Stained Glass of Percy Bacon & Brothers

Dorcas. Moved from SN3 to stair well.

Now in the stair well, the window back-lit by flourescent tubes.

Posted 11 April 2023

St James's has undergone considerable modification in recent years. The original church was a meeting house associated with the English Presbyterian tradition, but was rebuilt in 1894 from designs by W. Lister Newcombe of Newcastle.² It consisted of a single large and lofty nave without aisles. This has now been divided in two with a mezzanine floor above the main church hall used as a meeting room with ancillary offices. The window in which the Bacon Studios glass was originally inserted is now in a boiler room The window's original location on the south side of the nave is now in the boiler room. on the south side, and which two flues now partially obscure. However, the window was thankfully preserved as a show-piece in the stair well to the first floor hall. Unfortunately, as can be seen in the image to the right taken in March 2023, it is rather badly back-lit by flourescent tubes and suffers from light entering from a nearby window in the west wall rendering the colours rather washed out. It would be best viewed during darkness hours. An image The window in its original location on the church's website. of the window on St James's website,³ probably taken when in its original location gives a better impression of the colouration.

The window depicts the standing figure of Dorcas, with a scroll above which reads, "Underneath are the everlasting Arms" (Deuteronomy 33:27). It is dedicated to the memory of Martha Rose Reavell of Alnwick (d. 14th June 1908, aged 72 years).

The window is signed.

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1. Alnwick Guardian and County Advertiser, Saturday 06 March 1909, p5.
2. Straker J. 1989; A History of St James' United Reformed Church Alnwick, p50.
3. St James United Refornmed Church website.