St John
the Baptist
Stained Glass Windows, Brasses and
Paintings
He has filled them with skill to do all
kinds of work as craftsmen, designers,embroiderers in blue, purple
and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and
weavers—all of them master craftsmen and designers.
Nothing is known of any medieval glass windows at Wonersh as all traces were destroyed in the restoration of 1793 when plain clear glass was placed in all windows. In the restoration of 1901 the architect envisaged that stained glass would reappear in the church, and this took place in 8 of the windows over the next 37 years.
On the north wall of the nave is a window by James Powell and Sons which was the first window installed immediately after restoration in 1902. It was the gift of Frank?(or Richard??) Sparkes in memory of his father John. It depicts St John the Baptist (holding a lamb) with a scroll “Ecce Agnus Dei” Behold the Lamb of God, with an insert showing him just about to be beheaded on the shores of the Dead Sea, with the inscription:-
In memory of John Sparkes 1900
Four of the windows are by Mr Archibald Nicholson, son of the architect Charles Nicholson who reordered the church in 1901, with another from his studio.
The large east window in the
chancel, behind the altar dated 1915 is on the subject of the Te Deum. Reputed to be his best work, in Kempe
style, mostly blue and red instead of his usual greenish tinge. The window was
commissioned by Lady (Victoria) Ria Ponsonby and her
sister Lady (Grace?)
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The central light illustrates in three panels the verses :- · “when thou tookest upon thee to deliver man, thou didst not abhor the Virgin’s womb” “Tu ad liberandum sescepturus hohinem non horrursti Virginis uterum” The nativity scene with Mary in blue, baby Jesus flanked by a shepherd with a lamb and one of three kings. ·
“when thou hadst overcome the sharpness of
death, thou didst open the · Thou sittest at the right hand of God, in the glory of the father.” “Tu ad dexteram Dei sedes in gloria Patris”. Christ enthroned, wearing a crown holding an orb. There are two angels kneeling on a pillow at his head and at his feet. The side lights each have, at their head, the image of the Tree of Jesse flanked by two angels. The top side lights represent
six of the apostles – on the left John Sanctus Johannus), James (Sanctus
Jacobus) and Peter (Sanctus Petrus), the
inscription in Roman lettering reads “Te gloriosus Apostolorum”, and on the right Andrew (Sanctus Andreas), Paul (Sanctus
Paulus) and Thomas (Sanctus
Thomas):the inscription reads “Laudat chorus”. The middle side lights represent
three martyrs – Saints Stephen
(in blue
Sanctus Stepanus), Agnes (in blue
Sanctus Agnes) and Edmund (in red
Sanctus Edmundus) : and
three prophets – Moses (in purple carrying the book of the law),
Isaiah (in
blue Isaius) and St John the Baptist (in red Sanctus Johannus Bapista) the
inscription reads “Te Propherarum laudabillis laudat numerus” The lower side lights represent
six representatives of the On the left Saints Martin (in blue Sanctus Martinus de Tours), Columba (in purple Sanctus Columba), the foremost Bishop who kneels in lowest left hand panel is George Augustus Selwyn, Bishop of New Zealand (in red & white G A Selwyn) (note Selwyn College is our Patron). The inscription reads “Te per orbem terrarium”. On the right Saints Athanasius (in red Sanctus Athanasius), Augustine (in red Sanctus Augustinus), Bishop William of Wykeham (in red & white Cantuar Arch. Gilieluius de Wykeham”.) The inscription reads “Sancta confitetur Ecclesia”. |
In the Lady Chapel there are three windows by Archibald Nicholson.
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The largest east window was the first he ever made in 1902. It was not only designed by him but also made through all its processes by his own hands. It is in three panels, the central panel being Christ (inscribed “To the Glory of God”) and on either side a depiction of two English soldier Saints, St George and St Alban, both of whom were reputed to be Roman soldiers of the third century. There are six figures in the top lights, the angelic outer two holding the badges of the Royal Field Artillery and the 4th Kings Own Regiment. The right hand window is inscribed:- In memory
of Jack Hanwell Major 39th
Batt. Royal Field Artillery. Killed in
action near Ventersburg October 30th
1900 Aged 38 The left hand panel is inscribed:- In Memory
of Capt. 4th
Kings Own Regiment Died 25th
March 1898 Aged 38 |
The smaller window on the north wall of the north chapel depicts the Annunciation inscribed:-
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“Ave Gratia Plena Dominus Tecum Benedicia Tuin Mulieribus” |
This window was the gift of |
The window in the lancet window of the tower is of the Madonna and Child. A gift of the vicar Revd Philip Cunningham and his wife 1906 when he left the parish.
Deo Gratias and inscribed P&FGC 1898-1901.
On the western end of the south wall of the nave is a window
by Smith and
Pawle erected in 1938, depicting the
kneeling figure of John Randolph, who lived in Wonersh between 1909-28 when he
was Bishop Suffragen of
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In memory of John Hugh
Granville Randolph DD 1866-1936 Bishop
Suffrage of Dean of And of his
wife Beatrice
Mary Hatfield 1862-1935 Who lived
in Wonersh 1909-1928 R.I.P. |
The A K Nicholson Stained Glass Studios G E R Smith ( London |
The central nave window was designed by Rev Henry Henman and depicts the Baptism of Christ by John the Baptist. John is holding a staff with a scroll inscribed “Ecce, Agnus Dei”. It is inscribed:-
To the Glory of God this
Window was erected in memory of
Elihu Edmund Body MA Vicar
Of this Parish 1852-1892 by his widow
AD 1904
The window nearest the pulpit is clear glass with a small
rectangular inset panel of 16th Century Austrian glass “a fine
specimen of rich colour” given in 1933 by Beatrice Cook (who also set up Church Green Trust.) It was purchased in 1928 in
And God said
Let there be Light: and
there was Light
Dedicated to the Memory of
FRANK HENRY COOK
1862 - 1931
There are five brasses which can be found in the chancel.
The oldest of these on the south side (beside the altar
rail) commemorates Thomas Elyot and his wife Alicia (who was the daughter of
William Calverdon.). He was Filacer (Keeper of the Files)
for Surrey and
Hic jacet Thomas Elyot de Wonersh,
custos Filacii
Surr. Et Sussexiae in Banco Regis et
Cl’cusoPasis
Com. Surr. Et Alicia uxor ejus, qui obit
vicesimo
Die Januarii mensis anno D’no mill’mo
CCC sexag-
Esimo septimo.
Hic jacet Henricus Elyot Gen’osus et
Johan’a
Uxor ejus, qui quidem Henricus obit
secundo die Junii anno D’ni million VC III. Quorum
a’i’mabus pro-picietur Deus Amen.
Within the rails and inserted in the pavement in the north
side of the chancel is a brass plate inscribed to Elyzabeth, daughter of Thomas
Blenerhayset, steward of the household of Thomas, second Duke of
Norfolk, and one of his executors.
Elysabeth died 11th January 1513. It is interesting to note that the Duke had
only just been restored to his title after the battle of
Hic jacet Elisabetha una filiar’ Thomae
Blen’hayset,
Seneschali Hospicii Serenissima Ducis
Norff., qui
Orbit XI die Januarii, anno D’ni mdxiii
cujus a’i’e
p’picietur Deus.
On the other side of the chancel (south) is a brass marking the death 1578 of Elisabeth Bosseville, daughter of Henry Bosseville. Interestingly this is a palimpsest, believed to be Flemish and dating from the same century; however as the plate is fixed, the reverse cannot be seen.
Here lieth buried the body of Elisabeth Boffeville,
daughter of Henry Boffeville Gentleman
who died
the 9 daye of February 1578 being 27 dayes oulde
The brass in the central aisle of the chancel is in memory
of Algernon Leslie Brown sometime tutor of Selwyn College Cambridge and Vicar
of the parish 1906-47. It was given by friends in 1951 and was
designed by Rev Allan Wyon
There was a sixth brass recorded by Manning, but this has disappeared, but there is a stone slab now in the floor underneath the tower which once had a brass female figure and a tablet which may be the one Manning saw.
Orate pro anima Emeline Hobbys, uxoris
Andreae Hobbys
Armigeri, qui quidem Emelina obit die
Octobris anno Dni MCCCCLXXXVI cujus
animae propicietur
Deus.
Adjacent to the pulpit is a large painting depicting the
Royal Achievement of Arms. Many churches
have this for one reason or another and as the Royal Arms have changed over
time it is possible for a rough dating to be made. Wonersh boasts a Hanoverian example in the
style used by the first three Georges from 1714 to 1801. It bears the white horse of the
The large paintings are all modern copies of famous religious works in the National Gallery. They were a gift in 1927 of the Executors of Lady Roberts-Austen Three were painted by her brother Mr R H Aldrich:-
In the nave is the “Vision of St Helena” by Paolo Veronese, and the “Madonna of the Rocks” (the one featured in the Da Vinci Code!!) by Leonardo da Vinci. In the Lady Chapel there is a “Virgin and Child” from Parmigiano’s Vision of St Jerome. A fourth work in the Lady Chapel dated 1895 by S Hemphill Vaughan, was a copy of “Virgin with St John the Baptist and St Mary Magdalene” by Mantegna.
The church also contains four large diamond shaped burial hatchments of the Grantley family, two placed high up on each side of the nave. For a long time it was the custom for a coat of arms belonging to an armigerous deceased person to be hung up outside their house during the period of mourning. This was known as a hatchment and in due course it was removed to the church.
The first on the left (north) of the nave:- In 1799 Grace, daughter of Fletcher Norton, first baron Grantley, married John Charles Wallop, third Earl of Portsmouth, thus becoming Countess of Portsmouth She died in 1813 and is buried in the churchyard.
The second on the left :-
Thomas Brinsley, fourth baron Grantley, married in 1854 Maria Chiara
Eliza Federigo of the
On the right (south) side are the arms of the second baron
Grantley and of his wife. Both are nearly identical except for a minor
variation showing that his wife was an heiress. William, second baron Grantley, married in
1791 Anna Margarita Midgeley, the daughter of Jonathan Midgeley of Beverley
Yorkshire. She was just 17. She had two children both of whom died in
infancy, and she died suddenly in 1795.
William never remarried and died in 1822. The hatchment indicates that he was related
to
It is curious that no hatchment exists for Fletcher Norton, the first baron who died in 1789. This may give credence to the theory of a fire in which it may have been destroyed. There is also no hatchment for the third baron who died in 1875 and is buried in Wonersh. He is remembered in a magnificent stained glass window in Ripon Cathedral, erected in 1840.