Stained Glass of Percy Bacon & Brothers
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St Andrew's, Isleham
Posted 21 October 2022.
The 14th and 15th century church is large and extravagant, faced with flint, with a tall and imposing clerestory with large perpendicular openings over both aisles, perhaps a little out of proportion with the lower windows, but having the advantage of providing the interior with lots of light. There is architectural detail in spades; the spandrels between the arches of the arcades are carved and adorned with coats of arms above which a simple frieze and turned molding delineates the start of the clerestory. The church is filled with the remains of the Peyton family whose polychrome mausoleums and grave slabs clutter the side chapels.
In 1860 the church was in a dilapidated state, being reported as unfit for public worship.1 The vicar and churchwardens, "fearful of risking another winter", engaged London architect C. F. Hayward to produce a report on the state of the church fabric. It would not be happy reading. Hayward reported that the church was in an "imminently dangerous state", and that immediate measures should be taken to prevent the tower from collapsing. G. E. Street was commissioned to draw up plans and oversee the works which would consist of restoration of the tower, replacement of the nave roof and re-seating of the nave, all at an estimated cost of £2,000. The latter would not be done until 1866.2 The most pressing of the restoration - the tower - commenced as soon as practicable. Unfortunately as soon as the works commenced, and given that the interior walls had decayed to such an extent, the entire edifice came crashing down to the ground, "an entire ruin". At considerable additional expense the tower had to be rebuilt.
There are four Percy Bacon windows in St Andrew's installed between 1899 and 1925. All are of three lights. The three in the aisles depict standing figures of the disciples of Jesus and the gospel writers, and all follow a similar design with the central figure (or figures) standing on a pedestal around which a scroll with their name or words from the gospels is wrapped. The sermon preached by the Rev. Canon Cockshott, rector of Streatham Ely, at the dedication of the window installed in 1899 is reported to have pointed out how laudable a thing it would be for future benefactors to complete the whole of the sequence of Apostles in the church windows, as had been done in the neighbouring church of Landwade [St Nicholas], "Before the hand of Despora had despoiled the fair beauty of that church"1. Quite what the Rev. Canon Cockshot was referring to is moot. His wish was finally fulfilled by Percy Bacon a quarter of a century later in a window in the south aisle (SA2) installed in 1925. The fourth Bacon Studios window in the south chapel depicts Jesus appearing to Mary Magdalene.
The earliest of the Bacon windows installed in 1899 represents St James the Great, St John Evangelist and St Matthew Evangelist. The full length figures are presented in their elaborate niches of white glass and yellow stain. The central figure of St John stands on a tall pedestal around which a scroll os wrapped with the words, "That disciple whom Jesus loved". This design was continued in the two other Bacon windows installed in the south aisle of St Andrew's in 1913 and 1925.
Each figure holds his symbol: St James, a books and pilgrim's staff and gourd: St John a chalice with dragon, and St Matthew with a book. Curiously Matthew seems to be missing half of his right index finger. The meaning of this is moot.
Each light has an individual dedication to the memories of members of a well known local family, Sarah Brown (d. 1869), Thomas Brown (d. 1896), and Earnest Brown (d. 1897). The window was given by sisters Flora Brown and Eliza Robins3. Flora is remembered in the window in the south aisle installed in 1913.
The window is unsigned.
Installed in 19134 the window depicts Ss Bartholomew, Thomas and James. Each holds an implement symbolic of their trade or martyrdom; St Thomas a carpenter's set square, Bartholomew is represented holding a knife, symbolic of the tradition that he was flayed alive, and James holds a saw suggestive of the manner of his death by being sawn in half. Thomas stands on a tall pedestal around which is wrapped a scroll with the words quoting John 20;29: "Blessed are they that have not seen, but have believed". The windows is mostly white glass and yellow stain making up the elaborate niches in which the figures stand. The design is in keeping with the other Bacon windows in St Andrews. The window was given by Eliza Robins and is dedicated to her sister, Flora who died 15th July 1911. Eliza is remembered in the south chapel window (see below).
In the tracery Alpha and Omega symbols.
At the time of the installation of this window, the scheme of windows depicting the Apostles and Evangelists was almost complete with only St Simon, St Matthias and St Jude missing. This was corrected by Percy Bacon's third visit with a window of 1925 installed to the left of this one.
The window is unsigned.
Installed in 1925 from the studio of Percy Bacon Limited, the aperture for this window is identical to that of SA3 and Bacon has used the same design, with some minor variations and colour scheme. The niches are not as elaborate, and the colouring is green rather than yellow. The central figures of Simon & Jude crowd the single pedestal which like SA3 extends to the base of the window. It is clear that the window has been modified over the years to include an additional dedication, the most recent an inscription beneath St Matthias which reads, "In memory of Richard T Robins who read the lessons in this Church for 55 years. Died Dec 8th 1933 aged 87". This replaces the original inscription reported in the local press5 at the dedication of the window which read, "He was numbered with the eleven Apostles". The window was originally dedicated to Henry Wilson Robinson, Vicar of St Andrews for 35 years. The Rev. Robinson had expressed a wish to memorialise the local head teacher, and his name appears on the inscription in the left light.
Each saint holds the symbol with which he was associated: St James; a pilgrim's staff and book: St Simon, a book and fish: St Jude a model boat and St Matthias a knife and book.
The window is unsigned.
South chapel east: Noli me Tangere
The window in the chancel is of three lights, only the centre light being of figurative glass depicting Christ's appearance to Mary Magdalene. The other lights and tracery are of plain quarries. Although not immediately recognisable as work of the Percy Bacon Studios, the window follows the same elaborate architectonic scheme generally associated with Bacon's work, and similar to that used in the aisle windows. The BSMGP directory of 1930 attributes the window to Percy Bacon.
The window is dedicated to, "Eliza, beloved wife of R T Robins". The base of the window is partially obscured by a molded plaster cill, so it is unclear if there is a signature.
References: Use your browser's Back button to return to text.
- Unidentified work in the Lambeth Palace Library: Identifier ICBS06088a.
- New seating plan by G E Street 1866: Lambeth Palace Library. Isleham Church Plan No.25.
- Report of the dedication of the first of the Percy Bacon window installed in 1899: Bury & Norwich Post and Suffolk Standard 16 May 1899. p3.
- Report of installation; Bury Free Press - Saturday 10 May 1913. P8
- Report of the unveiling ceremony; Saffron Walden Weekly News - Friday 06 November 1925, p13
Location Map:
Sat Nav Post Code: CB7 5RX