Woodborough
St Swithun

Glass

Click the numbers in the key plan for details of the items.

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Key to Glass

Chancel

1.The westernmost window in the north wall of the chancel depicts King David, Saint Dorothea and Saint John the Evangelist. It was designed by the artist, Edward Burne-Jones, and made by Morris & Co.

The inscription is in Latin:

ad maiorem dei gloriam et in piam
memoriam roby thorpe dederunt
vidua et filia a.d. mcmix

Translated this reads: 'His widow and daughter gave this in 1909 to the greater glory of God and in pious memory of Roby Thorpe.'

2.The easternmost window shows St Anne, mother of the Virgin Mary, the Madonna and Child in the centre and on the right St. John the Baptist as a child with his mother, Elizabeth. The maker's mark is for Kempe & Co. post 1907; the window was probably designed by John Lisle.

At the top of the window are two small sections of medieval glass: one of St. Catherine holding the wheel, on which she was martyred, the other of St. Margaret killing with a spear the dragon at her feet.

The inscription reads:

We pray you remember Jane Hill, wife of 
      Thomas Hill born 4th December 1819
      died 1st October 1882 “Jesu Mercy”. 

3.The major part of the east window was donated by Sir Charles Seely, by the family of Mansfield Parkyns of Woodborough Hall, and by Mrs Oldacres (widow of the previous vicar).

The lights represent the Virgin Mary (in memory of Mrs Seely), Our Lord (for Mr and Mrs Mansfield Parkyns and their daughter), and St John (in memory of the three Oldacres who had served Woodborough church from 1771 to 1876). Money for the lights on each side representing St Swithun and St Paulinus was raised by the parish, the total cost of the window being £300.

There are three inscriptions at the bottom of the window:

To the glory of God and in
loving memory of Emily,
wife of Charles Seely of
Sherwood Lodge, Arnold.
To the glory of God and in loving
memory of Mansfield Parkyns of
Woodborough Hall, and Emma Louisa
his wife, and Norah their eldest daughter.
To the glory of God and in loving
memory of Richard Oldacres, Samuel
Oldacres and Samuel Lealand Oldacres,
Priest of Woodborough 1771-1786.

4.The window depicts the prophets Ezekiel, Daniel and Isaiah foretelling the birth of Christ. The maker's mark is for Kempe & Co. post 1907; the window was probably designed by John Lisle.

The inscription reads:

We pray you remember Thomas Hill,
merchant of Nottingham, born 20th June
1822, died 7th October 1909
On whose soul may Jesus have mercy

5.This window shows three archangels, from left to right, Gabriel, Michael and Raphael. Below are three small circular pictures, and above are two pictures in medieval glass: the Risen Lord appearing to Mary in the garden, and Our Lord showing the wounds in His side to Thomas. The maker's mark is for Kempe & Co. post 1907; the window was probably designed by John Lisle.

The window is a memorial to the men of the parish who were killed in the First World War. An inscription at the foot of the window reads:

Remember ye with thanksgiving and
all honour the men of Woodborough
who fell in the Great War 1914-18
to those memory this window is dedicated.

South Aisle

6.The easternmost window shows St Cecilia, the patron saint of musicians, holding a model of a pipe organ, and St Agnes, who is holding a lamb. The maker's mark is for Kempe & Co. post 1907; the window was probably designed by John Lisle.

The inscription at the bottom reads:

To the glory of God, and in
memory of Marianne, wife of
Samuel Lealand Oldacres, this
window is dedicated A.D. 1908.

7.The west window, now shaded by the porch extension, is of Saint Hilda and Saint Etheldreda and dates from 1909. Saint Hilda is holding a model of Whitby Abbey and Saint Etheldreda is holding one of Ely Cathedral.

The inscription reads:

To the glory of God and
in loving memory of John
and Elizabeth Foster, of
this Parish, this window is
dedicated, AD. MCMIX.

North Aisle

8.

Shows St Aidan, who converted the Northumbrians to Christianity, and St Columba, who founded a monastery at Iona. The maker's mark is for Kempe & Co. post 1907; the window was probably designed by John Lisle.

The inscription reads:

To the glory of God and in
memory of Francis, Mary and
John Hartshorne this window
is dedicated A.D.1908.

9.

The window shows St Chad, holding a model of Lichfield Cathedral, and St Hugh, holding a model of Lincoln Minster. The maker's mark is for Kempe & Co. post 1907; the window was probably designed by John Lisle.

It commemorates two churchwardens:

To the glory of God and in
memory of Edward Brett. 
Churchwarden 1865–1907,
this window is dedicated.
To the glory of God and in
memory of Richard Ward.
Churchwarden 1875-1907,
this window is dedicated.

Richard War helped Mansfield Parkyns with the carved woodwork of the choir stalls and pulpit.

Nave

The clerestory windows are devoid of decoration and are unbalanced with regard to the arches below; furthermore there are only two on the north side but three on the south. The aisle windows were not as well designed as those in the chancel, lacking tracery, and no two are of the same size. Their present tracery was inserted in 1891.

More information about the stained glass windows is available on the Woodborough Heritage website.