Stained Glass of Percy Bacon

Tower West: The Good Shepherd.

Tower West: Christ the Good Shepherd, 1891.
By James Powell & Sons. Design by Percy Bacon.

Posted 07 September 2024.

Due to the lack of any firm evidence, there is considerable doubt whether this window is from a design by Percy Bacon. The listing by Historic England gives it to Shrigley and Hunt.¹ However, it is include here as a possible early example of his stained glass designs, and to record his work for James Powell & Sons..

Prior to setting up his own firm at 11 Newman Street, London, W. it is known that in 1891 Percy Bacon had worked as a designer for James Powell & Sons,² and had also produced designs for A. O. Hemming. In that year Bacon is listed as having produced a design for Powell & Sons for a window at Holy Trinity, Casterton, Cumbria.³ Unfortunately Powell's order books do not specify the location or subject of the design. In the late 1880s Holy Trinity had undergone a restoration with Henry Holiday providing many new windows in 1893-97.⁴ It is likely, therefore that this window precedes those.

The window depicts the standing figure of Christ as Good Shepherd, with angels looking down from above. The Scroll above Christ quotes Isaiah 40:11;:

The dedication reads:

There is no signature.

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1. Historic England website; Official List Entry for Holy Trinity, Casterton.
2. James Powell & Sons Order Books (England) held at V & A Archive of Art and Design.
3. Ibid, p6; Casterton, nr Kirkby Lonsdale, 1891; Bacon P; Charge for design.
4. Casterton Village website. History of Holy Trinity. Retrieved 7th September 2024.