Jane Gray (b.1931)

Northgate, Design for Stained Glass Window

Gray left little information about this design but it is possibly for a shopping centre or similar building. Nevertheless, this design perfectly captures Gray’s colourful and quintessentially modern style and approach to stained glass window design. Here, Gray uses a few key colours, strong lines, and geometrical elements to construct her multi-panelled, lettered design.

Jane Gray (b.1931)

St Andrew’s Church, Walton-on-Thames, Design for Stained Glass Window (1993)

Signed, dated and studio stamp verso.

St Andrew’s Church was built in 1931 but its story began some years earlier in 1928 when a group of Scots and those with Scottish roots, started meeting in the Walton Playhouse to worship under a retired Presbyterian Minister. Over time, funds were raised to build a proper church, the foundation stone laid in 1931, bearing the Presbyterian Church’s Latin motto,  ‘Nec Tamen Consumebatur’ (and yet it was not consumed) from the Old Testament story of Moses and the Burning Bush. In 1972, alongside most Presbyterian Churches of England, St Andrew’s united with The Congregational Church of England and Wales to form, ‘The United Reformed Church’. This window features a red cross with St Andrew’s cross, along with the Alpha and Omega, and was installed in 1994.

Jane Gray (b.1931)

St Mary’s Church, Twickenham, Middlesex, Design for Stained Glass Memorial Windows (1988)

Signed, dated and studio stamp verso.

St Mary’s Church stands on the site of an earlier church in Twickenham, a short distance from York House and the banks of the River Thames, and incorporates a 15th-century, medieval tower. St Mary's has an impressive and illustrious history of notable parishioners including the painter Godfrey Kneller who, after the collapse of the ancient church's 14th-century nave in 1714, took active involvement in redesigning the church in the Neo-classical style alongside local architect John James, as well as Henry Fielding and Alfred Lord Tennyson whose sons were both baptised here. Gray had a personal connection to St Mary’s, her great grandfather having been the vicar some years before. These windows held especial personal meaning for Gray as they commemorated the death of her parents in 1982 and 1985 respectively. The windows were installed in 1989.

Jane Gray (b.1931)

Christ Church, Charnock Richard, Lancashire Design for Stained Glass Window (1989)

Signed, dated and studio stamp verso.

Christ Church was built in 1860 at the heart of the 13th century country village of Charnock Richard. Alongside its stained glass windows, the church boasts historic tile work and an exceptional  marble memorial to the original benefactor’s wife, Frances Darlington. This window was installed in 1990.

Jane Gray (b.1931)

St Mary’s Church, Chirk, Design for Stained Glass Window Dedicated to the Royal British Legion (1992)

Signed, dated and studio stamp verso.

The first stone church in Chirk was erected during the early 11th Century by the Normans, however, the site of St Mary’s church is originally thought to be a llan—a Welsh phrase that denotes a walled enclosure containing a chapel, hermit’s huts and burials—dedicated to Saint Tysilio. The church was re-dedicated to Saint Mary in the late 15th or early 16th century and remained part of the Church of England until the disestablishment of the Welsh Church in 1921. Gray’s stained glass design commemorates the 50th Anniversary of the D-Day Landings in her inimitably modern style and features the archetypal motif of red poppies, scattered across the three window panels. The leek, rose, thistle, and shamrock roundels nod to the key symbols of the British Isles. The window was installed and dedicated by the Archbishop of Wales in 1994.

Jane Gray (b.1931)

Game Bird Designs for Stained Glass Roundels (1987)

Dated and detailed in the artist's hand verso.

These pencil-sketched designs for two stained glass roundels charmingly depict a red legged partridge and quail set against simple pastoral backgrounds. Gray spent the later years of her life in the rural countryside of Shropshire and was fond of the natural world around her, plants and flowers, in particular, often featuring in her religious and secular work.

Jane Gray (b.1931)

Holy Trinity Church, Weston Lullingfields, Shropshire, Design for Stained Glass Window (1990)

Signed, dated and studio stamp verso.

Holy Trinity Church in Weston Lullingfields was built in 1857 by the late Miss Barrett, of Prescott to join the expanding development of Weston Wharf. However, with the advent of the Railway in nearby Baschurch, the canal fell into disuse and plans for major expansion of the village declined. The church is built in the Early English style and houses a rare Hilditch organ.

Jane Gray (b.1931)

St Barnabas Church, Franche, Kidderminster, Design for Stained Glass Window (1985)

Signed, dated and studio stamp verso.

St Barnabas Church, a red brick church designed by Martin & Chamberlain, was established in Franche in 1871 as a chapel-of-ease to the Parish Church of Kidderminster, St Mary and All Saints. St Barnabas is known for its diverse collection of stained glass windows and, alongside Gray’s modern memorial window, features windows in the Arts and Crafts style, likely designed by Benjamin Warren. Designed in 1985, this window was installed in the church in 1987.

Jane Gray (b.1931)

St Mary’s Church, Penwortham, Lancashire, Design for Stained Glass Window Dedicated to the Royal British Legion (1984)

Dated and artist label verso.

St Mary’s Church, set in the midst of ancient woodland, is the parish church of the Ancient Parish of Penwortham and dates from the 14th century. The church Nave and Chancel contain several memorial windows and tablets sacred to the memory of parishioners who have died; most are Victorian, such as memorial to John Horrocks, a prominent industrialist in the golden age of the Lancashire cotton industry who founded the textile company Horrockses, Miller, & Co., but the North wall features Gray’s traditional design for a window dedicated to the Royal British Legion.

Jane Gray (b.1931)

St Mary’s Church, Bushbury, Wolverhampton, Design for Stained Glass Window (1989)

Signed, dated and studio stamp verso.

St Mary’s Church was built in the mid 14th century but underwent substantial renovations in the 19th century to the designs of Wolverhampton architect, Edward Banks with advice from the notable, Sir Gilbert Scott. St Mary’s is thought to have inspired the church at ‘M’ visited by Borrow and the Petulengroes in Chapter VIII of George Borrow’s 1857 novel, The Romany Rye. One of Gray’s most interesting and beautiful designs, this stained glass window demonstrates the artist’s distinctly modern approach, capturing something of her artistic predecessor, Hilma af Klint’s characteristic geometric style and colour palette.

Jane Gray (b.1931)

St Mary the Virgin, Ebony, Tenterden, Design for Stained Glass Window (1983)

Dated in artist's hand and artist label verso.

Worship at Ebony has taken place for some one thousand years but St Mary the Virgin Church, as it exists today, was not built until 1858. A church had previously existed on the island of Ebony where, standing 30 metres above sea level and visible for miles around, it provided a prominent landmark to ships coming up the sea creek. This church, however, was devastated by a fire in the 16th century, and from its ruins, a much smaller church, built in a simple rectangle of Kentish ragstone, was erected, serving the parish until 1858. In this year, the church was taken down, stone by stone, and moved to the nearby hamlet of Reading Street where it stands today. Gray’s design centres on the Anunciation, featuring the figures of Mary and Gabriel, and was installed in the church in 1984.

Jane Gray (b.1931)

Writtle Church, Essex, Design for Stained Glass Window (1989)

Signed, dated and studio stamp verso.

All Saints Church in Writtle, Essex has stood at the heart of the ancient manor of Writtle for over one thousand years and dates back to the early 13th century, although, a Saxon church likely existed on the site prior to this. The living of Writtle church was handed over in 1399 to the Warden and Fellows of New College Oxford in whose patronage the church has remained to this day. This window design features the Arms of Baroness Platt of Writtle linked with those of Guglielmo Marconi as well as the phoenix, and three fishes of Trinity. The window was installed in 1992.

Jane Gray (b.1931)

St John’s Church, Broughton, Design for Stained Glass Window (1983)

Studio label verso.

St John’s Church, in rural Preston, began as a wooden family chapel for the Lord of the Manor in the 12th century. This chapel, however, was demolished in 1823. Since then, the rebuilt sandstone church has been remodelled a number of times, the oldest part of the existing church, the tower, dating back to 1533 during Henry VIII’s reign. This window centres on the baptism of Christ by St John and features symbolic imagery of music, flowers, harvest, birds, insects, choristers, schoolchildren, and the church itself. The window was installed in 1985.

Jane Gray (b.1931)

St Nicholas Church, Worth Matravers, Dorset, Design for Memorial Stained Glass Window (1978)

Dated and detailed in artist’s hand with studio label verso.

St Nicholas Church in Worth Matravers is one of the oldest churches in Dorset. It was built around the year 1100 AD. Though the majority of the church is Norman, some of the stonework appears to come from an earlier building, suggesting that there was a church here in the late Saxon period. This memorial window commemorates Diana Strange who died tragically in 1977. It was commissioned by her husband who was a keen admirer of Gray’s work and centres on the Elizabethan chalice used in St Nicholas’ Church. The window directly opposite contains another memorial window designed by Gray for Diana’s Husband, John Strange, who died seven years later. Diana's memorial window was installed in 1979.

Jane Gray (b.1931)

St Margaret’s Church, Downham, Billericay, Essex, Design for Stained Glass Window

Signed and studio stamp verso.

It is likely that Christians have worshiped at this site for over a thousand years, but it wasn’t until the mid13th century that the first recorded church appeared. The church is dedicated to St Margaret of Antioch, a dragon slayer and patron saint of child bearing. Devotion Saint Margaret of Antioch became popular in the 13th century and there are around 80 churches today that share this dedication from the 13th century. The oldest part of the present church is the tower which dates from c.1470. The nave was rebuilt in the nineteenth century using much of the material from the thirteenth century church. An arson attack in March 1977 resulted in the gutting of the church, resulting in a highly modern interior. This window features the symbol of St Margaret and a red Cross on quarry background. The window was installed in 1988.

Jane Gray (b.1931)

St Peter’s Church, Cound, Shropshire, Design for Stained Glass Window (1999)

Signed, dated and studio stamp verso.

Proposed design for a window on the south wall, over the font. St Peter’s Church, Cound lies in the grounds of the Cound Hall estate and is dedicated to St Peter because of its medieval association with Shrewsbury Abbey (dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul). The oldest part of the present church dates back to the 13th century but it has been renovated several times since then, with additions from the 14th, 15th and 19th centuries.

Jane Gray (b.1931)

St Mary’s Church, Longnor, Shropshire, Design for Stained Glass Millennium Commemoration Window (2000)

Signed, dated and studio stamp verso.

St Mary’s Church, Longnor, was originally built as a chapel to Condover around 1280 A.D. It was then a private chapel to the Corbett family of Longnor Hall, before becoming the parish church. These designs for two stained glass roundel windows in the East window were commissioned to commemorate the Millennium. This window was installed in 2001.

Jane Gray (b.1931)

St Ambrose Church, Leyland, Design for Stained Glass Window (1980)

Studio label verso.

The site of St Ambrose Church, Leyland, originally lay in the parish of St. Andrew’s Leyland; however, after a 37% population increase in the town caused by the coming of the railways and industrialisation in the 1870’s, the Vicar of St. Andrews decided to build a chapel of ease to St. Andrews. The church was rebuilt on the northern edge of the town in 1880. This window features symbols of St Ambrose and was installed in the church in 1982.

Jane Gray (b.1931)

St Leonards Church, Stagsden, Bedfordshire, Design for Stained Glass Window  (1998)

Signed and dated verso.

Stagsden receives mention in the Domesday Book, suggesting the likely existence of a church here in the 11th century, St Leonard’s church is, however, first recorded in the 13th century, the vicar in 1229 being Reginald de Stacheden (Stagsden). The nave and the chancel of the present church date back to a similar period. Additions and renovations have since taken place, including the late 14th/early 15th century addition of the north chapel. This window was installed in 2000.

Jane Gray (b.1931)

Royal Airforce Music Services Headquarters, Design for Memorial Stained Glass Window (1985)

Signed and dated verso.

Gray’s design for this memorial window commemorates the lives of those lost in the Langenbruck bus crash, 11 February 1985, when a double-decker bus carrying 40 musicians from the band of Royal Air Force Germany, crashed on an autobahn between Nuremberg and Munich. Twenty-one of the occupants were killed in the crash. As the text in the design remembers: this window is ‘In memory of our friends of the Band of the Royal Air Force Germany who lost their lives in the tragic Autobahn accident near Munich on 11 February 1985’.