Shrewsbury St Mary's Church – Tree of Jesse Window
This most striking collection of glass makes up a depiction of the Tree of Jesse in the large 14th century eight-light east window. The glass here is richly coloured and shows Old Testament figures including prophets and kings.
St Mary's is not the original home of this window. It is thought it was made originally for the local Franciscan chapel of Greyfriars, but was removed during the Dissolution of the Monasteries between 1536 and 1541 during the reign of Henry VIII before being removed and installed here in 1788 (or 1792 by a John Betton?) after the collapse of (old) St Chad's church a few streets down where William Dugdale described the window in 1663 as having seven lights.
From what I remember being told by a guide, the outer lights were later additions (by local artist David Evans??). Otherwise, the central 4 lights and bottom row depict Kings, whilst the tracery at the top and the 2 outer lights each side, prophets such as Ezekiel and Amos and events such as Baptism and Crucifixion.
At the bottom-centre of the window, 2nd row up and spanning 2 lights from the centre and one to the right, we see Jesse in a brown cloak and blue hair and beard reclining with the bottom of a tree or vine behind him. This is a depiction in art of the ancestors of Jesus, shown in branches rising from Jesse of Bethlehem, the father of King David.
In the centre-left light from the top we see Zorobabel ('son of Babylon'), Rehoboam, Solomon and David. In the light 2nd from centre going down we see Manasseh, Josiah, Asa and Abiah. Jehoshaphat is in the centre right light, 3rd panel up, directly above Jesse.
In the outer lights we see the prophets with Habbakuk at top right and Malachi to his left.
There are too many depictions to describe here, but if you visit the church there is a guide near the window. Just remember to bring a pair of binoculars!
Apologies for the top of the window being blurred, but I focused on Jesse towards the bottom and should have focused somewhere closer to the middle.
St Mary's Church in the historic town of Shrewsbury stands on a rise in the centre of town, opposite the main post office and in front of a shopping centre on the site of the former Royal Salop Infirmary. It has the distinction of not only being the largest church in Shrewsbury but also the only surviving medieval one. It was founded by King Edgar in the 10th century and designated a 'Royal Peculiar', a collegiate church under the jurisdiction of the crown rather than a local diocese.
The spire is reputed to be the third highest of any parish church in England and can be seen for miles around from most vantage points on hills around Shrewsbury. The spire collapsed in 1894, which some people believed was a sign that God was unhappy over plans to erect a statue of Charles Darwin outside Shrewsbury School. The spire was repaired in 1897.
It's now a redundant church meaning it is no longer used for regular worship but it is open as a visitor centre with coffee shop (currently closed for re-fit), stalls and of course for viewing. Especially for its wonderful collection of glass, some of which was sourced from other ecclesiastical buildings, notably from Europe and particularly from Germany. Some of the windows contain glass from different sites such as Trier Cathedral and Altenburg Abbey near Cologne.
Shrewsbury St Mary's Church – Tree of Jesse Window
This most striking collection of glass makes up a depiction of the Tree of Jesse in the large 14th century eight-light east window. The glass here is richly coloured and shows Old Testament figures including prophets and kings.
St Mary's is not the original home of this window. It is thought it was made originally for the local Franciscan chapel of Greyfriars, but was removed during the Dissolution of the Monasteries between 1536 and 1541 during the reign of Henry VIII before being removed and installed here in 1788 (or 1792 by a John Betton?) after the collapse of (old) St Chad's church a few streets down where William Dugdale described the window in 1663 as having seven lights.
From what I remember being told by a guide, the outer lights were later additions (by local artist David Evans??). Otherwise, the central 4 lights and bottom row depict Kings, whilst the tracery at the top and the 2 outer lights each side, prophets such as Ezekiel and Amos and events such as Baptism and Crucifixion.
At the bottom-centre of the window, 2nd row up and spanning 2 lights from the centre and one to the right, we see Jesse in a brown cloak and blue hair and beard reclining with the bottom of a tree or vine behind him. This is a depiction in art of the ancestors of Jesus, shown in branches rising from Jesse of Bethlehem, the father of King David.
In the centre-left light from the top we see Zorobabel ('son of Babylon'), Rehoboam, Solomon and David. In the light 2nd from centre going down we see Manasseh, Josiah, Asa and Abiah. Jehoshaphat is in the centre right light, 3rd panel up, directly above Jesse.
In the outer lights we see the prophets with Habbakuk at top right and Malachi to his left.
There are too many depictions to describe here, but if you visit the church there is a guide near the window. Just remember to bring a pair of binoculars!
Apologies for the top of the window being blurred, but I focused on Jesse towards the bottom and should have focused somewhere closer to the middle.
St Mary's Church in the historic town of Shrewsbury stands on a rise in the centre of town, opposite the main post office and in front of a shopping centre on the site of the former Royal Salop Infirmary. It has the distinction of not only being the largest church in Shrewsbury but also the only surviving medieval one. It was founded by King Edgar in the 10th century and designated a 'Royal Peculiar', a collegiate church under the jurisdiction of the crown rather than a local diocese.
The spire is reputed to be the third highest of any parish church in England and can be seen for miles around from most vantage points on hills around Shrewsbury. The spire collapsed in 1894, which some people believed was a sign that God was unhappy over plans to erect a statue of Charles Darwin outside Shrewsbury School. The spire was repaired in 1897.
It's now a redundant church meaning it is no longer used for regular worship but it is open as a visitor centre with coffee shop (currently closed for re-fit), stalls and of course for viewing. Especially for its wonderful collection of glass, some of which was sourced from other ecclesiastical buildings, notably from Europe and particularly from Germany. Some of the windows contain glass from different sites such as Trier Cathedral and Altenburg Abbey near Cologne.