Ossington
Holy Rood

Glass

All the windows of the church are late 18th Century with rebated round headed recesses. When the church was built in 1784 all the glass was clear. Coloured glass was inserted in seven of the nine windows between 1871 and 1946, most as memorials for the Denison family.

In what follows the windows are numbered clockwise, starting from by the altar.

1Lunette window, 1899, depicting St Andrew

Dedicated to Caroline wife of Sir William Denison 1819-99

No indication of maker, working in style of church, note pseudogothic features such as the rounded arch

Matching window 9

21916, depicting the Last Supper

In memory of William Evelyn Denison 1843-1916

Made by Heaton, Butler and Bayne

Renaissance style, see also window 7

31946, showing Christ with the four archangels

In memory of Lady Elinor Denison 1843-1939 [commissioned by Col. Max Denison]

Made by G. Cooper-Abbs

This is a very striking window. Note the Germanic features of the faces.

Cooper-Abbs described his window in an undated surviving autograph letter as follows:

The Lady Eleanor Dennison memorial describes in vitreous form the majesty of the Risen Lord, and depicts Him crowned as King, bearing the cross surmounted orb of temporal power and displaying the triumph of the Five Wounds. The seven stars about His right hand raised in blessing represent the Seven Lamps of God (Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit). The cloud-embroidered aureole and the flaming cross are all relative to the Throne of Glory.

The four archangels Michael, Gabriel, Raphael and Uriel are shewn with their identifying emblems, namely:

S. Michael as Captain of the Lord’s Hosts and conqueror of the Great Dragon in the Sun, is depicted armed with a spear and shield bearing the fiery planet.

S. Gabriel, as Guardian of the Celestial Treasury and angel of the Annunciation, holds the lily-headed sceptre of Kingship.

S. Raphael, as Messenger of God and Chief Guardian Angel, supports a pilgrim’s staff and gourd, and the fish of Tobit. The fish is also a symbol of Christian baptism.

S. Uriel, the Regent of the Sun and the Universe, displays such in composite form.

The simple colour scheme of blue and gold on a white background and its clear treatment, is chosen to transmit light into the church and enhance the beauty of the material in which the picture is worked.

41870-1900 The appearance of the risen Christ at Emmaus.

Undedicated

No indication of maker, but made specifically for the window

5Plain glass

6Plain glass

7After 1898 (death of Enoch Trees)

St John the Baptist baptizing Christ

In memory of Enoch Trees 1898

Basic classical design placed within pillars appropriate to the church, see also window 2. Gothic tracery

8After 1883 (death of Charlotte Scott)

An angel surrounded by a border of flowers and foliage.

In memory of Charlotte Scott, Viscountess Ossington, put up by her sisters

School of William Morris, Gothic tracery.

91871 St Peter

In memory of Sir William Denison, May 1804 - Jan 1871

Lunette window, Matching window 1 by the same artist

Note:

Memorial 15 (a wooden plaque) has the following wording:

The centre light of the east window was erected to the Glory of God in memory of Richard Sanderson, sometime MP for Colchester and Charlotte Matilda, his wife, daughter of the 1st Viscount of Canterbury by their children 1911.

It is not clear what is meant by this as there is no east window in Ossington church.

With thanks to Tom Errington who described and explained the glass.