Jane Gray (b.1931)

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

Watercolour

19 x 6.5 cm

Studio label verso.

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.

Provenance: the artist’s studio sale.

Literature: Jane Gray, Playing with Rainbows. (Shropshire: Ellingham Press, 2011), p.75.

Condition: very good.

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