Jane Gray (b.1931)

St Anne’s Church, Copp, Great Eccleston, Design for Stained Glass Window (1979)

A chapel was first built at Copp in 1723 for the members of St. Michaels on Wyre Church and Kirkham Church who were too far from their parish churches. Elswick Chapel would have been ideal for the purpose, but as it was in the hands of dissenters the bishop of the time, Bishop Gastrall, decided a new building would be preferable. On May 13th, 1723, a deed was drawn up arranging for three men to rent a piece of land (known as Higher Cop) for one peppercorn a year to build a new chapel. St. Anne's Chapel was built that same year. It wasn’t until 1849, however, that Copp Parish was formed by an Order in Council at Queen Victoria's court at Windsor. The church was completely restored in 1884, the outside transformed by building over it in Yorkshire stone, and the tower raised to 45ft. This window design centres on the scene of Christ healing a lame man and features symbolic images of loaves and fishes. The window was installed in 1979.

Jane Gray (b.1931)

Design for Stained Glass Panel in a Private House (1978)

This design is for a window commemorating Arthur Henry Edmond Esq., of Ranelagh, 50 Russell Road, Moor Park, Northwood, Middlesex, who held the position of High Sheriff of Greater London between 1973-4. The Clan from whom the Arthurs family descends began among the ancient Dalriadan kingdom of the west coast of Scotland. Their name comes from the Celtic personal name, Arthur, which is of various and often disputed etymology. The personal name Arthur may be derived from some early cognate of the Gaelic “art” and the Welsh “arth”, meaning “bear” and may indicate early Celtic worship of the bear or one who has a high regard for the bear’s virtuous qualities. The Latin motto,  ‘Impelle obstantia’ (meaning, 'Thrust aside obstacles’) would originally have acted a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first appeared in coast of arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. The office of High Sheriff of Greater London was created in 1965 and granted armorial bearings 1966. The blazon of the arms, as depicted here is: ‘Gules, two seaxes in saltire argent, pommels and hilts or, between in chief a Saxon Crown or and in base a horse courant argent’.

Jane Gray (b.1931)

All Saints Church, Lightwater, Surrey, Design for Stained Glass Memorial Window (1987)

All Saints Church in Lightwater, Surrey was built and dedicated in 1903. Prior to this, services were held in Florence Laundry in Guildford Road as, at that time, Lightwater was a small hamlet. With the development of nurseries and cottages to house the influx of workers that followed soon after, the Conventional District of All Saints’ was formed in 1931. Before this, All Saints Church had been a daughter church of Windlesham. A Priest-in-Charge was appointed shortly after the split in 1931 and a vestry extension was added to the building. This window features a background Cross, symbols and flowers and was installed in 1988.

Jane Gray (b.1931)

Saling Hall, Essex, Floral Design for Stained Glass Window

Saling Hall, in Essex, has a long and rich history, dating back to the early 12th century when Sir Baldwin Wiscart was the first recorded Lord of the Manor. After his his son, the house passed to the knightly family of Bibbesworth, who lived there for four generations. Sir Walter de Bibbesworth was a crusader and a poet (in French). Nothing remains of the first Saling Hall which was rebuilt around 1590 by the Maxey family who had bought the hall in 1487. The house faced further remodelling by its 17th century owner, Martin Carter, a lawyer. He ornamented the new facade with Dutch gables, which are the latest example of their kind in Essex, and the house has changed little since. The hall passed through many more hands before it was bought, in 1935, by Lady Isabella Carlyle (née Barton) who was a passionate gardener and gave the Hall its first modern gardens. Lady Carlyle sold the Hall in 1971 to Hugh Johnson, a well known garden writer, who continued Lady Carlyle’s work on the gardens. This watercolour sketch is an early design for a stained glass window commissioned by Johnson for a fanlight in Saling Hall. Johnson wished the design to include the plants he grew in his own garden to symbolise the seasons. Gray designed the panel using Corsican Hellebore for winter, the Crown Imperial Fritillary for spring, Dog Rose for summer (although, this was changed to Agapanthus in the final design), and Japanese Anemones for autumn. In the final window, Gray also included vines to frame the design and nod to Johnson’s oenological interests.

Jane Gray (b.1931)

St John’s Church, Read, Nr. Burnley, Lancashire, Design for Stained Glass Memorial Window (1980)

St John’s Church in Read, Lancashire is a parish church that was dedicated to St John Evangelist in 1884 by Henry Ross of Accrington. The parish also notably includes Read Hall and Park, the seat of the Nowell family from the 14th century, Roger Nowell being a key magistrate at the time of the Lancashire Witches in 1612 sending them to Lancaster for trial and eventual execution. This window was installed in 1981.

Jane Gray (b.1931)

Early Design for 'Ave Maria' Stained Glass Window (1960)

A rare example of Gray’s early work, this design shows a more traditional approach to stained glass window design, something that Gray came to eschew in favour of a more modern style in much of her later work. Its intended location is unknown.

Jane Gray (b.1931)

St Nicholas Church, Worth Matravers, Dorset, Design for Memorial Stained Glass Window (1983)

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 John Strange who died in 1984. It was commissioned in advance by John, a keen admirer of Gray’s work, after his wife, Diana, died tragically in 1977. John asked that his window included the sea view from their home, and the vine of grapes in the top panes nods to the full chalice in Diana’s window which sits directly opposite John’s and was also designed by Gray. John’s window was installed in the church in 1986.

Jane Gray (b.1931)

‘Peace’ Design for a Christmas Card (1989)

This simple but effective design for a Christmas card from 1989 beautifully demonstrates Gray’s modernist style, with her recognisably colourful palette and simple yet detailed delineation of her geometric, lettered design.

Jane Gray (b.1931)

Gatton Church, nr Redhill, Surrey, Design for Stained Glass Window (1979)

Dated. Signed verso.

A church has existed in this Surrey parish since the Doomsday Survey in 1086 but the present Church dates back to the 13th century, undergoing extensive alterations in the 18th and early 19th centuries. Notably, in 1834, the pulpit and altar, bought from Nuremberg, were hopefully attributed to Albrecht Dürer; the carved doors had travelled from Rouen; the presbytery stalls from a disestablished monastery in Ghent, the altar rails from Tongeren; and the stained glass for the windows, and the wainscoting of the nave and carved canopies had come from Aarschot, near Leuven. This tiny church window was one of Gray’s smallest commissions. Her brief was to include the church at the heart of the Gatton agricultural community, and she did, supplementing this with illustrations of corn, oats, barley, poppies, bees, butterflies, ladybirds, a caterpillar and a grasshopper, alongside small roundels set amongst these containing a calf, a tractor, and a combine harvester respectively. The window was installed in 1980.

Jane Gray (b.1931)

Gatton Church, nr Redhill, Surrey, Design for Stained Glass Window (1979)

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

A church has existed in this Surrey parish since the Doomsday Survey in 1086 but the present Church dates back to the 13th century, undergoing extensive alterations in the 18th and early 19th centuries. Notably, in 1834, the pulpit and altar, bought from Nuremberg, were hopefully attributed to Albrecht Dürer; the carved doors had travelled from Rouen; the presbytery stalls from a disestablished monastery in Ghent, the altar rails from Tongeren; and the stained glass for the windows, and the wainscoting of the nave and carved canopies had come from Aarschot, near Leuven. This tiny church window was one of Gray’s smallest commissions. Her brief was to include the church at the heart of the Gatton agricultural community, and she did, supplementing this with illustrations of corn, oats, barley, poppies, bees, butterflies, ladybirds, a caterpillar and a grasshopper, alongside small roundels set amongst these containing a calf, a tractor, and a combine harvester respectively. The window was installed in 1980.

Jane Gray (b.1931)

St Lawrence Church, Weston under Penyard, Design for Stained Glass Window (1999)

Signed, dated and studio stamp verso.

St Catherine’s Church, Penrith is a Puginian Gothic town church, built by Fr George Haydock of Cottam and other Catholic notables in the early 19th century in the 14th century Gothic style. The church and its substantial presbytery, built in 1853, adjoin the churchyard of the Anglican parish church. This window was installed in 1992.

Jane Gray (b.1931)

St Catherine’s Church, Penrith, Cumbria, Design for Stained Glass Memorial Windows (1992)

Signed, dated and studio stamp verso.

St Catherine’s Church, Penrith is a Puginian Gothic town church, built by Fr George Haydock of Cottam and other Catholic notables in the early 19th century in the 14th century Gothic style. The church and its substantial presbytery, built in 1853, adjoin the churchyard of the Anglican parish church. This window was installed in 1992.

Jane Gray (b.1931)

Design for Stained Glass Panel in a Private House (1990)

Signed, dated and studio stamp verso.

This design for a staircase window in a private house features the owner’s favourite flowers, including Daffodils, Irises and Poppies, and is typical of Gray’s secular designs which were often highly colourful and often floral-centric. The window was installed in 1991.

Jane Gray (b.1931)

Church of St Peter and St John the Baptist, Wivelsfield, Sussex, Design for Stained Glass Memorial Window (1993)

Signed, dated and studio stamp verso.

The country Church of St Peter and St John the Baptist in Wivelsfield, East Sussex, dates back to around the 11th century. Since then it has undergone several renovations; the south aisle is 13th century, the tall south chapel is 14th century, the southwest tower was built around 1500 and the chancel was lengthened in the 19th century. Originally, the church was a chapelry of Ditchling, and it wasn't until after the Reformation that the church separated completely. This window was commissioned to commemorate Sir Bryant Godman Irvine, former  Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons, and to his wife, and features both their family crests. The window was installed in 1995.

Jane Gray (b.1931)

All Saints Church, Lightwater, Surrey, Design for Stained Glass Window (1990)

Signed, dated and studio stamp verso.

All Saints Church in Lightwater, Surrey was built and dedicated in 1903. Prior to this, services were held in Florence Laundry in Guildford Road as, at that time, Lightwater was a small hamlet. With the development of nurseries and cottages to house the influx of workers that followed soon after, the Conventional District of All Saints’ was formed in 1931. Before this, All Saints Church had been a daughter church of Windlesham. A Priest-in-Charge was appointed shortly after the split in 1931 and a vestry extension was added to the building. This window commemorates the church’s organist, Catherine Challen, and features symbols associated with St Cecilia in acknowledgement of her musical contribution. The window was installed in 1991.

Jane Gray (b.1931)

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

Studio stamp verso.

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. This unique design by Gray highlights her modern style, the simple lettered panel, bearing the Latin name for the holy spirit, brimming with vibrant energy.

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’.

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)

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 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 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 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 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 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)

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 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)

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’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 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)

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)

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)

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)

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, 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)

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)

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 Peter's Church, Martindale, Design for Stained Glass Window (1980)