The
Stained
Glass
Windows
in
All Saints
Church
Silkstone
References
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5
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Yorkshire Church Notes 1619-1631 Roger Dodsworth Yorkshire
Archaeological Publications Vol. XXXIV 1904 p2
History of the Town & Township of Barnsley Rowland Jackson London
1858 p178 (south aisle)
ibid Dodsworth p2
Medieval & renaissance Stained Glass in the vicinity of Barnsley
Brian Sprake in Aspects of Barnsley 4 1996 Pen and Sword
ibid
Clarke papers Sheffield Archives reference CR 1-675
Anthony Salvin Pioneer of Gothic Revival Architecture 1799-1881
Jill Allibone University of Missouri press 1987
ibid Clarke papers CR611/27
Stained Glass in the Gothic Revival J Cheshire Manchester University
Press 2004 p24
ibid
Barnsley Chronicle 1 April 1876 Barnsley Local studies Archive
Stained Glass from Shrigley and Hunt of Lancaster and London
William Walters University of Lancaster 2003
Lancashire Archives Preston DDSR 1/1 Ledger 1858-85 p485 Shrigley
and Hunt Lancaster and London
Register of Faculties Book 1 1889-1908 pp351/352 Diocese of
Wakefield Faculty dated 18th August 190 &vestry minutes 1907 WDP
West Yorkshire Archives Wakefield.
Barnsley Chronicle May 9th 1863 Barnsley Local studies Archive
Barnsley Chronicle 15 April 1876 Barnsley Local studies Archive
ibid
Silkstone PCC records 2012 faculty
Register of Faculties Book 1 1889-1908 p148 Diocese of Wakefield
Faculty dated 8 June 1898
Silkstone PCC records 2009 faculty 6 August 2009
A programme of conservation of the stained glass windows
has been undertaken as part of the project ‘Silkstone
Reflects on the Church Heritage’. This booklet, a display
panel, a brief guide and a short PowerPoint presentation have
been researched by volunteers as part of this Heritage
project
June 2012
The Windows in All Saints Church Silkstone
An Introduction
Stained glass has been a part
of religious architecture in
churches since Roman times.
Coloured glass has filtered
light through scenes telling
the glory of God. Window
glazing of glowing tints and
intricate patterns set in a web
of stone tracery have told the
Christian story down the
centuries
The earliest record describing
glass in this church is
contained in Dodsworth’s
notes of his visit in 1629.1
He writes that at the
beginning of the 16th century
a complete reglazing scheme
was begun.
His notes show ‘two of the windows were given by the townships of
Thurgoland and Hoylandswaine’2.
The other windows contained the shields of arms, donor figures and
inscriptions of local families ’3. The earliest inscription on a window to a
family was for John and Julyane Denton 1517
7
The only window remaining from this period to retain 16th century stained
glass, is this window marked 7 on the plan, where there are two shields
which Dodsworth saw, one virtually intact is of Charles Brandon Duke of
Suffolk (d 1545) The Brandon shield is typical of the Tudor era with flaunched
sides and dates from about 15404.The other,heavily patched and altered to
match the Brandon, once displayed the arms of England. Now it contains a
piece of a sundial. Sprake suggests this is 17th century and ‘was very
probably the work of Henry Gyles of York who did much work for the
Wentworth family of Bretton in the second half of the 16th century, and in
whose chapel the window stands’5.
10
The Chancel Windows
During 1857 and 1858 Mrs Sarah Ann
Clarke arranged for Silkstone Church to
be refurbished. A faculty was obtained
in May 1857; the building work took
under a year, the church being
reopened by the Bishop of Ripon in
April 1858.
The windows are in memory of Robert
Couldwell Clarke Snr., husband of
Sarah who died 9th July 1843.
There is a remarkable collection of correspondence in the Clarke papers kept
in the Sheffield Archives covering all aspects of this refurbishment6.
The architect Anthony Salvin, ‘one of the most important architects practising
in Britain during the years 1820-1880’7 was employed to oversee this work.
Anthony Salvin had a long and successful career as a builder of country
houses and churches and as a restorer of some of the most important castles
in England, including Windsor Castle and the Tower of London.
He in turn used Michael O’Connor of London, painted glass craftsman, and
his son for the windows in the chancel (8, 9, 10 and 11). M & A O’Connor
quoted a total of £300 for the four windows in the chancel. Mr James H
Farrar for Mrs Clarke accepted this quotation “the amount £300 must not be
exceeded and must include fixing protecting and everything complete” 8
9 The Clarkes general ledger has an account for the
refurbishment of the church; in it the final window
payment on the 23rd February 1858 brought the total
to exactly £300!
Michael O'Connor was born in Dublin in 1801. He was
a heraldic painter before he came to London in 1823, he
was one of the earliest exponents of the Gothic Revival
movement. He returned to set up a studio in Dublin and
moved in 1842 to Bristol before returning to London,
where he set up his own workshop in 1848.
Michael O'Connor was commissioned on several occasions by A.W.N. Pugin
to make some of the windows for his churches. In 1851 O'Connor was joined
by his son Arthur and in 1860 by his other son William Henry. He won a gold
medal in the Exhibition International in Kensington, London, 1862. Michael
O'Connor died in 1867. When Arthur died in 1873, William Henry took
George Taylor into partnership. The firm became Taylor & Clifton in 1880 and
closed early in the 20th century.
At the time when the windows for Silkstone were produced in 1857/8, the
firm would have been trading as M & A O'Connor. In 1857 the reputation of
Michael O’Connor was said by J Cheshire9 ‘to be probably as high as that of
any glass painter working in Britain.’ He used
antique glass and the capacity of this
glass to diffuse light rather than transmit
it directly meant that he did not need to
11 8 dim the glass with enamel. We know
from photographic evidence that
O’Connor used the same design in 1857
in St Mary’s Church Buckland St Mary Somerset.
J Cheshire writes of this window ‘the complex
figure groups in the east window show a mature designer working
successfully with his difficult material: the window complex but legible.’10
North Aisle Windows
15
“During the past week workmen
have been busy in erecting a
beautiful stained glass window in
Silkstone Parish Church to the
memory of the late Robert Couldwell
Clarke Esq. of Noblethorpe, who died
in December 1874. The window is,
we may state, erected at the sole
cost of Mrs Clarke. The stained glass
has been supplied by Messrs’
Shrigley and Hunt, of Lancaster, and
has been adjusted in a most
workmanlike manner by Mr Eaves, an employé of that firm. The window is
very light, but extremely neat, and affords at once a striking contrast with the
other stained windows in the building, which have patterns directly opposite,
they being much darker. Our Saviour is the centre figure, and He is
represented holding In His hand an orb. Above His head are the words “I am
the light of the world” over these being the armorial bearings of the Clarke
family: “Argent on a bend, Gules between three pellets, as many Swans
Proper” and immediately below, on the oblique masonry work – the window
sill – is fixed a plate on which is engraved the object for which the window
has been erected. On our Saviour’s right is the figure of St. John, the apostle
holding a chalice, and on the left stands St. Stephen, represented with a reed
in his hand. The window is fixed on the north side of the church, facing
Church-lane, which is the road leading to Barnsley…”11
Shrigley and Hunt ranked among the leading designers and manufacturers of
stained glass in Britain during the Victorian Era. Carl Almquist was one of
their influential designers and window 15 was created by him.
It is one of the earliest windows to suffer from ‘borax decay’.12 Borax was
used as a flux which becomes water soluble and causes the colours to fade;
(the reason the centre panel looks so pale) later borax was replaced with
iron.
A Shrigley and Hunt ledger gives details of the cost of the window:To Mrs Emily J Clarke Noblethorpe
(In Pencil ‘Silkstone Barnsley’)
1875 Sept 23 Design 330 £ 5. 5s. 5d
1876 March 29 Design 380 £67. 14s.6d
Cost £ 5. 5s. 5d
May 5 by allowance
Eaves overcharge
8s. 6d
£67. 6s. 0d
£72 19s.11d 13
£72.19s.11d
16
£72.19s.11d in today’s money is about £5,000.
Window 16 is the work of Kyall and Co of
Leeds. Installed under a faculty granted
28th August 190714, it is dedicated to the
memory of Edwin Teasdale and his wife
Martha. Census returns of 1861, 1871 and
1881 recorded Edwin being employed and
living at Dodworth Sovereign Colliery (in
Clarke family ownership) as a Colliery
Cashier. Edwin died July 18th 1887 aged 59
and Martha died aged 75 17th Aug 1906
the three panels depict “Faith”, “Christ the
Word” and “St Cecilia”
The West Window and the stained glass window 3 in the south aisle.
19
In 1863 the Barnsley Chronicle
reported,
‘R C Clarke, Esq. of
Noblethorpe Hall, influenced
by feelings which do him
honour, and which, we doubt
not, will be generally
appreciated, has just put up in
Silkstone Church two beautiful
stained glass windows’15
13 years later the Chronicle
further writes, ‘This window,
as well as the one on the
south was erected at the sole
cost of Mrs Clarke’s children.’
It continues ‘The scene
depicted is the resurrection of
our Lord... The inscription is
‘In honour of God, and in memory of Sarah Ann Clarke who died August 31st,
1861 aged 58 years... ‘. 16
Notice the difference in donors between the accounts!
Of the south window it states, ‘several
scriptural events are typified on the
window, Jesus, with Mary and Martha
occupying the centre, whilst Dorcas is
to be seen distributing Alms on the
right, and on the left the Annunciation
by the Angel Gabriel to the Virgin
Mary.’17
Both of these windows were created by
M & A O’Connor
3
2 St Francis window
Given by a member of
the congregation in memory of
her parents and husband
Design by Ann Sotheran of York
Installed by J W Burton York18
20 The Baptistery Window.
This window is dedicated to the memory of Mary Ann Barker
(1815-1896) mother of the Rev W S Barker Vicar 1880-1898.
It depicts the Wise men offering their gifts to Jesus; Joseph’s
dream, the flight to Egypt; with the Angel leading.
The maker of this window has not been identified.
A confirmatory faculty was granted in June 1898 after this
window had been installed ‘without authority’19
All the available evidence
points to this being donated
by the Rev Barker.
Joseph’s
Dream
Egypt
The Huskar Window
Window 12, in the north east
Chapel dedicated to St James,
is a Memorial window to the
26 children aged 7-17 who
died in the Huskar pit disaster
of the 4th July 1838. Faculty
granted 6 August 200920
This window was made in the
south aisle of the church as a
community project in 2010.
The design (seen below) was
proposed by local artist Julie
Tyler and was realised by
Rachel Poole,stained glass
artist. Local people introduced
to the skills of stained glass
making by Rachel were
supervised by her in the
completion of the project.
12
Over 200 people from the community played
some part in the making of the window
The work begun in August 2009 was completed
May 2010 and installed by Joseph Burton of J W
Burton Ltd York.
The window was dedicated by the Bishop of
Pontefract on Sunday 4th July 2010
.
DW & RA Sisson Heritage Silkstone June2012