Corpus of Percy Bacon

Budleigh Salterton, St Peter's

Devon

St Peter's Budleigh Salterton Architects Impression

Budleigh Salterton, St Peter, Devon, as illustrated in the Building News, 28 April 1893. Designed by George Fellowes-Prynne. The tower and steeple were never built due to budgetery constraints.

St Peter's Budleigh Salterton. Architect's impression with the
north west tower and steeple which was never built.⁷

St Peter's was designed by the architect George Haldon Fellowes Prynne and built between 1891 and 1893.¹ It was generously gifted to the town by the Hon. Mark Rolle, a nephew of the 1st Baron Rolle who was responsible for Holy Trinity, Exmouth. Between 1905 and 1907 Mark Rolle would again commission Fellowes-Prynne to completely remodel Holy Trinity. For a small village at the time, the church is on a grand scale, more in keeping with one designed for a sizeable town and like a number of other churches designed by Prynne, the cost of the building works outstripped the available funds, so the tower was never built. Prynne's designs for St Wilfrid, Bognor Regis, Sussex, and St Marks, Woodcote suffered the same fate, and he was not alone in such lofty ambitions. Frederick Preedy's design for St Edmund's, Hunstanton, lacks a tower for the same reason. St Peter's was described as ‘a stately and beautiful building, worthy to rank among the finest modern churches in the country’, with an ‘extremely dignified’ interior and the magnificence of the ‘richly vested altar...contributing to the impressive appearance of this fine interior’.²

It seems likely that a great deal of the original glass and decoration was executed by Percy Bacon and Brothers (as was the case at nearby Holy Trinity, Exmouth) and installed over a considerable period of time as parishioners made donations for memorials. These included a three light south aisle window depicting the type and anti-type of the institution of the blessed sacrement (1900),³ the west window (1902),⁴ two windows in the north aisle (Ss James and Barnabas - 1903 and Ss Alban, George & St Edward- 1906)^,5 a 2-light south aisle window (1912),⁶ the chancel south lancet windows (date?), and the mosaic panels in the chancel (1907-1913). Another three light window of an unknown subject whose unveiling ceremony was reported in September 1902 by the Exeter & Plymouth Gazette was made by Percy Bacon and Bros. Many of the windows are recorded in the local press as having been designed by G H F Prynne, who continued to have a good working relationship with the church over many years, and well after the completion of the original scheme, albeit minus the tower and spire. Further details of the lost windows are recorded below.

All of the windows in the church with the exception of those high up in the wall of the south chancel were destroyed by enemy bombing on 17th April 1942. The south chancel windows were badly damaged but survived, and were restored with the original Bacon/Prynne designs by Wippell and Co who were engaged along with artists George Copper Abbs and Roy Coomber to reglaze the entire church. This was carried out over a number of years between 1951 and 1954.⁸ The themes of the windows are: L: BVM and Child, Ctr: St Anne teaching the BVM to read, and R: The Lamb of God.

BVM & Child.

St Anne and the BVM learning to read.

St Agnes, The Lamb of God.

Opus Sectile Panels

Most, if not all the original opus sectile panels are still in situ, though heavily restored following the damage caused by the bombing. These mosaics are installed high on the north and south walls of the chancel, three and six respectively, framed by plain stone columns and horizontal moldings. Although conceived as a general scheme of decoration, the panels, like the windows were installed piecemeal over a number of years as new donors commemorated those departed.⁹ Three are presented here which are on the south side: Nativity, Jesus with the teachers in the temple, and Jesus preaching to the pharisees.

Nativity; Adoration of the Shepherds and Magi.

Jesus with the the teachers in the temple.

Jesus preaching to the Pharisees.

On the north side of the sanctuary two of the mosaics are dedicated to Lady Alice Ewing, and three to the Hon. Mark Rolle. The former two were unveiled at a ceremony on the 18th December 1913 and depict the betrayal of Christ, and "Ecce Homo".¹⁰

East Window (lost)

Budleigh Salterton East Window by Percy Bacon & Brothers 1910

East Window 1910. Use the mouse wheel to zoom in and click/drag to explore the window.

East Window; 1910. Crucifixion. St Andrew, Blessed Virgin, St John & St Paul.

Posted 28 January 2023.

In 1896 the Royal Academy Exhibition included a, "design for the east window, Budleigh Salterton Church by Percy Bacon & Brothers".¹¹ It is likely that this design had already been executed as part of the original scheme for church decoration. Although the original east window was destroyed by the bombing of 1942, thankfully, a few old prints and postcards exist to give an idea of the original church. The Builder printed a monochrome photo-lithograph of the east window in its 17th December 1910 edition (right). It is rather dark, but does give some idea of the detail the window incorporated. A postcard sent in August 1905 (below) shows the unpewed interior. The window is of five lights with tracery. The tracery is beautifully arranged to create a rose with seven quatrefoil rings arranged around a cinqfoil ring at its centre. Each of the seven rings contained a seated angel holding a scroll. The images to hand are unfortunately not of sufficient resolution to define the words on the scrolls. At the centre was the image of Christ in Majesty. The modern glass is by George Copper Abbs and made by Wippell & Co, Modern glass by George Copper Abbs made by Wippel & Co of Exeter. The design is similar to the original Percy Bacon glass installed in the early 1950s.

Postcard of the interior of St Peter's dated 1905 with the original Bacon Studios window in situ. PD image.

Postcard of the interior of St Peter's with east window in situ. Dated 1905. PD Image.

Other Lost work

As mentioned above, it seems likely that a great deal of the original glass and decoration was executed by Percy Bacon and Brothers under the direction, or to the designs of George Fellowes-Prynne. These were installed over a number of years as parishioners made donations for memorials. Listed below are works of Percy Bacon & Brothers which can be identified by reports in various publications.

South Aisle; 1900	Western Times, Friday 7th December 1900, p6. A very handsome stained glass window bas been recently erected in the south aisle of St. Peter's Church, Saltetton. The window is a three-light one, and represents the type and anti-type of the institution of the Blessed Sacrament. This latest addition to an already beautiful church the generous gift of Lady Alice Ewing, of "Addiston," Salterton, and is presented as. a thankoffering for the successful completion of the scheme for tbe ecclesiastical separation of Salterton from East Budleigh. The inscription at the base reads "To the glory of God ; a thankoffering from a parishioner." The whole of the work was executed Messrs Percy Bacon, Brothers, Newman-street, Oxford-street, London.
West Windows; 1902	Western Times, Monday 9th June 1902, p5. Mr. James T. Crier, of Surbiton and the Stock Exchange, has most generously offered to fill the large West window of St Peter's Church, Budleigh Salterton, with stained glass, in memory of his wife, who, during her residence in the town, was well known for her kindness and acts of liberality. The order has been entrusted to Messrs. Percy Bacon, Bros., of Newman-street, London, executed similar work at the church, but some few months will elapse before the work is completed. The dedication ceremony for the windows was reported in the Exeter and Plymouth Gazette on Saturday 13 September 1902, and confirmed the subject matter as, "illustrative of the outpouring of the Holy spirit".
North Aisle; 1903	Western Times - Wednesday 29 April 1903, p5. A very haudsomo stained glass window has just recently been placed in North Aisle of St Peter's Church. The window is a two light one, and illustrative of the lives of St. James and St. Barnabas. An inscription at the foot runs, "To the glory God, and in loving memory of James Boucher, Priest, entered into rest, 30th October, 1901." The execution of the work has been ably carried out by Messrs. Percy Bacon Bros., of Newman Street, Oxford Street. This Church now possesses 18 stained-glasa windows in all, this number including 10 windows in the Lady Chapel..
North Aisle; 1906	Exeter and Plymouth Gazette - Tuesday 16 January 1906 p5. A handsome stained-glass window has leen placed the north aisle St. Peter's Church. Budleigh Salterton, in memory the late Henry Goldney Baker. The work has been successfully carried out by Messrs. Percy Bacon Brothers, of Newman Street. Loudon, to the design Mr. Fellowes Prynne. It consists of three lights. That on the left contains a representation of St. Alban. St. George is in the centre, and St. Edward on the right. Underneath the above are three small representations, with inscriptions, of St. Alban helping Amphibalus to escape, St. George slaying the dragon, and St. Edward building an abbey to St. Peter at Westminster. Under the window a large brass tablet has been fixed, with tne following inscription:--" To the glory God, and in loving memory of Henry Baker, who died on Good Friday, April 21st, 1905. aged 77. This window is dedicated by his widow and children. Requiem aeternam dona ei Domine lux perpetua luoeat ei."
South Aisle; 1912	Western Times - Saturday 10 February 1912, p2. At a special service held at St. Peter's Church. Budleigh Salterton. yesterday, two new windows were dedicated by the Venerable H. Dv Boulay. Archdeacon of Bodmin....The windows have been erected by the relatives and friends of tihe late Mrs. Gray, and members the congregation. The first window, a two-light one, is in the south aisle, over the place where she frequently sat at Divine service. The light on the left represents St. Anne, the mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the predella to w'hidh depicts St. Anne teaching the Virgin. The other light represents St. Anne, the prophetess, the predella being the Presentation of Christ in the Temple. The inscription at the foot of the window runs: "To tihe glory of God and thankful remembrance of the life and work Constance Gray, 1911." At the same time, a second window was dedicated, which is described below.
South Porch; 1912	Western Times - Saturday 10 February 1912, p2 (continued from above). The smaller window is erected the south porch, and represents in the central light the Angel of Prayer, and in each side light an Angel of Praise. The inscription in the left light is: To the glory of God and in loving memory of Constance Frances Gray, who entered into rest January 22nd, 1911, aged 84. R.1.P." The windows were designed and executed by Mr. Percy Bacon, with the approval of Mr. G. H. Fellowes Prynne. the architect of the church.

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

St Peter's Parish Church, Budleigh Salterton, 1893 - 1993. Pamphlet available to purchase in the church.
The Church in the West, 29 April 1893. For an article on the works of G H F Prynne see Seven Church Architects 1830-1890,
Ecclesiology Today Iss 42 June 2010.
Western Times, Friday 7th December 1900.
Western Times, Monday 9th June 1902.
Exeter & Plymouth Gazette, Friday 19th January 1906. Western Times, Friday 1st May 1903.
Western Times, Saturday 10th February 1912.
Budleigh Salterton, St Peter, Devon, as illustrated in the Building News, 28 April 1893.
A Directory of Stained Glass Windows; British Society of Master Glass-Painters, 1966.
Report in the Exeter and Plymouth Gazette, Friday 19th December 1913; Two new panels were unveiled to commemorate the life of Lady Alice Ewing, a "benefactress of Salterton". Lady Alice was the sister of the Hon. Mark Rolle who had largely funded the construction of the new church.
Exmouth Journal - Saturday 20 December 1913, p5.
Catalogue of the Exhibition of the Royal Academy of Arts 1896. List number 1742 (p57). Link.

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