Stained Glass of Percy Bacon & Brothers

East Window, Triumph of Death over Life, Consolation of Christianity, and the Triumph of Religion over Death.

East Window: The apparent Triumph of Death over Life.

East Window: The Consolation of Christianity.

East Window: The Triumph of Religion over Death.

East Window: "I know that Thou wilt bring me to death." (Job 30:23).

East Window: "But the righteous hath hope in his death." (Proverbs 14:32).
Dedication panel.

East Window: "For death is swallowed up Victory." (1 Corinthians 15:54).

East Window: Top panels.

East Window. 1897.

Posted 23 July 2024.

There is a single Percy Bacon & Brothers window in St Edmund's, the east of three lights, and is dedicated to John William Cameron.¹ The themes represented in the centre panel of each light are:

Left: The apparent Triumph of Death over Life.
Centre: The Consolation of Christianity.
Right: The Triumph of Religion over Death.

In the left light, Death, represented by an old man holding a sythe, ruthlessly brushes aside the Angel of Love, who is attempting to guard a stricken soul. In the centre light, an angel appears from behind a curtain to console a warrior knight who kneels in prayer. In the left light Christ, who holds the flag of Victory, receives the same knight. Beneath each scene a demi-angel holds a scroll with the words:

Left: "I know that Thou wilt bring me to death." (Job 30:23)
Centre: "But the righteous hath hope in his death." (Proverbs 14:32)
Right: "For death is swallowed up Victory." (1 Corinthians 15:54)

In the top panels a rejoicing angel flanked by others kneeling in prayer.

The subject in the central light was taken directly from a favourite painting of the late John Cameron; " Death, the Gateway of Life "Death, Gateway to Life" by Sir Joseph Noel Paton FRSA.
Image by Sofi: CC BY-NC 2.0 License. " by Sir Joseph Noel Paton.² At the time of the insertion, Joseph Paton was still alive, dying in 1901. It is moot whether he gave permission for the copying of his work.

The dedication reads:

A brass plaque was also placed below the window (now missing - or hidden behind the altar table), which read:

The window, which is unsigned, was unveiled by the Bishop of Richmond on 31 May 1897.³ John Cameron is buried in the graveyard of St Edmund the Martyr.

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1. John William Cameron was the owner of Cameron's Brewery in Hartlepool, and Colonel in the 4th Durham Artillery Volunteers. See Wikipedia page, and article in The Teesdale Mercury, 24 August 1887.
2. The North Star Tue, 01 Jun 1897, p4.
3. Report of unveiling of the window, and maker: Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail - Monday 31 May 1897, p3. See also: The Builder Vol 72 1897 12 Jun, p537