Underwood St Michael and All Angels

Glass

The East Window

The east window is one of only two stained glass lights in the church. It is of considerable proportions and is the church’s third memorial to the men of the parish who did not return from World War I. It was unveiled by General Lord Playfair on 5 September 1920.

The window was designed by Arthur Anselm Orr (1868-1949), at that time working at Harrow, Greater London. It has four tall pointed lights reaching nearly halfway into the outer pointed arch, the points of these lights are extended to form the tracery above, three small lozenge shaped lights and two smaller lights above completed by a small single light that fills the apex. The inscription along the bottom of the window reads:

This window is erected to the glory of God and in honoured memory of the local officers and men who fell in the Great War

Beneath it are listed the names of the fallen:

Pte A. Allsop 17th Sherwoods

Rfn A.E.Allsop 6th K.R.R.

Cpl W. Ashley 10th Sherwoods

Pte B. Anthony 2nd Sherwoods

Pte C. Chambers 17th Sherwoods

Pte R. S. Cook 2 K.O.S.B.

Pte J.S. Davey 9th Sherwoods

Pte L.Gale 10th Lincolns

Capt H.T. Gardiner 12th HLI

Pte A.E. Gee 2=5th Lincolns

Pte E. Gent 15th Sherwoods

Pte R. Grainger 16th Sherwoods

Pte W. Green 16th Sherwoods

Sergt W. Gregory R.G.A

Pte J.W. Hankin 16th Sherwoods

Signlr A. Harris 4th Yorks

Pte L. Horne R.M.L.I

Gnr A. Housley R.G.A.

Pte A. Keeling 10th Sherwoods

Pte H. Leivers 8th Hussars

Pte A. Mansfield 15th Sherwoods

Lieut G.E.R. Oakes 1st West Yorks

Pte C. Oates 17th Sherwoods

Pte J. Price 3rd Sherwoods

Pte A. Smalley 1st K.R.R.

Pte W. Stoppard West Yorks

Pte G.A. Wagstaffe 4th Grenadiers

Pte A. Walters 1st R.S.F.

Pte H. Walters 11th Royal Sussex

Pte W. Walton 1st Grenadiers

Pte H. White 17th Sherwoods

Cpl G.A. Wootten R.E.

The entire work was carried out by five ex-soldiers who served in and survived the Great War, and the designer who was an anti-aircraft gunner based in London.

At the window dedication ceremony Arthur Orr explained in great detail the design of the window and the symbolism of the figures. A brief synopsis is included here:

'The two most important panels in the central lights are represented by Christ the King of Peace. Immediately below Our Lord is the kneeling figure of Saint Edmund offering his sword to Christ. In other portions of the light are Saint Oswald, kneeling, and Saint Edward, two Saxon saints. In the bottom corners are two images of Saxon churches. The upper part of the light is filled with groups of worshipping angels in one light and in another by cherubim. The Holy Mother with the Christ was included as a tribute to those women who bade farewell to their men and as an emblem to sorrow.'

There are a total of sixteen figures in the window.

South Aisle Window

On the wall of the south aisle is the other stained glass window. It is of the same proportions and design as the other seven lights in the aisles, having three pointed lights with the tracery above formed by the continuation of the arches of the three lower lights, producing two small elongated lozenge panels topped by a smaller lozenge at the apex. It is a colourful window with the centre light filled by an image of Jesus with a halo and uplifted arms. The lights each side are filled by three surpliced choristers, beneath which are two open books bearing the words:

GIVEN BY HOWARD SMALLEY
ON DECEMBER 22ND · 1999

 

A MEMBER OF ST. MICHAEL’S
AND ALL ANGELS CHURCH
CHOIR FOR OVER 70 YEARS

In the bottom left corner is the maker’s mark, the image of a jester and the initials MDS, confirming that the maker was Michael David Stokes of Edwinstowe, Nottinghamshire. The mark also includes the date December 1999.