1157 d. 1630.

Middle Left: Arms of Thomas 14th Earl of Arundel over which on an inescutcheon the arms of Talbot. Text Reads: "Thos Earl of Arundel nat. 1585 obt 1646 & Lady Alathea Talbot his wife d. 1654."

Middle Centre: Arms of Henry 15th Earl of Arundel Impaling Stewart. Text reads: "Henry Fifd [15th] Earl of Arundel b. 1608 d. 1659 & Eliza [Elizabeth] Steward his wife d. 1667."

Middle Right: Arms of the Honourable Charles Howard, Text reads; "Hon Chas Howard nat. 1680: Obt 1713 & Mary Tattershall his wife Obt 1695." The Hon Charles Howard of Greystoke Castle was the fourth son of Henry Frederick Earl of Arundel. He married Mary Tattershall, eldest daughter of George Tattershall of Finchampton, Berkshire.

Bottom Left: Arms of Howard impaling Aylward. Text reads; "Hen Chas Howard: Nat 1668: Obt: 1720 & Mary Aylward his wife Obt: 1747."

Bottom Centre: Arms of Howard impaling Brockholes. Text reads; "Chas 10th Duke of Norfolk AM [?] Nat 1719: Obt 1786 & Catherine Brockholes his wife Obt 1781."

Bottom Right: Arms of Charles 11th Duke of Norfolk, over which on inescutcheons are the arms of Coppinger and Scudamore. Text reads; "Chas 11th Duke of Norfolk AὨ [?] [obscured] Obt 1815 & of Marianne Coppinger: Obt 1766 [unreadable]." Charles was married a second time to Frances, daughter of Colonel Fitzroy-Scudamore. She was heiress to the Lords Scudamore of Holme Lacy, Herfordshire.

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