Parish of St Helen Witton Northwich Cheshire

The Stained Glass

Although it is known that there was coloured glass in some of the windows of this church early in the sixteenth century, nothing survives from that period. The oldest remaining stained glass dates from 1862 and the most recent coloured glass is from 2000.

These notes describe the Windows from the East end of the chancel, the Lady Chapel, then along the South wall, finishing with the Millennium Window on the North wall in the children's corner. The clerestory windows are all of clear glass, which was put there about 1971, replacing old glass, also plain. It is not known who carried out the work.

East end window

St. Helen's east end windows The East Windows were inserted when the eastern end was rebuilt after "The Chancel cracked" in 1861. The rebuild included the five windows around the Chancel. It is believed that they are essentially a copy of what was there previously, although the tracery was newly designed. A subscription was opened to raise the money to provide coloured glass in the East window and raised enough to pay for the three windows. They are clearly designed as a unit and are the work of William Wailes; the deep blue is said to be characteristic of his work. This is the oldest coloured glass in the building.

The re-built Chancel, with the new windows, was opened on 1 January 1863. The report in the Northwich Guardian of Saturday, 3 January, said:

During the greater part of the past year the work of restoring the chancel of this ancient edifice (Witton Church) has been going on. We believe it was only at first intended to put in a new window at the end, but the decay had extended so far that it was found absolutely necessary to restore the whole of the chancel. The plans were got out under the superintendence of Mr E.L.Williams, who will thus have saved a considerable sum to the promoters and in the harmonious combination of the new with the other portions of the building, will have given great satisfaction. The painted glass for the windows has been supplied by Mr W. Wailes, of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Our townsman, Mr Holland, has admirably carried out the conceptions of the plans, in the substantial nature and high finish of the stonework. Viewed from the body of the church the new chancel has an exceedingly striking and pleasing effect.

On Thursday (New-year's day) - continued the report - the first of the opening services took place at two o'clock in the afternoon. The Rev'd. R. Greenall, of Stretton, preached from Isaiah xxxviii, 22 - "Hezekiah also had said, what is the sign that I shall go up to the House of the Lord." (The report continued with details of the sermon).

The choral service was very affectively performed by members of the Harmonic Society, Mr Jules the organist presiding. The anthems (wrote the reporter) were very impressive especially the last, given during the collection, from Judas Maccabeus:- "Sing unto God on high, and high affection raise To crown his temple with unmeasured praise." The report concluded with a description of the window (not exactly what follows, but this is in agreement).

St. Helen's East end window (left top)
The Epiphany As seen from inside the building, the left lights have the Nativity (below) and the Epiphany (above).

St. Helen's East end window (centre top)
The Crucifixion In the centre is The Last Supper (bottom) seen immediately above the reredos, with the words "This do in Remembrance of me". The Crucifixion (top) dominates the chancel.

St. Helen's East end window (right top)
The Ascension

On the right of the chancel is Jesus in the tomb (bottom) and the Ascension (above).

St. Helen's East end window (right bottom)
Jesus in the Tomb

Lady Chapel

The next window is the East window of what is now the Lady Chapel - when the glass was installed it was known as the St Cross (read - Holy Cross) Chapel. "William Walker Estcourt Harrison, assistant Curate of this Parish and Mary Estcourt Harrison his sister who fell asleep in the year of our Lord 1894". The five main lights contain figures representing Saints Augustine, Helen (who is said to have discovered the True Cross), Michael, Oswald (who won the Battle of Heavenfield against pagan enemies when he set up a wooden Cross as his standard) and George.

There are verses (in Latin) from the hymn "Pangue lingua". Although the glass is late nineteenth century, the tracery is that shown in an "early nineteenth century print" of the Church (from the south east). According to a letter from Ray Crampton of the Kempe Society, 12 October 1999, this window is by Kempe.

South aisle windows

The windows in the South Aisle are all by C.E.Kempe, or by the firm of Kempe & Co after his death in 1907.

The Faculty for the two windows at the eastern end of the South wall (the "front" of the church) was granted on 20th January 1910. They were designed by Messrs Kempe & Co and were dedicated on 4th September 1910. The screen which now divides the Lady Chapel from the rest of the aisle was erected later.

The window in the chapel illustrates St Margaret ("of Antioch" - with her dragon), St Alban, St Paul - with a text: "Mihi absit gloriari nisi in cruce Dni nostri Iesu Xti", St Hubert (with his stag with the Crucifix between its antlers), St Margaret, Queen of Scotland. On a brass plate below (rather than in the window itself) is the inscription "AMDG, gift of WHB 1910". That is, Ad majorem gloriam Dei - to the Greater Glory of God - gift of William Hibbert Binney, the then Vicar. The general design of this window in clearly intended to harmonise with the East window of the Chapel. The Wheatsheaf (marking Kempe's work) is to the left of St Margaret's foot, with a Tower on it - that is, Kempe & Co. Kempe's partner, who became his successor in the firm, was his sister's son, whose surname was Tower.

The window just outside the Chapel is the "Sunday School Window" - it was paid for by contributions from the members of the Sunday School between 1903 and 1910. It illustrates various "child related" stories - Moses in the bulrushes, Joseph sold into Egypt, the flight of the Holy Family into Egypt and God's care for Little Children. As in many of the other windows, the small lights at the top are occupied by angels with musical instruments. Wheatsheaf and Tower ....

The next window to the West was designed by C.E.Kempe (himself) and dedicated on 4th March 1906. "To the glory of God and in memory of Martha Ann Sanders and her daughter Mary Elizabeth Grange this window was dedicated mcmvi". The design is in five parts: across the top of all four lights, "Consider the lilies". The upper part of the left two lights, picking up manna in the wilderness and in the right hand pair, Moses strikes water from the Rock (the tents of the Israelite camp are in the background of both scenes). Below, to the left, a picture which contains a speech ribbon "Fear not, God hath heard the voice of the lad"; and to the right birds bearing food - clearly the Ravens feeding Elijah. The receipted invoice, for Ł250, paid on 3rd April 1906, describes the scenes as "Hagar and Ishmael", "Moses striking the Rock", "Manna in the Wilderness", and "Elijah and the Ravens". Wheatsheaf .....

St. Helen's South aisle window (right)
In memory of Thomas Ward In 1903 Thomas Ward died and the window next to the porch was set up in his memory: In grateful recollection of Thomas Ward who died 18 Feb 1903 his fellow townsmen dedicated this window to the greater glory of God "In whatsoever his hand found to do he did it with all his might". The top two lights to the left are captioned "O ye Angels of the Lord, bless ye the Lord" and illustration appears to be of Jacobs dream of a ladder reaching up to Heaven. The two lights to the right are captioned "Praise Him and magnify Him for ever", but the illustration is of the burning fiery furnace, with three men and an Angel inside, and King Nebuchadnezzar and his advisers outside. The two lights to the left on the lower row show Peter's deliverance from prison - an Angel has the speech ribbon "Wrap your cloak about you and follow me" and the caption is "The Angel of the Lord tarries round those..". The lower right section has the question "What must I do to be saved?" and the answer, "Trust in the name of the Lord Jesus". Although no details of design or date of dedication are known, this window is marked with a Wheatsheaf in the bottom left corner - that is Kempe again.

The small window above the door was given by Edith Mary Pritchard, 1908 - according to the inscription cut in the stone immediately below it. The two main lights of the upper row show angels carrying ribbons lettered: Domus Dei ("The House of God") and Porta Coeli ("The Gate of Heaven"). There are three main lights in the lower row, and these show angels with a harp, with cymbals and with a portative organ, respectively. The date of erection or dedication is not known, but the designer is presumably Kempe & Co, since there is a Wheatsheaf with Tower in the bottom left hand corner (probably not visible from ground level).

West wall windows

St. Helen's West wall window (South aisle)
In memory of George Henry Darwell M.R.C.V.S The window in the West wall of the South Aisle was given by Mrs Darwell in memory of her husband: "To the glory of God & in memory of George Henry Darwell M.R.C.V.S. Born June 12th 1825 died Sept 6th 1889". The theme is proclaimed across the glass: "I am the Resurrection and the Life" - the subject of the picture is "The raising of Jairus' daughter". There are angels with portative organs in the top lights. The window was proposed in October 1890 and dedicated on 26 April 1891 - the Fourth Sunday after Easter - after the "early Communion Service", by the Vicar (sic), Rev'd Binney. It had been made by Messrs Wailes and Strang, stained glass workers, of Newcastle upon Tyne. These details are gleaned from the "Northwich and Knutsford Guardian" of 2nd May 1891.

The West Window, under the Tower, is "To the Glory of God and in memory of Rev'd. George Gibbon" and on the lower line, "For 32 years Vicar of this Parish who died July 17th 1876". The date cannot actually be read even from a ladder, it is copied from a coloured design in the Vicarage. The design shows four of the Corporal Works of Mercy, illustrating the texts (contained in the lower sections of each light).

I was hungry and ye gave me meat
I was thirsty and ye gave me drink
I was naked and ye clothed me
I was sick, and ye visited me

The small lights in the heads of the windows are filled with angels playing musical instruments. It was apparently made by Alexander Gibbs Stained Glass Works, 21 Bloomsbury Road, London. The designer is probably Alexander Gibbs, the second son of the founder of the firm. The precise date is not known, however, from reading The Northwich and Knutsford Guardian for 1876, it appears that Mr Gibbon had been afflicted by ill health for some time and had announced his intention of resigning his Cure, the resignation to take effect in August. Accordingly, a collection had been got up, with a view to making a presentation when he actually retired. The question now arose, what to do with the money collected? It seems that it was felt that the money should not just be devoted to a memorial and it was decided that it should be divided in some at first unspecified way between the widow - who it seems was respected as his helpmeet of many years - and a Memorial window. In late November 1876, it was announced that a meeting of subscribers had agreed that One Hundred Guineas (Ł105) should be given to Mrs Gibbon and the rest would be used to put a window in the west wall under the Tower. The report said that "it was understood that about Ł230 had been raised and it was hoped that more would now be given when it was known what it would be used for".

Millennium Window

The millennium window (the westernmost window in the North wall) started as an idea by staff and pupils of the C of E Church Aided Primary School. They wanted to create a stained glass window to celebrate the life of the school and church in the millennium year (2000). Initial discussions between the school, members of the Church and local community contacts were positive. It is important to note that the progress (to the point of applying for a Faculty) was the result of school, church and local community working in partnership. In raising the funds to pay for the window there has been an enormous degree of support from a very wide range of people. This has been at a level we never thought possible, indicating the way in which this idea has caught the imagination and commitment of many people.

The next stage was to consider the theme of the window and where it might be placed in the church. Regarding the theme the children were asked what they would wish to see in the window. They were firmly in favour of a design which told a story, in particular a story which they had enjoyed during this year in school. Their suggestion was Oscar Wilde's story of the selfish giant. This is a story about transformation and about overcoming barriers and selfishness. At the centre of the story is the discovery of Christ as the means of reconciliation and new relationships. This is how the children experience the story and they were asked to sketch their ideas so that a design could be based upon them.

The artist has taken the children's original sketches and conversations and brought them together in this design. The staff and the children are pleased to see their ideas brought to life with understanding and accuracy.

St. Helen's church millennium window
The Selfish Giant

We chose to place the new window over the children's corner for a number of reasons. Firstly, the obvious connection with the life of children in the church and to improve the corner where we hold children's services. Secondly, it is the first window to be seen on entering the church as it is directly opposite the south porch. This would give us a major visual impact for everyone entering the church. Thirdly, this window picks up the style of our current windows in that it tells a story across every panel of the window. Yet it is clearly of a different generation and so we are pleased that it can be placed in a position which is not immediately adjacent to our existing windows. This is significant. Our church has a variety of stained glass windows, of various qualities. Yet in general they occupy distinct areas, so there is no apparent clash of styles or quality.

We believe that this window beautifies our church as a house of prayer and to the glory of God. We think it speaks of a story which is in keeping with the teachings of our Lord and which will invoke a response of imagination and wonder in the observer. In this window we see a gift to future generations which we hope they will receive as something to value and treasure.

The millennium window is based on the classic Oscar Wilde story of the selfish giant. The Selfish Giant does not want children playing in his garden and so it is a desolate place of snow and ice and cold winds. When children creep in through a hole in the wall, spring comes and the giant realises his folly. His heart is softened by one very special little boy who he helps into a tree and hopes to see him again the next day. But it is a long time before he returns, with holes in his hands and feet, to take the dying giant to heaven.

The window was designed by children from Church School and constructed by Lightfoots of Manchester. The acrylic protection for the window was paid for through the support of a local motor cyclist who motivated other bikers to do a bikers' run to raise money, from around the town - they all then came back to church to have refreshments, they appeared to be pleasantly shocked by the interior of the church!

Previously this opening was filled with plain diamond-leaded glass like the adjacent windows. Charles Lightfoot, of Manchester, were commissioned by the school to build and insert it. Stuart Mallett, stonemason, carried out the repair to the central mullion, which was split near the bottom. The window was dedicated by David, Bishop of Birkenhead, on 1st November 2000; this was one of his first duties as Bishop, since he had only been consecrated in October 2000.