Cover of A concise account of the principal works in stained glass that have been executed by Thomas Willement of London, Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries — Story, Setting & Ideas

A concise account of the principal works in stained glass that have been executed by Thomas Willement of London, Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries — Story, Setting & Ideas

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Authors: Willement, Thomas, 1786-1871 Digital Source: Project Gutenberg Gutenberg Release Year: 2022 First Publication Year: Not confirmed

Key Word: Glass painting and staining -- Great Britain Target Reader: Readers of public-domain and historical texts

Book Edition: Project Gutenberg digital edition Book Language: en

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Words 10,527

Reading time 46 min

Text sections 26

This digital edition of A concise account of the principal works in stained glass that have been executed by Thomas Willement of London, Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries — Story, Setting & Ideas is described by source-level measurements including 10,527 words, 46 min estimated reading time, and 26 detected text sections.

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Source: Project Gutenberg record #68515

Thomas Willement's 1840 catalogue of his stained-glass commissions, arranged chronologically from 1812 to 1838, detailing heraldic and figurative windows for churches and country houses, with precise locations and patrons.

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WORKS EXECUTED IN STAINED GLASS

BY T. WILLEMENT, F.S.A.

A CONCISE ACCOUNT OF THE PRINCIPAL WORKS IN STAINED GLASS THAT HAVE BEEN EXECUTED BY THOMAS WILLEMENT OF LONDON, FELLOW OF THE SOCIETY OF ANTIQUARIES.

[PRINTED FOR PRIVATE DISTRIBUTION]

THE FOLLOWING WORKS ARE HERE ARRANGED ACCORDING TO DATE OF THEIR EXECUTION. THE SUBJECTS THEMSELVES ARE IN GENERAL MARKED WITH THE MONOGRAM OF THE ARTIST.

THE SEAT OF I. T. P. BETTESWORTH TREVANION, ESQ.

The window of the principal staircase, containing the badges of the several Dukes of Cornwall; and other heraldic ornaments.

In the windows of the entrance-hall, shields of the several arms which are quartered by the family of Trevanion.

FOR LORD HENRY HOWARD MOLYNEUX, DEPUTY EARL MARSHAL.

A whole length portrait of his son Henry Howard, of Greystoke Castle, Cumberland; this is now in the possession of James Wentworth Buller, Esq., of Downes, Devonshire, who married his Lordship’s third daughter.

A large compartment of the crests and arms of Lord Henry impaling Long. They are now affixed in a window on the south side of Aldingbourne church, Sussex.

PULL COURT. WORCESTERSHIRE.

THE SEAT OF GENERAL DOWDESWELL.

A large elliptical window for the great hall, containing armorial bearings, borders, and ornaments.

LAMBETH PALACE. SURREY.

An armorial compartment of the arms, &c. of Dr. Moore, archbishop of Canterbury; for the gallery. Presented by his family.

ERIDGE CASTLE. SUSSEX.

THE SEAT OF THE RIGHT HON. THE EARL OF ABERGAVENNY, K.T.

A large armorial window for the principal staircase; in the upper part of which is an equestrian portrait of his Lordship, arranged in the same manner as the figure on the seal of Richard Neville, the great Earl of Warwick.

A window on the second staircase, containing shields of the most illustrious arms which are quartered by the family.

Many other windows have been executed for various parts of the mansion between the years 1819 and 1838.

THE SEAT OF THE RIGHT HON. THE EARL OF TYRCONNEL.

An armorial window for the drawing-room.

SADLERS’ HALL. LONDON.

The arms, crest, &c. of Thomas Griffith, Esq., formerly master of this company: then lately deceased. Presented by T. W.

BLACKMORE PARK. WORCESTERSHIRE.

THE SEAT OF T. C. HORNYHOLD, ESQ.

A large fan and side-lights, containing heraldry and ornament.

THE RHYD. WORCESTERSHIRE.

THE SEAT OF SIR ANTHONY LECHMERE, BART.

Several compartments of figures, flowers, &c.; some copied from paintings on glass by Mrs. Pearson, which had been broken.

THE SEAT OF GEORGE WILLIAM GENT, ESQ.

Four armorial compartments for the windows of the great dining-room.

CLUMBER. NOTTINGHAMSHIRE.

THE SEAT OF HIS GRACE THE DUKE OF NEWCASTLE, K.G.

Three windows for the principal staircase, filled with shields of arms, badges, &c., shewing the descent of the family; on grounds of rich mosaic patterns, and ornamentally bordered.

TYLDESLEY. LANCASHIRE.

For the church of St. George, three large lancet openings; in the centre one, the figure of Christ bearing the cross, copied from the altar picture in the chapel of Magdalen College, Oxford; the two side openings filled by shields of arms, shewing the alliances of the family of Johnson. These windows were presented to the church by George Ormerod, Esq., F.S.A. A lithographed print was executed of these windows, but from the carelessness of the printer but very few impressions could be taken off.

MAIDENHEAD. BERKSHIRE.

A large window for the altar end of the chapel, containing various arms, &c.; and one window for the official pew. Both presented by the corporation.

HENGRAVE HALL. SUFFOLK.

THE SEAT OF SIR THOMAS GAGE, BART.

The full armorial achievement of Queen Katharine of Arragon. Presented by John Gage, Esq., F.S.A.

LEAMINGTON-PRIORS. WARWICKSHIRE.

At the altar end of the church of All Saints’ three circular-headed windows. The centre containing subjects from the life of Christ, the two side openings filled by richly coloured ornaments.

EASTON HALL. LINCOLNSHIRE.

THE SEAT OF SIR MONTAGU CHOLMELEY, BART.

On the principal staircase a window containing armorial bearings, &c.

GRENDON HALL. WARWICKSHIRE.

THE SEAT OF SIR GEORGE CHETWYND, BART.

A window on the principal staircase.

LUPSET HALL. YORKSHIRE.

THE SEAT OF DANIEL GASKELL, ESQ.

An armorial window for the hall.

An altar window for the church, containing a figure of Christ, with various sacred emblems. This window was erected by a subscription formed among the neighbouring gentry.

An engraving of this window is placed as a frontispiece to “The History of Epsom, by an inhabitant.” 8ᵒ. Epsom, 1825.

WADHAM COLLEGE. OXFORD.

In the great Hall. At the upper end a large window containing the arms of the principal benefactors to this college. Presented by the Rev. Dr. Tournay, Warden.

In the Bay window, the arms of the most eminent men who have belonged to the college; presented by the Rev. W. Wilson of Walthamstow.

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Thomas Willement's 1840 catalogue opens with a frontispiece engraving of the Hampton Lucy altar window, then immediately lists works by date, beginning in 1812 at Caerhays, Cornwall. The entries are terse: a location, a patron, and a description of the glass. At Caerhays, the staircase window contains 'the badges of the several Dukes of Cornwall; and other heraldic ornaments.' The catalogue is a record of commissions, not an artistic manifesto.

Willement, a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, printed this account for private distribution. The entries rarely exceed three sentences, yet they reveal a consistent practice: armorial bearings dominate, often arranged to show family descents or alliances. The 1819 entry for Eridge Castle includes an equestrian portrait of the Earl of Abergavenny, arranged 'in the same manner as the figure on the seal of Richard Neville, the great Earl of Warwick.' Such historical allusions recur throughout.

Chronological Structure and Heraldic Focus

The catalogue's arrangement by execution date, from 1812 to 1838, allows the reader to trace Willement's career through specific commissions. The earliest entries are brief: for 1812, only two lines describe Caerhays. By 1835, the Hampton Lucy entry includes a Latin inscription and notes an engraving by John Barak Swaine. The heraldic content is paramount; nearly every entry mentions shields, arms, or badges. At Lambeth Palace (1818), an 'armorial compartment' for Archbishop Moore was presented by his family. At Charlecote Park (1835), nine large compartments show 'the descent of Sir John Lucy.' The catalogue is essentially a list of heraldic glass, with figurative subjects appearing only occasionally.

Patrons and Places: A Geography of Commissions

Willement's patrons were predominantly aristocrats and clergy. The catalogue names peers like the Earl of Abergavenny, the Duke of Somerset, and Earl Hardwicke, as well as baronets and esquires. Locations range from Cornwall to Northumberland, with a concentration in the Midlands and South. Many entries specify the room: 'the great hall,' 'the principal staircase,' 'the library.' At Stoneley Abbey (1836), eleven corridor windows contain 'the various alliances of the family,' presented by Lord Leigh's mother. The geography of the catalogue maps a network of country houses and churches, each with a specific heraldic program.

The Role of Presentation and Donation

A notable pattern is the frequency of windows presented by donors. At Lambeth Palace (1818), the armorial compartment was 'presented by his family.' At Bridge, Kent (1837), the altar window was 'presented by the Dowager Marchioness of Conyngham.' At Wimborne Minster (1838), three lancet windows were 'presented by William John Bankes, Esq.' These gifts often commemorated a family or individual. The 1835 Hampton Lucy window includes a scroll recording that the rector, John Lucy, had it made. The catalogue thus documents not only Willement's work but also the patronage networks that funded it.

Descriptive Economy and Occasional Detail

Willement's descriptions are usually sparse, but occasional details stand out. At Eridge Castle (1819), the equestrian portrait is compared to the seal of the Earl of Warwick. At Catterick Bridge (1836), five lancet windows are described as 'in foliated patterns, with coloured bands and borders.' At Stover Lodge (1838), a horizontal window is 'ornamentally arranged.' The most elaborate entry is for Hampton Lucy (1835), which includes subjects from the life of St. Peter and the benefactors' arms. These rare expansions hint at the variety of Willement's output, though the catalogue remains a concise record.

Reading this catalogue sequentially reveals the steady rhythm of Willement's practice: a stream of armorial commissions for the halls and chapels of Britain's gentry. The entries are factual, but the cumulative effect is a portrait of a craft embedded in family pride and ecclesiastical patronage. For a first reading, note how the later entries occasionally include more detail, perhaps reflecting the author's growing confidence or the increasing complexity of the work. The catalogue is best approached as a primary document of nineteenth-century stained glass, not as a narrative.

Flicking through Willement’s careful lists of heraldic windows, I remembered my grandfather’s own ledger of church visits—dates, patrons, small sketches. That same patient, almost devotional recording of light and lineage. It reminded me of how reading The Vailan or annular theory: A synopsis of Prof. I. N. Vail's argument in support of the claim that this Earth once possessed a Saturn-like system of rings — Reading Companion once felt—not as science, but as a slow, solemn attempt to hold a vanished sky in words.