Stained Glass of Percy Bacon & Brothers

St Columba, St Columb Major; Baptism of Christ.

South Aisle 2: Baptism of Our Lord.

South Aisle 2: Right light detail.

South Aisle 2: Tracery.

South Aisle 2: Tracery.

South Aisle 2: Left light detail.

South Aisle 2:Tracery.

South Aisle 2: Baptism of Our Lord.

Posted 15 August 2022.

A three light window depicting the Baptism of Jesus by St John occupying the central lights with the word, "Thou art my beloved Son", while the side lights are occupied by angels as representations of the Spirit World. In the top tracery a dove surrounded by a halo and golden rays representing the Holy Spirit and Seraphim to left and right. The window seems to reflect the arrangement in the earlier window of 1907 (see above), and the same golden haired angels have been used which brings a coherence to the scheme in the south aisle and south chapel. There is no signature.

The window, the gift of Mrs Frances Mary Morten, the dedicatee's sister and beneficiary¹, is dedicated: "To the glory of God and in memory of Francis Baptist Hicks born 23rd July 1868 died in Selengor F.M.S. [Federated Malay States] 28th September 1900". The window was dedicated on Sunday 19th March 1911².

North Transept: War memorial in memory of Lt Antony Henry Whitford-Hawkey (Royal Flying Corps). His likeness is used for the figure of St George. .

North Transept: Memorial Window to Lt Anthony Whitford-Hawkey RFC, died in action 9th May 1918: St Patrick.

North Transept: Memorial Window to Lt Anthony Whitford-Hawkey RFC, died in action 9th May 1918: St Andrew.

North Transept: Memorial Window to Lt Anthony Whitford-Hawkey RFC, died in action 9th May 1918: St George - the likeness of the deicatee.

North Transept: Memorial Window to Lt Anthony Whitford-Hawkey RFC, died in action 9th May 1918: St David.

North Transept: Memorial Window to Lt Anthony Whitford-Hawkey RFC, died in action 9th May 1918: The cartoons for Andrew, George and David were used in a 1920 memorial window at Menheniot.

Original cartoon from the Faculty Petition by Percy Bacon & Brothers also signed Geo. H Fellowes-Prynne Consulting Architect. Held at Kresen Kernow Ref D/R/42/1. Reproduced with permission of Kresen Kernow.

North Transept: War memorial in memory of Lt Antony Henry Whitford-Hawkey (Royal Flying Corps). His likeness is used for the figure of St George.

Posted 15 August 2022.

This window was commissioned from Percy Bacon Limited, formed after the liquidation of Percy Bacon & Brothers Limited in 1917.

The four light window in the north transept is a war memorial dedicated to Henry Whitford (d. 23rd January 1920) and his grandson, Lt. Antony Henry Whitford-Hawkey of the Royal Flying Corps, a pupil of Sherborne School, who was killed in action in a fight with enemy planes north of Bapaume (France) over the German Lines, 9th May 1918. The figure of St George is a likeness of Lt Whitford-Hawkey.^{4 5} Lt Whitford-Hawkey's name also appears on the memorial cross near the lych gate on Market Place.

The window depicts: St Patrick | St Andrew | St George | St David and below each figure a scene from their lives. The scenes for Andrew, George and David use the same designs as used in the memorial window (NA2) in St Lalluwys, Menheniot, and the Ss George & Andrew window in St Mark's, Woodcote, Purley. In the Menheniot window St George is also a likeness of the dedicatee. In the tracery the Holy Spirit flanked by Seraphim.

Percy Bacon produced a great many war memorial windows between 1917 and the early 1920s commemorating those who had perished in the Great War, and would sometimes create a likeness of the dedicatee depicted as St George, as in St Columba's, or one of the virtues such as Valour, Victory or Courage.

The window was given by Lt Whitford-Hawkey's father, Edward T. T. Whitford-Hawkey. In his letter to the Registrar of the Dicocese of Truro accompanying the faculty petition and faculty drawing. Undated faculty signed by Percy Bacon and George Fellowes-Prynne. Doc Ref: D/R/42/21 held by Kresen Kernow (Archives and Cornish Studies Service) he writes; "I am desirous that the window shall be dedicated and unveiled on the 19th November and I hope it may be possible to receive the Faculty before that date".⁶ The letter is dated 18th October, so one might safely assume that Edward's hope was not fulfilled.

The window is unsigned.

1. See the Cornish Stained Glass website entry.
2. Royal Cornwall Gazette - Thursday 23 March 1911: p5 (the article incorrectly spells "Bacon" as "Bawn"). Also Newquay Guardian and Cornwall County Chronicle, 24 Mar 1911, p8.
3. Cornish Guardian - Friday 29 December 1922, p5.
4. Flickr photo from the Sherborne School, UK, Book of Remembrance for former pupils who died in the First World War, 1914-1918
5. Old Shirburnian Website article: Experiences in the RFC by Lieutenant Antony Henry Whitford-Hawkey, November 1917.
6. Kresen Kernow Archive Dcoument Ref: D/R/42/2.
7. Cornish Stained Glass website entry: (South Chapel East).
8. Cornish Stained Glass website entry: (South Aisle 2).