Stained Glass of Percy Bacon

Caversham, St Peter's

Berkshire

East Window 1924: Christ in Majesty with host of saints.
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Posted 09 November 2022.

In the summer of 1923 Percy Bacon and his wife Clara moved from Romford in Essex to their new home, "Springfield", Surly Row in Caversham so would have been very familiar with St Peter's even though they adopted St Barnabas, Emmer Green as their parish church. Between 1924 and 1925 St Peter's underwent a significant refurbishment with the chancel being lengthened eastward by fourteen feet. This allowed for the replacement of the original east window, which was moved, complete with its stained glass to the east wall of the south aisle where it can still be seen today. New north and south windows with plain glass were installed at the east end of the extended chancel to allow light into the sanctuary. The south aisle was also extended a little and a new south east window installed which was also filled with stained glass by Percy Bacon (see below)^{1 2}.

The theme of the chancel east window is "The Church Triumphant", represented by Christ Enthroned surrounded by prophets, saints, bishops and angels, the saints depicted giving special reference to early Christianity in England.

The window was given by Mrs J H Cooper in memory of her husband Major J H Cooper who had been a churchwarden for many years.

The window is signed "PERCY BACON LONDON".

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A single light window depicting the standing figure of St Peter who holds a model of a Church. The Reading Standard reporting on the installation of the window³ suggests that this is a depiction of the church before the tower was restored, although the model looks very generic. A drawing of 1845 shows the church tower having pinnacles connected by a balustrade.⁴

The inscription at the base reads:

For many years the Knighton's ran private boarding schools for boys and girls in Caversham. The last member of the family, Miss Matilda Knighton who was the principle of the girl's school at Hemdean House, died in 1927,⁵ and it was Miss Knighton who left a bequest in her will for the window to be made,⁶

The window is unsigned.

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References and Notes: Use your browser's Back button to return to text.

1. Report of the rebuilding and enlargement of the chancel of St Peter's, Reading Standard - Saturday 28 February 1925, p5
2. More history of St Peter's can be found at https://www.history.ac.uk/sites/default/files/file-uploads/2019-08/5%20Caversham%20Relig..pdf
3. Ibid.
4. Ibid.
5. Report on the funeral at St Peter's of Matilda Knighton: Reading Standard - Saturday 17 September 1927, p4.
6. Report of the dedication of the window: Reading Standard - Saturday 14 September 1929, p17.