 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
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.
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