Stained Glass of Percy Bacon & Brothers

There are two stylistically similar windows in the Lady Chapel, both of three simple lights. They are clearly intended to be a pair. Only NChN2 is signed as by Percy Bacon & Brothers, but the similarities of style and the style of the text in NChN1 make the latter's attribution certain. However, neither window is classic Percy Bacon. Architectonic niches are not used, and the scenes are built up in a "blocky" arrangement, not unlike the the Bacon Studio windows in the north aisle of Lady St Mary, Wareham, Dorset.

Old St Paul's was designed by the architect firm of Hay and Henderson in Early English Gothic style. Built in 1883, the body of the church, consisting of nave, chancel, (liturgical) north aisle and north chapel, is unusual in being on an upper level above a hall. Being shoe-horned between Carrubber's Close and North Gray's Close,¹ and with tall buildings to either side (the church abuts the 8-storey Hilton Hotel to the west) this arrangement would have improved the amount of natural light entering the church. As it is, the nave is quite dark on dull days making the taking of photographs somewhat difficult.

Lady Chapel NChN1: The consecration of Samuel Seabury as the first Bishop of America. He is attended by (right) the Rt Rev. John Skinner, Bishop of Aberdeen.

Lady Chapel NChN1: Left light.

Lady Chapel NChN1: Centre light.

Lady Chapel NChN1: Right light.

Consecration of Samuel Seabury as First Bishop of America

Posted 08 February 2024.

The consecration of Samuel Seabury was not without controversy, and difficulty. He had made America his home, but as there were no Anglican bishops in America and therfore not possible to consecrate him there, in 1783 he travelled to England. However, as he was an American Citizen and as a result unable to swear an oath of allegiance to the British King, it was considered impossible to consecrate him. He then turned to the Scottish Episcopal Church which was, and is still not an established church, and which did not recognise the Hanoverian Kings. This conveniently avoided the issue of taking an oath which would have been required by the Established Anglican Church. Seabury was consecrated in Aberdeen on November 14, 1784, on the condition that he study the Scottish rite of Holy Communion and work for its adoption, rather than that of the 1662 English Prayer Book. Present at his consecration were Robert Kilgour, Bishop of Aberdeen and Primus of Scotland; Arthur Petrie, Bishop of Ross and Moray; and John Skinner, coadjutor bishop of Aberdeen. All three appear in the Bacon Studios window, though only Skinner in the rightmost light is named specifically. The consecration took place in Skinner's house in Longacre, approximately 500 metres from the present St Andrew's Cathedral, Aberdeen.² The Bacon depiction is more romantic than that domestic scene, the backdrop to the ceremony being a rather ornate church building.

The inscription reads: "To the Glory of God and in memory of James Reid of Auchterarder 1823-1894 and Margaret Ann Scott, his wife 1830-1881".

The window is likely to have been installed in 1908 coevally with its neighbour.

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Lady Chapel NChN2: The Carpenter of Nazareth.

Lady Chapel NChN2: Left light.

Lady Chapel NChN2: Centre light.

Lady Chapel NChN2: Right light.

The Carpenter of Nazareth.

Like the other window in the Lady Chapel this uses a good deal of white glass, avoiding the use of dense primary colour. Carrubber's Close to the west (liturgical north) which these windows look out onto is narrow and even on a bright day the lack of light entering renders the chapel somewhat dark.

The window inscription reads, "To the Glory of God and in memory of James Beale, Priest of this church, 1900 - 1904".

The window is signed.

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1. The curch is physically orientated north-south, with the chancel at the north end. References to "north" in the description refers to liturgical north, though geographically on the west side of the building.
2. Further information regarding Samuel Seabury at Wikipedia.
3. Berwickshire News and General Advertiser - Tuesday 23 June 1908, p3.