Sutton Bonington
St Michael

1. At the top of the window is a shield showing a crown over IHS. Below the window is divided into two with Joanna and Mary the mother of James on the left, with Jerusalem in the distance. On the right are two angels at the empty tomb with a banner reading ‘He is not here. He is risen’ and below is Mary Magdalene with a jar of spices. Mary Magdalene is usually shown with her hair uncovered. There are two decorative panels below and the wheatsheaf logo with a black tower superimposed is shown in the left hand corner, showing that the window was produced by the Kempe workshop after the death of C. E. Kempe. The inscription reads:

4.The window has clear glass.

6.

The window at the east end of the south aisle shows the story of the Good Samaritan. This is the oldest of the windows and has some odd features. The story appears to read from right to left, and, between scene one and two, the donkey has changed his bridle and the Good Samaritan has changed his cloak! There are decorated panels above the story. On the left hand side the Good Samaritan is shown negotiating with the innkeeper to take care of the injured man. In the centre the Samaritan helps the man onto his donkey and in the right hand side the Samaritan is seen treating the injured man’s wounds, with the priest and the Levite in the background, walking guiltily away.

The window commemorates Jonathan Burton who died 30 May 1858. The inscription along the bottom of the window reads:

10.

The window in the west wall of the south aisle has the dedication:

This window shows four shields or crests. On the right hand side is Robert Tilney’s regiment 'Death or Glory' The Lancers, (now the Royal Lancers). Skull and crossbones with the motto ‘or glory’. In the centre, at the top is the Southwell Diocese Crest and below it the Tilney Family Coat of Arms, motto 'Sperando Spiro' (I live by hoping). The crest on the left hand side is unidentified. In the left hand corner is the maker’s mark for Goddard and Gibbs: a sailing ship with the initials GG on the sail. At the top of the window are two Tudor roses and the date AD 1963.

11.The window in the west wall of the tower is best seen from the chancel steps. It shows a beautiful garden with trees, stream and beautiful flowers, daffodils, delphiniums, clematis, lilies, marigolds, phlox, primroses and snowdrops in the foreground. There are fields in the background with a cottage and church in the distance. The windswept blue sky is lovely. A banner at the top of the window reads ‘Te Deum Laudamus’, (we praise thee God). The inscription reads:

The artist was Reginald Bell of Clayton & Bell.

There is no date but the style is 1920s/30s.

12.

The window represents the harvest. At the top are shown the Southwell crest to the left, a red cross in a shield to the right and a dove in the centre. On the left-hand side is a sower, scattering the seed with a church in the background. In the centre are two roundels showing horse drawn ploughing above and cutting the corn below. On the right an angel holds a sheaf of corn to represent harvesting. Below this are a circle with sheep and lambs on the left and two workers loading the horse drawn wagon with corn on the right, an idyllic picture of life in the countryside. Below and in the centre is the Paget family crest and the words ‘Espere et Persevere’ (Hope and Persevere). The angel’s blue wings are very similar to the sky in the third window. Both windows were donated by Cecil Paget, perhaps he employed the same craftsman. The inscription at the bottom of the window reads:

TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN MEMORY OF HIS FATHER GEORGE ERNEST PAGET THIS WINDOW IS DEDICATED BY HIS SON CECIL WALTER PAGET.

The artist was Reginald Bell of Clayton & Bell.

13.

The window is an unusual depiction of a hunting scene. It shows a huntsman with a horn and knife gazing at a deer with a crucifix between its antlers. This represents either St Hubert or St Eustace, both are patron saints of hunting and both repented of their wasted lives after seeing a vision of a stag and crucifix. There is a crest at the top of the window and the scene is made local with Sutton Bonington Hall in the background on the left and St Michael’s Church on the right. A fox hound stands among the bracken and foliage and a fox is racing away in the right hand corner. The window was made by Goddard and Gibbs. The inscription reads:

14.

The window shows St Michael and St George each battling their respective dragons. At the top are a crown and a horn, the crest of the Rifle Brigade. St Michael stands on the left, resplendent in armour and wings with a bejewelled cloak, killing a blue/grey dragon. On the right stands St George in equally magnificent armour. He is killing a red dragon with a spear, appropriately flying a St George’s flag. A wheatsheaf in the left hand corner shows the window was executed by C. E. Kempe. The inscription reads:

15.

There is an angel at the top holding a banner ‘Charity’ and at the bottom left there is an angel with a banner ‘Faith’ and an angel holding ‘Hope’ at the bottom right. In between stand two angels, gorgeously robed with the one on the right holding a bible. There is no maker’s mark visible but the Rev W E Buckland records it as being produced by Clayton and Bell. The faces of the angels are quite beautiful. The inscription reads:

Sophia died in 1913.

16.

At the east end of the north aisle is the eighth window depicting the Nativity. There are six angels at the top of the window, three of whom carry Latin inscriptions. On either side of the angels are the Kempe logos, three wheatsheaves in a shield to the left and ATE in a shield to the right (Alfred Tombleson). Below are a host of angels and underneath are two angels to the right, then two shepherds. Mary and the baby Jesus are next with Joseph and a third shepherd on the right. Below are four well dressed gentlemen carrying scrolls with Latin inscriptions which are hard to decipher but are approximately as follows: 'Ecce virgo concipiet' 'Ax nihi egredietur' 'Suscitabo David germen ----' 'Ecce tuus veniet rex' Could these be Magi? The inscription reads: