Annesley
Old Church

Glass

Much ancient glass was left in the Old Church as it became more and more derelict until, on the initiative of Nevil Truman, an Associate of the British Society of Master Glass Painters, and with the consent of Colonel Chaworth-Musters, it was transferred to St Giles Church, Holme, (also known as Holme-by-Newark), a small hamlet by the River Trent. Mr Horace Hinks of Hinks and Burrell carried out the work.

In Transactions of the Thoroton Society, Vol 51 (1947), Truman described the glass he had saved. His summary is given here:

South Aisle

South-east window (1363)

Trans. Tracery of square-headed window filled with plain red, but traces of seaweed diaper existed. Very small pieces only remained in the smaller traces.

Middle window (1363)

A plain yellow stain band round traceries and main lights. One quarry of grey-green glass with matt acorns and leaves of stiff design.

South-west window (1363)

A plain yellow stain band round traceries and main lights.

Quire

South-west window

1363:Quarry “P” Two fragments on thick green-white glass in yellow stain.

1686:Quarry “P” One complete late copy of above on thin white glass with very bright and deep yellow stain, trellis border on four sides. 18th century leading. Probably done for Patricius Chaworth, 1686, which name and date are on the plaster arms in the Church.

1475-1500:Canopy. Two sides and top. Simple single cusp on white. The border, in white paint on clear glass, shows a scrolled wreath in yellow and matt of Renascence type, the drawing coarse (same design as at Egmanton and Leicester Museum). One canopy top ditto.

Felley Chapel

East Window South aisle tracery

In 1363 William de Wakebridge and Robert de Annesley founded a chantry and built this aisle, the glass being contemporary. The border common to all these traceries is on green-white glass, a dotted pattern with band in matt, the yellow stain being on the back. Smear stained.

Quatrefoil, Our Lady

On a blue diaper ground, Our Lady, in an orange cloak and brown-pink girdled robe, sits on a white and yellow Gothic throne of chest type. The head and hands missing, but the leads showed that they were respectively crowned and folded in prayer. With the next light forming a “Coronation.”

Quatrefoil, Our Lord

On a blue diaper ground, Our Lord, in a brown-pink bordered mantle and yellow stain vest with plain border and a single fleur-de-lis as motif on the front. The white face short bearded in straight hair, the eyes having no irises; flowing hair parted in the middle. Yellow stain halo with cross pattern thereon. Right hand raised to bless Our Lady in the next light. Left hand holds an orb with a plain cross in yellow stain.

Quatrefoil, Brown

In brown smear on green-white, with a broad plain yellow border. The diaper of conventional seaweed foliage (early type) in the four semicircles. A deep green border round the inner circle surrounded a (missing) shield and had matt seaweed diaper.

Quatrefoil, Green

As the brown quatrefoil above save that the diapers are in green seaweed and the border has a matt dotted design. A red circular surround for the (missing) shield was fitted here out of the loose pieces from Colonel Musters.

Four Tracery Lights

A four-lobed pattern on very green-white glass with an eagle border matching the border pieces above mentioned. The eagle only is in yellow stain. This border encloses one upright acorn between two stiff oak leaves in matt. Of these four lights, two were much broken.

Angel Tracery

The lower halves of three angels in the side tracery lights which, from their position. once held thuribles thrown above their beads. Portions remaining showed the waist downwards. The waist- band in yellow stain and the bottom of the skirts embroidered in circles. Bare feet. Thick shading. One alb with two bands of embroidery, one with the band in the middle; one with the band at lower edge. All within a border of plain green-white thick glass.
Note: Angels of the Decorated period usually had coloured robes, so these are uncommon.

Four Quarter Circle Traceries

On green-white within a broad plain yellow-stain border, a thin seaweed diaper in brown smear.

One Portion of Large Quatrefoil

Similar to the “brown” and “green” ones listed previously. Thin seaweed diaper in brown smear. This was the bottom quarter surrounding a shield.

One Portion of Large Quatrefoil

Similar to above, but green. A semi-circular side-piece.

Tracery

A semi-circle of matt vine leaves on plain green glass.

Main Light Border

Red rectangles between turrets and vine leaves in yellow stain on white.

Quarries

Trailing acorns.

Loose Pieces found by Colonel Chaworth-Musters in the Yard and given to Nevil Truman, November 1932.

In 1912 and 1916, the Transactions of the Thoroton Society mention “remains of quarry glazing in the east window.” These are now lost, unless they form part of the following collection, all of which is now in Holme-by-Newark Church, and which (as it matches glass existing in the Felley Chapel East Window) came from the latter.

Borders

Eagle in yellow stain and matt on green-white, standing on foliage. [1 piece of 6" and a head only of 3"].
Plain Red. 2 of 3"; 4 of 2"; 2 of 2½”.
Castle. A two-staged battlemented finial in matt on green-white with yellow stain applied on the back. [3 pieces of 6"].
Vine. A small bunch of yellow stain grapes and a large vine leaf in matt on green-white with yellow stain on the back. Two pieces have shoulders to fit the curve of a light at its top. The design is paralleled at Oxford Cathedral, where the date is 1367-9. [4 pieces of 4" and 2 of 3"].

From the portions in situ in one light in 1932 it can be stated that the border of the main lights of the cast window in the Felley Chantry was alternatively of castles and vines between plain red. The whole surrounded with a white edging.

Quarries

Trailing Acorns. Many were broken, but I reconstructed these to make 19 whole or half quarries and 11 plain ones. The grey glass is thick. The design is a flowing one trailing across the quarries and linking up with neighbours. The upper halves have yellow trellises. The acorns and leaves are stained yellow, the design in matt and the acorn cups are cross hatched. The designs are rarely symmetrical. Some have a bordered line down the centre enclosing a line of small trefoil-headed sprigs. The same pattern is in Waterperry Church, Oxfordshire, where it formed the bulk of a window which had a small donor at the foot of each light.

The East Window of the Felley Chapel must have been a magnificent window of the quarry and band type, i.e. with its large lights glazed with grey acorn pattern, across which, at intervals, appeared a band of coloured saints or scenes, the tracery lights being filled with shields and small saints brilliantly coloured.

Deep Blue Robe

Dec. c1370Two pieces shaded, one roundish, the other long and irregular. They appear complete in themselves to fill small side traceries and may have been curtain draperies.

Trinity

Dec.A large square unbroken, being the lower half of the Crucifix with two feet and the robe of God the Father. At the edge there is some miniature Decorated Gothic window work. The loin cloth of the Son and the dress of the Father are in yellow stain. The rood feet are held by one nail. Stipple shaded and delicately drawn all in matt on thick green-white glass. The legs long and graceful, the navel defined. Much pitted with corrosion, which is not present where the stain appears on the back of the glass.

Feet

Perp.A pair of feet on a yellow ground with matt grass tufts between them. Coarsely and poorly drawn.

Inscription

On thickish green-white. Indecipherable.

Made-up Panel from Colonel Musters containing

Perp.   A “P” quarry.
Dec.   Three (once four) pieces of red flashed glass of conventional floral diaper. Thick.
Perp.   Head. Top half, on white. Yellow stain halo and short curly brown hair.
Dec.   Pair of hands, left and right to match, with long fingers. the right having a yellow-stain sleeve.
Renasc.   Six pieces of tablet and flower work in pink, yellow, green, blue and brown enamels.
Perp.   Two “P” half-quarries edged with a broad yellow band between two thick black lines. Only half the “P” being painted, the rest being supposed to be behind the border.
Late Perp.   Two wide borders of pineapple in black and yellow on white.
Dec.   Small window with yellow stain walls around it.
Dec.   Piece of masonry - two quatrefoils within circles.
Perp.   Two “P” borders in black and yellow on white.