Tuesday 21 December 2010

Briggflatts Meeting House, Near Sedbergh

Briggflatts Meeting House
Near Sedbergh
Cumbria








Yealand Quaker's Meeting House, Yealand

Yealand Meeting House
Yealand
Lancashire

The Meeting house in Yealand is situated on the East side of Yealand Road, set back in the trees at the far end of the burial ground. Built in 1692, when the rules of dissenting worshipping were relaxed (you had to register to worship outside of the Church of England) the Meeting house has seen few changes over the years. There were some small scale extension works in 1777, when the two sash windows were inserted into the South wall....otherwise the building is pretty much as it would have been in the late 17th century. This is regarded as an exceptional example of an early Quaker\Friend's Meeting house.

Above. The porch with the date 1692 carved in the arch.

The burial ground is unusual for an early Meeting house in that it contains dozens of headstones, many with reoccurring family names.

Above. Looking into the burial ground with the Meeting house at the end of the path.

Above. Inside the Meeting house.

Above. Inside the Meeting house.


Check out the Yealand Quaker's website for more information.

Check this link for a list of family names to be found in the burial ground.

My thanks to Jim Jarvis for opening the Meeting house for me to photograph, and for spending time sharing his thoughts and knowledge....it's very much appreciated!

Thursday 16 December 2010

Stained glass at St Oswald, Warton

Stained glass at St Oswald
Warton
Lancashire

St Oswalds has a fine collection of stained glass. I think I have most of the windows here, though there is definitely one missing (from the vestry) and one or two are at odd angles and were therefore difficult to photograph.

Above. Window showing Jesus sitting at a well.

The inscription at the base of the window reads, "In memory of Edmund Lawson ##### House, who died June 10th 1899 aged 62. Also of Jane Lawson who died September 16th 1860 aged 91 years." There is a scroll above the inscription, but as the photo is of a relatively poor quality it's impossible to read it. Notice the castle in the left hand pane....the gatehouse looks strikingly similar to that at Lancaster Castle! This window was created by local glazier F. Burrow of Milnthorpe. Burrow apparently learned his trade in London, later working at Salisbury Cathedral before moving to Milnthorpe and creating several windows for churches in the region. It shows Jesus talking to a woman of Samaria at a well.

Above. A beautifully detailed window showing Jesus preaching.

The inscription in this window reads "Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest". The details in this window are fantastic and have survived remarkably well.

Above. Stained glass set in one of the older windows in the church.

This window was created "In memory of Frances Mary Berkeley who died at Mentone March 4th 1887 aged 72 years". I think Mentone is a suburb of Melbourne in Australia. There are scrolls in each of the panes, with Latin inscriptions. The left hand pane reads "Behold the lamb of god" whilst the right hand pane reads "Behold the handmaid of the lord". The window is by Powell of Leeds and dates from 1872. It shows John the Baptist and the Virgin Mary.

Above. Beautifully coloured three light window.

This window shows three saints, as yet unidentified. The inscription at the foot of the window reads "To the memory of Mary the wife of the Reverend Thomas Dean Vicar of this parish. Born Nov 24 1797. Married May 10 1821 Died Sept 10 1862." The window shows depictions of Faith (left) , Hope (right) and Charity (centre), and is by Henry Hughes.

Above. Jesus 'breaking bread'.

A host of angels hold aloft a scroll with the words "He took bread and blessed and brake and gave to them." At the foot of the window, another inscription reads "Do more with wearn(?) steps. Roam Earth's wilderness. Gone home, Gone home." I have no idea what this means....it almost seems incomplete, as does the first inscription. This window represents the meal at Emmaus after Christ's resurrection, and dates from 1895. It is by Ward and Hughes.

Above. The massive and colourful East window.

The window shows Christ in the centre pane, with the gospel writers surrounding him; Matthew (far left) then Mark, then Luke and finally John (far right) At the top of the window, the two centre figures represent Moses with the tablets (left) and Aaron (right) The four figures to the left of Moses represent the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel (left to right) and the four figures to the right of Aaron represent four kings, David, Solomon, Rehoboam and Josiah (left to right)

The white rose of Lancashire is also represented in this window. The inscription along the bottom of the window reads "In memory of John Bolden of Hyning and Mary his wife. By their children MDCCCLVI" This window is full of religious symbols. There is a pelican, symbol of the passion of Jesus or of self sacrifice, a gryphon, symbol of divine power, a pheonix, symbol of rebirth or resurrection, and, right at the top of the window, the Rod of Asclepius, a symbol commonly used by the medical profession and symbolising healing and medicine. It can also represent the thirteenth sign of the zodiac, Ophiuchus. This window dates from 1856 and is most likely by Henry Hughes (check this link for some of his windows in other churches.) Here is some additional information on Henry Hughes.

Above. A window that could probably be entitled The Good Shepherd.

The centre pane of this window shows Jesus as 'the good shepherd'. The left hand pane shows Jesus with a small child, and a scroll reads "Despise not one of these little ones". The centre pane shows Jesus as the shepherd, with a scroll beneath that reads "He shall gather the lambs with his arms". The right hand pane shows Jesus with what looks like a family, with a scroll beneath that reads "Of such is the kingdom of god". There is quite a long dedication at the foot of the window, which reads "To the glory of god and in affectionate memory of Emily Mary aged seven years, John Archibold Bolden aged three years George Augustus aged four months, children of the Reverend George Thomas and Frances Mary Berkeley, Xmas 1861". It appears that all three children died at Christmas that year. This is another Henry Hughes window.

Above. Stained glass in another of the older windows.

This three light window has the following inscription in a scroll along the bottom. "She stretcheth out her hand to the poor yea she reacheth forth her hands to the needy. Proverbs, chapter 31:20 verse". This is a Henry Hughes window.

Above. An incredibly brightly coloured two light window.

At the top of this window, and angel holds a scroll with the words "In thee O lord do I put my trust". The window is very busy, with vines and grapes of all sorts of colours. A scroll in the left hand panes reads "Blessed are the dead which die in the lord. Rev Chap 14 Ver 13." The right hand pane's scroll reads "Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection and the lite. John Chap 11 Ver 23." The dedication at the foot of the window reads "In memory of Mary Walling widow of Richard Salisbury Esq Obit Aug 1822 AET 73 Two of her children & grand children this window is placed by her surviving grandchildren 1862". This is another Henry Hughes window.

Above. Two light window.

The left hand pane bears a scroll with the words "And the womans(?) names was Mary." The left hand pane bears a scroll with the words "Timothy, my dearly beloved son". The window is dedicated as follows "In memory of Bessy Barton who died at Warton Hall May(?) 25th 1871 aged 7 years and of William B. Barton who died at Warton Grange ### 14th 1883 aged 18 years". This window is by the Lancaster firm Shrigley and Hunt. The window shows the Virgin Mary being taught by her mother Anna (left) and Timothy being taught by his mother Lois (right)

Above. Two light window.

There are two inscriptions at the foot of this window. The first reads "I ascend to my father and your father: Matthew Chap 25 8". The bottom one reads "Her children arise up and call her blessed. Her husband also and he praiseth her". The window depicts Christ appearing to Mary Magdalene after his crucifixion (left hand pane) and the parable of the of the wise and foolish virgins (right hand pane) This window is by Henry Hughes.

Above. Three light window.

The simple inscription within a scroll at the foot of the window reads "Gods finger touched her and she #####"

Above. The crucifixion with the two Marys.

The inscription at the foot of the window reads "Woman behold thy son then saith he to the disciples behold thy mother".

Information on these windows taken from Saint Oswald's Church, a guide for the visitor by R.J. Norman and Arthur Penn.

Monday 6 December 2010

St Edmund, Newbiggin

St Edmund
Newbiggin
Cumbria





Above. St Edmunds with Newbiggin hall in the background.

Above. The West end of the church.

Above. Looking down the nave towards the East end of the church.

Above. Surviving box pews.

Above. Recess in the wall, for a tomb or effigy.



Above. Contemporary glass.

Above. Some of small stained glass here at St Edmunds.

Above. Some 14th and 15th century glass survives in this window.


Holy Trinity, Holme

Holy Trinity
Holme
Cumbria







The Sepluchre, Near Endmoor

The Sepluchre, Quaker burial ground
Near Endmoor
Cumbria

This small and forgotten Quaker burial ground can be found about a mile North of Endmoor, just off the A65. There is a handy lay by just beyond the footpath, Sepluchre Lane, that leads into the trees heading East. A five minute walk will bring you to this hidden gem on your left as you leave the tree cover and head out into the fields.

Above. Looking towards the burial ground from the West.

The burial ground was probably established sometime before 1694, when the first Quaker Meeting house at Preston Patrick was built. Pastscape dates it to around 1651. There certainly wouldn't have been much room in this tiny space for many burials, and it was soon superceded by the new Meeting house's burial ground which was established in 1694.

Above. The burial ground from the adjacent field.

Above. Looking West from within the burial ground.

Above. Looking North from within the burial ground.

There are only two surviving headstones here now, and both are very badly damaged. The first one, shown below, is made of slate, and only about a third of it survives today.

Above. The first of the two badly damaged headstones.

The second is a more substantial item, probably made of sand stone, and again, very badly damaged. One of these two stones apparently commemorates Anne, daughter to Isaac Cartmell who died in the early 1700's.

Above. The second of the headstones.

The burial site is freely accessible, though to gain access without climbing over the field walls, make sure you enter the field through the gate on your left before you leave the tree cover. The burial ground is then accessible through a gap in the West wall.

Church yard cross, Cartmel Priory

Church yard cross
Cartmel Priory
Cartmel
Cumbria

Situated just South of the priory, this church yard cross probably dates from somewhere between the 14th and 16th centuries.

The base consists of two pieces of carved sandstone, whilst the shaft is octagonal, missing its head, and stands to just over three feet tall.

Methodist (?) chapel, Auswick

Methodist Chapel, now called the Chapel on the Green
Auswick
North Yorkshire

I've not been able to find any information about this converted chapel in Auswick. I'm pretty sure that it was once a Methodist\Wesleyan Chapel, but it's now no longer used for services.

Above. The chapel, now a house, from across the road.

Above. One of two memorial stones, either side of the door at the front of the chapel.

The memorial stone is inscribed as follows "Laid by Mr. J. Lord of Settle......." The rest of the inscription is too weathered to read and there unfortunately doesn't appear to be any indications as to when this stone was laid so I'm unable to date the chapel.

St John the Evangelist, Langcliffe

St John the Evangelist
Langcliffe
North Yorkshire







Above. The three light East window.

This window shows some of the main events in Jesus' life. The left pane shows the 'Adoration of the Magi' with a dove, it's wings spread and looking down on the characters, at the top of the pane. The middle pane shows the 'Crucifxion', specifically, the body of Jesus being removed from the cross. At the top of the window a pelican can be seen, a Christian symbol said to represent personal sacrifice. The right hand pane shows the 'Ascension', with the agnus dei, or the lamb of god at the top of the window. I've not been able to find a date or the name of the designer for this window yet.

Above. Window depicting Saint Mary (left pane) and her son, St John (right pane)

This window can be found on the South side of the sanctuary, and shows St John and his mother, St Mary. The small cinquefoil above the window originally showed Jesus on the cross, but has been damaged and is now virtually blank. The window is attributed to Lavers, Barrat and Westlake of London, and was probably made in 1869. There is a plaque on the ledge beneath the window, with the inscription "To the glory of god and in memory of Mary Elizabeth Christie who died in faith May 14 1868 aged 37 years".

Above. Window showing an angel appearing at Jesus' tomb.

This single light window can be found at the North side of the sanctuary, and shows an angel appearing at the tomb of Jesus, telling his followers "He is not here. He has risen." There is a small plaque on the ledge beneath the window, which reads, in Latin "In memoriam Maria Burrows, Stackhouse, obit 4 Sept 1872 aetat 26".

Above. Window showing Jesus healing the daughter of Jairus.

This beautifully coloured window can be found on the South side of the sanctuary, and shows Jesus healing the daughter of Jairus. The text at the bottom of the window reads "The maid is not dead but sleepeth". The window probably dates from sometime after 1869, as it is dedicated as follows "To the glory of god and in memory of Mary Elizabeth Christie, who died in faith July 16 1869 aged 16 years."

Above. Window dedicated to the Robinson family of Skipton.

This two light window can be found in the South wall of the nave. It was created in memory of the Robinson family from Skipton, and was made by Powell of London. The dedication reads "The word was made flesh and dwelt among us." There are three plaques on the wall below the window. The left most plaque reads "Mary Kathleen Phillimore only daughter of George Robinson of Overdale, Skipton-in-Craven, and wife of Commander VEP Phillimore DSO RN. Born 3 Nov 1875, Died 23 March 1909."

The middle plaque reads "To the glory of god and in loving memory of Mary Kathleen Phillimore and Francis Betram Robinson this window is dedicated by their surviving brothers."

The right hand plaque reads " Francis Betram Robinson Third son of George Robinson of Overdale Skipton-in-Craven. Born 13 March 1890. Died at the harbour works at Para, Brazil 28 September 1910."

Above. Window showing Jesus appearing to Mary Magdalene.

This single light window can be found in the North wall, and shows Jesus appearing to Mary Magdalene after his resurrection. It was made by Powell of London in 1914, and bears the following inscription "To the glory of god and in memory of Travers McIntire, vicar of this parish from 1864 to 1879, died 5th September 1912. Also of his wife, Sarah Anne died 24th June 1913."

Link to the Langcliffe village website.