Stained Glass of Percy Bacon & Brothers

Perry Hill, St George's (Lost Works)

Greater London, Lewisham

Posted 11 September 2023.

St George’s Church, Perry Hill was consecrated by the Bishop of Rochester on 17th January 1880. The church was described in the Sydenham, Forest Hill & Penge Gazette as having, “a handsome cathedral-like expect, with sittings for 600 worshippers”. It continued; “The entire cost of the erection of this church has been defrayed by the patron, Mr. George Parker, J.P., of Lewisham House, and the outlay has amounted to about £8,000, exclusive of the organ”.¹

The church was described thus:

“The church consists of a nave with clerestory and aisles on the north and south side, divided by Mansfield stone pier columns, with carved capitals and moulded arches. It has a special feature in the spacious apsidal at the west-end of the nave with an open vestibule on each side leading into inner and outer porches.

The vestibules and baptistery communicate with the nave and aisles by moulded arches and this form, together with the somewhat original treatment of the large circular window in, the west gable, a most striking and minimal effect. The pulpit is on the north side of nave, and the lectern on the south side. The chancel, which is 40 feet long and the same width as the nave, is approached from the nave by three steps and four additional steps to the sacrarium, including the altar pace. It is apsidal on plan with timber vaulted roof supported by marble shafts. In the north wall is a credence, and in the south wall is a triple sedilia of exceedingly chaste proportions. The font is a handsome feature, enriched with marble shafts, &c., and this, together with the pulpit, and the carving were executed by Mr. Robert Smith, sculptor, of Lambeth road. The vestries for the clergy and choir, which are large, and fitted with every modern convenience, are on the south side of the chancel with communications into the church from the chancel and south aisle. The priest's vestry contains the piscine. On the north side is the organ chamber (with furnace room beneath) and tower rising above it to a height of about 70 feet, with a pinnacle at each angle; that over the belfry stairs rising to a further height of more than 30 feet. The walls are faced with Kentish rag stone, in horizontal drop courses, the dressings being in Bath stone. The style is of the English Decorated or Pure Gothic, which prevailed during the greater part of the fourteenth century. The windows are accordingly embellished with rich tracery, and the finish of the whole work is of a very superior description. The builder is Mr. B. E. Nightingale, of Albert Embankment, and the architect is Mr. William C. Banks, of Gracechurch-street, London. The tile paving was executed by Messrs. Hawes and Co., of Bloomsbury. The organ has been erected by Messrs. Morton and Taylor, of Regent's Park, at a cost of £600. In consequence of a fire on the manufacturer’s premises, the instrument was not quite finished, or there would have been a recital in connection with the opening ceremony. The pulpit is a handsome piece workmanship, with a figure of St. George and the Dragon sculptured in the front. The baptistery and the chancel are very handsome and commodious. The carpets on the approaches to the Communion rails, together with the cloth on the altar, were the gift and work of the ladies of the congregation. The foundation stone of the new church was laid on Nov. 23rd, 1878, by Mrs. Parker. The Vicar is the Rev. D. Harding, M. A. The curate is the Rev. J. Thomas, and the organist Mr. F. Hardinge. The churchwardens are Dr. A. S. May and Mr. C. W. Collins”.

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The years following would see many embellishments to the church, including wall paintings in the Chancel by Rupert Corbould ("Epiphany" and "Annunciation"). Corbould also completed a “Stations of The Cross” series which hung in the church until the outbreak of the Second World War. Many of the stained glass windows would be executed by Percy Bacon & Brothers and the great rose window in the west wall above the baptistery was filled with stained glass by Henry Holiday. This depicted, in the centre, the half-length figure of Christ holding an orb, representing the Ruler of the World, in the sixteen spoke lights, winged seraphim, and in the outer lights cherubim. Below the rose window nine additional lights, just above the baptistery roof depicted the nine orders of angels.

This magnificent church emerged largely unscathed from the war, despite it being in what became known as, "bomb alley". Unfortunately by the 1990s, severe structural issues resulted in the whole edifice being demolished, and a new brick church build on the same footprint in 2005. Thankfully the rose window has been preserved in the new church and the Henry Holiday glass can still be seen.³

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From contemporary reports it would appear that Percy bacon and Brothers was providing a good many of the stained glass windows in St George's, starting in 1896. The following are known to have existed, and one, the Three Bishops window was rescued from the demolition and, as at the time of writing, still appears to be in the possession of reclamation and salvage firm, Lassco. From early photographs it is clear that St George's was highly decorated, and the paintings of angels above the chancel archPaintings above the chancel arch. Attrib. Percy Bacon and Brothers.
From a postcard in the author's collection.

PD Image.

bear a great similarity to those by Percy Bacon at Witham, Essex. However, no information has yet come to light for this project to enable attribution to be confirmed.

Unknown location 1896	Belfast News-Letter - Tuesday 17 January 1899, p7: "S. George’s Church, PERRY HILL, LONDON. On the 8th inst. a large three-light painted memorial window (the gift of Mr. Morris Birt, a parishioner) was solemnly dedicated to its sacred use in the above church by the Rev. Canon Rhodes Bristow, in the absence of the Lord Bishop of Southwark (through sudden illness), who had kindly promised to officiate and preach on the occasion. This window, which is the beginning of a series, each to represent three great Churchmen from different centuries, is an artistic triumph in colour and detail, the figures represented in it being Archbishop Benson, of Canterbury; Bishop Patteson, the martyr Bishop of Melanesia; and Archbishop Alexander, Primate of All Ireland; The faces have been painted from photographs, and are striking likenesses of the great prelates, who are vested in full canonicals, the arms of the respective sees appearing in the trefoils. The window was unveiled by the vicar (Rev. J. Herbert Wesley Kane), and then solemnly dedicated by Canon Bristow, who also preached the sermon (a large congregation being present), taking for his text the words "Three -Mighty Men." The window was designed and executed by Messrs. Bacon Bros., of 11, Newman Street, London, W".
Sanctuary: 1899	Belfast News-Letter - Tuesday 17 January 1899, p7: "In the sanctuary of the same church two interesting stained glass windows were erected a short time ago representing the three great missionary bishops of Europe, Asia, and Africa (St. Leo the Great, St. Ignatius, and St. Cyprian), and of England, Ireland, and Scotland (St. Augustine, St. Patrick, and St. Columba)". At the time of writing, the window was held by Lassco in Oxfordshire.
Unknown Location: 1917	Lewisham Borough News, Friday 06 April 1917, p5. CHURCH MEMORIAL WINDOWS. Three new stained windows have recently been erected St. George's Church, Perry-hill; Catford, one being to the memory of the late Mr. Albert Billinghurst, who was for over 30 years its faithful and devoted verger. The windows are the work of Mr. Percy Bacon the well-known artist of Newman-street W., who has been responsible for most of painted windows in this beautiful church.

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1. Sydenham, Forest Hill & Penge Gazette, Saturday 24 January 1880, p5.
2. The Builder, 21 March 1885, Vol 48 Iss 2198, p435. Tenders received for building of a vicarage at St George's, Perry Hill. Architect Gordon M. Hills.
3. See the London Churches in Photographs website for images of the rose window in the new church.