Stained Glass of Percy Bacon & Brothers
Posted 15 September 2022.
With the massive square tower attached incongruously to the south transept, rather than the west end the plan of Duloe Church is more like that of a 19th century Gothic Revival church by Butterworth or Preedy. It is, however, firmly rooted in the 12th and 13th centuries and is a rare survivor. It is a large church with nave, chancel, north aisle and north and south transepts. Due to the positioning of the tower the south porch is placed at the far south west corner of the nave. The church was heavily restored in 1861 by J P St Aubyn1, at a cost of £2,700 mainly at the expense of the rector and the Rev Thomas Bewes, the principal landowner in the neighbourhood2. Reredos of Cornish serpentine and alabaster by Harry Hems of Exeter 18833 4. At the time of writing, and much to the present custodians' credit, there is a board illustrated with photographs explaining the provenance of the stained glass in the church.
The Bacon window in the south chancel is a relatively early work of the studio, and one of the first for the architect George Fellowes-Prynne with whom the firm had a long and fruitful collaboration. The figures of the Virtues Faith, Charity & Hope stand on pedestals under elaborate architectonic niches. Demi-angels stand over Faith and Hope holding the Virtues' names on scrolls, while a further two hold a quote from Proverbs 31:28 below Charity; "Her children arise up and call her blessed, her husband also and praises her". All these angels, or Cherubs appear to be the likenesses of real children rather than the usual "cookie-cutter" versions often employed. Charity holds a child, again most probably a likeness of a real individual. Who all these children are is a mystery, but it is possible that they were children of the parish, and possibly those of the deceased? This is a modern treatment of the medieval tradition of portraying the dedicatee's children kneeling in prayer at the base of a window.
In the south chancel at least (south chancel 1), and providing a unified theme, a similar arrangement is used in one of the other Bacon windows of 1906. In this window the cherubs below St Paul appear also to be likenesses of real children (see page 2). These are early examples of the Bacon Studios incorporating the likenesses of real individuals into their windows, a practice that would continue throughout its existence, particularly in their Great War memorial windows..
On a brass plate below, the window is dedicated to the memory of O O C Bush, d. 23rd November 1893, given by Canon Paul Bush [widower of deceased] rector of Duloe.
The window is signed by the inclusion of the Three Busy Bees rebus.
Location Map: