Colour and light: English stained glass

York Minster

When I was in York last year this was all that could be seen of the Minster's Great East Window...

But happily, conservation work on it is now almost completed and the window is once again on display.

The window, one of the largest surviving medieval windows in the country, tells the story of the beginning and end of the world, as well as incorporating various clerical figures connected with York and the north of England.

This is the St William window in York Minster, depicting William's rather eventful life and some of the miracles attributed to him. There is are more detailed pictures, and an article about the restoration of the window, here.

All Saints North Street

The St Anne window in All Saints North Street, donated by the Blackburn family. This window is now the East Window behind the altar, although this is probably not its original positioning. St Anne, to whom the Blackburns seem to have had a special devotion, is in the centre light, flanked by St John the Baptist on the left and St Christopher (also a favourite saint of the Blackburns) on the right.

And here are the junior Nicholas and Margaret Blackburn, kneeling piously in the bottom left corner of the window. Opposite them, in the bottom right corner [not shown here] are Nicholas and Margaret senior.

Church of St Mary Magdalene, Brampton
(Detailed historical and architectural information about this church, which dates back to the 13th century, can be found here.)

This window (not medieval!) shows, from left to right, St Fidelia, St Peter, St Stephen and St Perpetua (all early martyrs). The small bottom lights are memorials to the soldiers of World War I (detail below).

Ruth - who took my fancy because of the lovely red colouring of her dress, and because I have never seen her in any other window.

This is a tiny little window set low down into the chancel wall.

The West Window, above the West Door.

Corporal Acts of Mercy Window

This window is in the north aisle of All Saints North Street, one down from the Pricke of Conscience Window, and like the Pricke of Conscience window it is very famous. It shows the corporal acts (or works) of mercy by which medieval Catholics hoped to get to heaven. Oddly, however, it shows only six of the seven acts. (Perhaps the glazier thought that to show all seven would ruin the window's symmetry!)

The window was donated to the church in about 1410 by Nicholas Blackburn, who seems to have been one of York's most prominent citizens. Certainly he was an extremely wealthy merchant, since he donated not only the Corporal Acts of Mercy Window but also the Great East Window behind the altar.

Reading clockwise from the top left-hand panel, you can see the feeding of the hungry; giving drink to the thirsty; the shelter of the homeless; visiting the imprisoned (here shown in medieval stocks!); visiting the sick; and the clothing of the naked. (The seventh work, not shown, is to bury the dead.)

The man shown performing the works of mercy is probably intended to be Nicholas Blackburn himself. The window thus shows off not only his wealth but also his piety!

The bottom three panels, from left to right, show a kneeling monk or priest (possibly one endowed by Nicholas Blackburn to sing Masses for his soul); a floral (?) decoration; and a kneeling couple, probably Nicholas and his wife Margaret.

Visiting the poor unfortunates in the stock. Is the happy free gentleman on the left Nicholas Blackburn?

Nicholas Blackburn was a Mercer (merchant), but whether he was a member of the York Mercer's Guild is not known. The guild does have a link with the window, however, since their play in the Corpus Christi pageant was Doomsday or the Last Judgement. The corporal works of mercy feature prominently in the play; they are the means by which Christ separates the good souls from the bad. To the good souls He says,

Whenne I was hungery ȝe me fedde;
To slake my thirste youre harte was free;
Whanne I was clotheles ȝe me cledde,
Ȝe wolde no sorowe vpon me see.
In harde presse when I was stedde,
Of my penaunce ȝe hadde pitee.
Full seke when I was brought in bedde,
Kyndely ȝe come to coumforte me.

Whanne I was wille and werieste,
Ȝe herbered me full hartefully;
Full gladde þanne were ȝe of youre geste,
And pleyned my pouerte piteuously.

[When I was hungry you fed me;
To ease my thirst your heart was free;
When I was without clothes you clad me,
You would no sorrow upon me see.
When I was hard pressed,
You had pity on my distress,
When I was sick in bed,
Kindly you came to comfort me.

When I was wandering and weary
You harboured me full generously;
Full glad were you of your guest,
And commiserated with my poverty.]

And to the bad,

Whanne I had mistir of mete and drynke,
Caytiffs, ȝe cacched me fro youre gate.
Whanne ȝe were sette as sirs on benke,
I stode þeroute, werie and wette;
Was none of yowe wolde on me thynke,
Pyté to haue of my poure state,
Þerefore till hell I schall you synke,
Weele are ȝe worthy to go to þat gate.

Whanne I was seke and soriest
Ȝe visitte me noght, for I was poure;
In prisoune faste whan I was feste,
Was none of you loked howe I fore.
Whenne I wiste neuer where for to reste,
With dynts ȝe draffe me fro your dore.

 [When I had need of meat and drink,
Caitiffs, you drove me from your gate
When you were feasting and merrymaking
I stood without, cold and wet;
Not one of you thought of me,
Or had pity on my wretched state,
Therefore I shall sink you into Hell,
Well are you worthy to go to that gate.

When I was sick and sorriest,
You visited me not, for I was poor;
When I was held fast in prison,
None of you looked to see how I fared.
When I knew not where to rest,
With blows you drove me from your door.]

It is not known whether Nicholas was involved with the Mercers' play but his son (confusingly, also called Nicholas) was one of the station holders along the pageant route. This means that he paid for the plays to stop outside his door and was probably another sign of his wealth and prestige.


Maren Donley has produced an interesting, if rather involved, explanation of the links between the window, the Mercers, and Nicholas Blackburn. See Maren L. Donley, “Mercers, Mercantilism and the Maintenance of Power: the York Last Judgement and the York Register, Exemplar 18, no 2 (2006): 343ff.

Passages from the Last Judgement play in Richard Beadle, The York Plays: A Critical Edition of the York Corpus Christi Play as Recorded in British Library Additional MS 35290, volume I (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009), l.285-96, 325-38. Modern English translations my own.

St William of York

 The Great West Window of York Minster (affectionately known as 'The Heart of Yorkshire'). The bottom row of the window depicts eight archbishops of York, one of which is Saint William.

St William (late 11th century - 1154) is York's patron saint and the city's answer to Canterbury's Thomas a Becket. He was elected Archbishop of York in 1141, though his reign was a rather stormy one. Several miracles were attributed to him (including the miraculous preservation of his body in one of the Minster's fires, which mirrored one of St Thomas' miracles) and quite a cult grew up around his figure, a cult which contributed to York's sense of local identity.

St William was buried in York Minster; his tomb and shrine here became a place of pilgrimage. It is tempting, though perhaps not very edifying, to imagine some competition or rivalry between York and Canterbury. Both were important cities religiously, politically and economically and both seemed to have played up the presence and the merits of their respective local saints. Rivalry between the north and south of England appears to be as old as the hills!

There is some evidence for Whitsuntide plays performed in York in honour of Saint William, which would pre-date the city's much more famous Corpus Christi Mystery cycle.

St William features largely in the stained glass of York Minster; below is a very rare 12th century statue depicting him, now standing in All Saints Church North Street.

For further reading about St William see Ellen K. Rentz, "Castles for St. William: The Late Medieval Commemoration of York's Local Saint," Viator 43, no. 2 (2012), 111 - 129. For a more brief overview of his life, his struggles surrounding his election to the Archbishopric of York, and his stained glass in the Minster, see https://www.yorkminster.org/geisha/assets/files/16%20St%20William.pdf

St William was canonised in 1227 (apparently after some lobbying by the citizens of York). His feast day is 8th June, the day of his death (reportedly by poisoned wine in his chalice).

12th century wooden statue thought to depict St William, All Saint's North Street

York Minster

The two west turrets

This dragon head is actually a counterweight, and was used to lever the very heavy font lid on and off.

Looking up the nave towards the quire

Five Sisters window

Climbing the tower (275 steep, winding, narrow steps!)

Looking across the leads

Made it to the top!

The two west turrets again

The quire screen has statues of the kings who reigned while the Minster was being built (William the Conqueror to Henry VI.) This is Richard II.

Roof boss

Stained glass windows of the Chapter House

Ceiling of the chapter house

A sad little fellow who took my fancy

Statue of Virgin and Child decapitated during the Reformation

The 'catherdra' - Bishop's throne

The Pilgrims' Window