The Stained Glass Windows of Christ`s Church Cathedral

The Stained Glass
Windows
of
Christ’s Church
Cathedral
Anglican Diocese of Niagara
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Edited By Alexander L. Darling
From notes by John Rathbone
(former Canon Pastor and Diocesan Archivist),
extensive notes by Katharine Greenfield
(Cathedral Archivist),
and additional material from the archives
and visits elsewhere.
Photographs © Alexander L. Darling
Introduction
For many years Katharine Greenfield has served as Cathedral Archivist and she has accumulated extensive information about the operation of the Cathedral throughout its history. The start
of the 175th anniversary year and external enquiries resulted in this attempt to gather together
the information we have about the stained glass of the Cathedral. As I came to do this, I found
two people were invaluable. John Rathbone, former Canon Pastor of the Cathedral and Diocesan Archivist, had made notes about the windows in the 1970s when he was Canon Pastor.
Katharine Greenfield, the Cathedral Archivist, had gathered much more information and this
went far beyond narrow descriptions of the windows and dates of installation. The information
included summaries about the people named and their families, correspondence and newspaper
clippings. Most of what follows is, therefore, Katharine’s work and she should receive due
recognition for it. In compiling this document I drew a little on observations I made while taking photographs at the Cathedral and other churches in the Diocese, and a visit to Robert
McCausland Limited, a leading designer and manufacturer of stained glass. In addition, I
learned more information as a result of a visit by Charlie Hill of the National Gallery and Tobi
Bruce of the Hamilton Art Gallery; in particular they found a number of inscriptions and signatures, and provided suggestions on follow-up. Having watched them look for signatures, I was
subsequently able to find others. My wife, Jeni, has guided many people on tours; her observation has drawn detail to my attention, and our discussions have helped my understanding.
Although stained glass had been used earlier, by the 19th century the techniques and skills of
making and using true stained glass had been lost because of changes in artistic taste and
protestant theology. Thomas Willement, who made his first stained glass in 1811, was called
“the father of Victorian stained glass” and he operated from 1811 to 1869. Commercial manufacture started in the 1830s, and by 1851 Ballantine and Allen, manufacturers of one or more of
our windows, was one of twenty-five firms able to display stained glass windows in the Great
Exhibition. Within Canada the firm of McCausland dates from the 1850s. From this time onwards the fashion arose of inserting stained glass windows as memorials, and this coincides with
the period when the first work on building the stone cathedral we know today took place.
Organization
The information is presented in the sequence the windows occur if one were to walk in the front
door and proceed around the Cathedral in a counter-clockwise direction.
2
South Nave Windows
1.
Suffer the little children – 1873
This window was manufactured by Ballantine and
sons, Edinburgh, Scotland. This firm started in
1837 and operated through three generations of Ballantines; the grandson of the founder, James, died in
an accident in 1940. The window was originally
over the sacristy door and was subsequently placed
in the current location overlooking the font, which
was south of the central door at the back of the
church.
It was dedicated by Dean Geddes on July 8, 1873,
and an account of the dedication is in the Hamilton
Evening Times of that date. This was thought to be
the oldest window in the church, but it appears not
to be. The Davidson window was dedicated in
1862, and the original east window was erected in
1853.
It was given by Mrs. Robert Forest Ainslie in
memory of Mary A. Worsop Ainslie and infant (her
sister-in-law and infant): her two sons William Allan and Robert Forest Gordon. The Ainslie family
were members of the original congregation of
Christ’s Church in 1835. Mr. Ainslie, listed as a
farmer, owned a large property to the west of the city, a property including Ainslie Woods, a
favourite picnic area years ago, and site of the Hillfield School before it moved to the mountain.
The Ainslie home was the headmaster’s house in those days.
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2.
Dorcas – 1911
This window has the same decoration above and below the main panels, as two of the windows
manufactured by McCausland in the north-west of the Cathedral. It did not, however, appear in
the files of McCausland when a visit was made in 2009 to review the files. The window was
restored by the Women’s Auxiliary (no date given); the W.A. banner and case containing the
badges of life members are in front of it.
The window is in memory of Elizabeth Mitchell Bruce, wife of Francis Carmichael Bruce and
daughter of John and Charlotte Mitchell. (See Annunciation window – north nave) Her sons
were Walter H. Stuart and Ernest.
Dorcus appears in the Acts of the Apostles as Tabitha, a rich widow who gave to the poor, as
she is portrayed in this window.
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3.
Pilgrims and the new Jerusalem – 1891/1892
This window was designed by Henry Holiday (1839-27), a prominent English artist in stained
glass, and is pre-Raphaelite in design. It is said to be the most valuable window in the cathedral,
and was the subject of an article by Katharine Greenfield, Cathedral Archivist, in the Cathedral
Contact (Summer 2008). The article is reproduced in full in Appendix A.
The text in the upper half is “In My Father’s House are Many Mansions”, and in the lower half
“Here we have no Continuing City”. The two figures in the lower section of the window are
pilgrims on their continuing journey.
This was given by their daughters in memory of John Winer and his wife Sarah (d 1891). John
Winer was a druggist who came to Hamilton about 1830 and sold patent medicines for many
years. Later in 1863 he started a glass manufactory in partnership with George Rutherford,
which at times furnished employment for as many as 250 men and boys. Mrs Winer was one of
the more prominent and active members of the church having been the first to receive John
Gamble Geddes when he came to Hamilton to establish an Episcopal church. She was one of
the founders of the Hamilton Orphan Asylum, associated with many benevolent societies, and
performed many kind and unpublicized deeds. The Vicar, E.M. Blan, said at her funeral that her
good deeds extended from the time when, with apostolic simplicity, the services of the church of
her love had been celebrated in an upper chamber of her house before there was a church here
right up to her death. The Winer name is known to local historians because her grandson, William Winer Cooke, fought and died in the American Civil War. His monument in the Hamilton
Cemetery was replaced by an American group with some publicity.
John Winer was baptized as an adult on September 1, 1838 prior to his confirmation by the
Bishop of Montreal.
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4.
Nicodemus/ Good Samaritan – 1889/ unknown
Nicodemus: This window bears a
signature “McCausland 1889”
and it was dedicated in August
1889. [The Canadian Architect
and Builder, II:8 (August 1889)
p.93] Charles T. Jones died at his
residence at 80 Ferguson Avenue
on November 26 1888, aged 72.
He was a long-time resident of
Hamilton, appearing in the 1853
city directory. During his career
he was a clerk, working for Richard Juson, a ticket agent and exchange broker.
His obituary
names no survivors. The central
part of the window shows Nicodemus coming by night to Jesus,
and the bottom section Jesus’
charge to Peter.
Good Samaritan: Senator Bull died in 1881, and so the window
post-dates that. The Masonic symbols at the top always draw comment, and the crown at the bottom probably symbolizes the fact
that he was a senator. The Bulls, originally from Ireland, were
among the first families to form the congregation. George Perkins
Boothesby Bull came to Hamilton about 1834 or 1835 to be proprietor and publisher of the Hamilton Gazette, a conservative newspaper under the patronage of Allan MacNab. George P. Bull was
tireless in the work of the Barton Masonic Lodge. He had three
sons: Harcourt, George and Richard. Harcourt became a senator,
and George was an Anglican priest. G.P. Bull died in 1847 and
was buried in the graveyard.
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5.
St. Mark/ St. John
St. Mark: The tiled floor on which St Mark stands is the same
as that in the portrayal of St John in the adjacent light, and appears in presentations of St John in other churches. The lion in
one of the lower panels is symbolic of Mark. Helen Nelles
Woolverton died on June 13 1884, aged 35. She was the first
wife of Dr Algernon Woolverton. She was said to be a gentle,
devout woman, active in the Ladies Aid, and a musician who
occasionally played the organ in the Cathedral. There is a record of a musical evening given at the Woolverton’s house across
from the Cathedral to raise money for the building fund. On her
deathbed she requested that her husband be baptized and Dr
Mockridge performed the rite and Mrs Woolverton named him.
The archives contain extensive information about the Woolverton family. The central panel appears in other churches.
St. John: The tiled floor on which St John stands is the
same as that in the portrayal of St John in other churches.
The eagle in one of the lower panels is associated with the
evangelist John, and many churches incorporate an eagle
into the lectern which holds the Bible on the outstretched
wings of an eagle. James MacNab (July 1834 to January 24
1866) was probably a member of the family of Sir Allan
MacNab, but not directly. A connection can be made between the MacNab and Woolverton families, but it is distant. The central panel appears in other churches.
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6.
Jesus, Lord – 1853
This window was the principal panel in the east window of the Cathedral prior to the current five-panel memorial to Bishop Fuller, the current east window. The window carries the note “Erected in 1853”,
which probably means that it was the central panel in the east window
of the new chancel of the stone building, for which the corner-stone
had been laid in 1852. It was replaced in 1885 by the current east window. Later it became the east window of the chapel, and was removed
during remodeling in 1995 to enable the move of the Diocesan Offices
to Cathedral Place in 1996. The window was a tribute to the work of
John Gamble Geddes, the first rector of the parish and first Dean of the
Diocese of Niagara, when it was founded in 1876. The generosity of
two of his great-grandchildren, Katharine and William Greenfield, enabled the window to be mounted in its current location in 2006.
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Chancel Windows
The original plan for the north and south windows of the chancel was to have four windows,
which would portray four great works of music in Anglican liturgy: Gloria, Sanctus, Benedictus
and Te Deum. The plan was followed for the Bruce (1925) and Howell (1938/9) windows, but
not for the remaining two.
7.
The four great Christian festivals – 1954
This striking, modern window was designed by Yvonne Williams, a Canadian artist who grew
up in the Caribbean and had a studio in Toronto. (An article from Glass Art, March/ April 2000
describing the life of Yvonne Williams appears in Appendix B.) This window drew considerable attention when it was installed, because Jesus, Mary and God are black. (Other windows by
Yvonne Williams appear in St Jude’s Oakville and Holy Trinity Welland.) The four scenes are
the Nativity, the Crucifixion, Resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit. The glass is thicker than that of other windows, the palette of colors is richer, and the glass appears textured.
It was given by Frederick I. Ker and dedicated to the memory of Amy Southam Ker by Bishop
Broughall on October 3 1954. In the archives are Mrs Ker’s wishes for the window design and
a letter from the artist, Yvonne Williams, about the themes for the window.
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8.
Gloria in Excelsis, Mercy and Truth are met together – 1928
This window carries the signature of Cowan and Hollister, Toronto, 1928 in the right-hand panel. This was given in memory of Alexander Bruce (1836-1920) and his wife, Agnes (18411928) by their family in 1925, the year in which the chancel was extended to its current size.
Alexander Bruce was counsel for the Canada Life Assurance Company, and left Hamilton to
live in Toronto. When he died, however, in 1920 he was buried in the Hamilton Cemetery after
a funeral in the Cathedral. His wife was the daughter of the Reverend Ralph Robb, a Presbyterian. His children were Ralph, a lawyer in Hamilton, Charles with Canada Life, Mrs H.D. Carmichael of Broughty, Scotland, Mrs B.P. Cheeves of Plymouth, England and Mrs Bessie C. Bruce.
Very little information is available about Cowan and Hollister, but Frank S. J. Hollister was selected to design three windows for the House of Commons Chamber and four for the Memorial
Ante-chamber. The former were made by Cowan and Hollister in 1927, and the four latter in
1928, the same period as this window in the Cathedral. The linear style and colors used are very
similar to those employed in this window of the Cathedral.
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9.
Ascension and Nativity – 1885
The Gothic frame of the great east window of the Cathedral was modeled on the window of
Guisborough Priory in north-east England by the architect William Thomas. Statements in the
files suggest that John Thomas, brother of the architect, designed the stained glass windows for
the addition, but the origin of this claim is unknown. The design for stained glass of the window
now in place was undertaken by Ballantine and Allen of Edinburgh, and McCausland of Toronto acted as their agent in executing the design. The window was dedicated on December 20
1885, and a Hamilton Spectator article the previous day stated, “It is probably the most important work in stained glass produced in Canada.” (This is in conflict with a letter in the archives from the 1970s which indicates that Ballantine designed and executed the window, and
so clarification was obtained from McCausland in 2009.) The sermon given on the day of dedication is given in the Spectator on December 21, 1885.
The current design replaced the original design and the central panel of the previous design is
now above the entrance to the Sacristy (#6 above). The current window is in memory of T.B.
Fuller, first bishop of Niagara and it was given by his wife Cynthia and completed by their children. The central panels are the Fuller gift and the intention was that the outside panels would
be completed later. The window was restored in 2000.
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10.
Sanctus – 1939
This window was manufactured by McCausland, and a signature is in the outer-left panel. The
McCausland records give a date of 1936 (possibly date of initial order), and the notes in the archives show1939 (possibly date of dedication). There is an undated newspaper clipping about
the dedication of this window. This window is in memory of “Christine Margaret Rutledge, beloved wife of Frederick Justus Howell 1936”.
The text reads Mine Eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God
Almighty. The following explanation is given in the archive files:
(5-petaled flower) Christ Enthroned
(3-petaled flower) Holy, Holy, Holy
(spade pointing down left) Four Evangelists’ Emblem
Two central openings:
St Michael with spear (marked Raphael in drawing) and St Gabriel (lilies)
Above St Ariel and St Raphael
2 seraphims above
Two side openings:
Left- Isaiah, angel with crown & palms above, and angel with cross at top.
Right – St John with pen & chalice, angel with Bible above (alpha & omega), and angel with
harp (praise) at top
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11.
Visit of the Kings – 1952
This window was manufactured by McCausland
and may be seen in other churches. It carries the
signature and date of 1952 in the right-hand panel. It was dedicated on November 2 1952. It
was given in memory of “Frederick Justus Howell, beloved husband of Christine Margaret
Rutledge 1939)” by his daughters Mrs Simpson
and Mrs. Wigle. Mr. Howell was President and
founder of Howell Lithographing Co., prominent
mason, director of Scottish Rite Cathedral, and
born in Brantford. His daughters, who were lifelong parishioners were Florence, who married
Dr. James A. Simpson, and Olga, who married
G.W. Wigle. Margaret Simpson MacLennan and
Jane Simpson Spears are granddaughters.
12.
St. Matthew – 1959 (1984 in the Dean’s Vestry of the Cathedral)
This window was given to St Matthew’s Church on Barton Street
by Annie Matthews in 1959 in memory of her husband, Charles
Harold Matthews. The church was almost totally destroyed by
fire in 1967, and the St Matthew window was among the few articles that remained. From the ashes rose St Matthew’s House
across the street from where the church had stood. The parish
community of St Matthew’s dispersed among other churches, and
Annie Matthews joined the Cathedral congregation. The surviving memorials were installed in the Chapel of St Matthew’s
House. Extensive alterations to the House around 1984 threatened
the loss of the memorials, including the St Matthew window. Annie Matthews and her family were able to reclaim the window,
and gave it to the Cathedral. The window was installed in the
Dean’s Vestry and dedicated on June 24, 1984.
13
Ambulatory Windows
The first three windows are on the south side from west to east, and the second three on the
north from east to west.
13.
Bishop Lancelot Andrews – 1929
Given by S.S. Dumoulin. In the background appears Winchester
Cathedral, the longest cathedral in England. Christ’s Church Cathedral was modeled on Winchester, but it never acquired the tower at the west end.
14.
St. Augustine – 1929
Given by the Honorable Harcourt
Bull in 1929 in memory of John
Elden Bull (1849-1927) and
George Harcourt Bull (18511929), sons of the Honorable Harcourt Bull. Canterbury Cathedral
appears in the background.
15.
St. Alban – 1929
In memory of Elsie Stuart Bankier. St. Alban was the first British
martyr.
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16.
The Way, the Truth and the Life - 1930
Given by the Sunday School.
17.
The Good Shepherd – 1930
Given by the Sunday School.
18.
Raphael’s Sistine Madonna – 1930
Given by the Mothers’ Union.
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North Nave Windows
These are described from east to west.
19.
Annunciation – 1886
Designed and manufactured by Joseph McCausland and Sons, Toronto (signed in bottom right corner.) This is one of the finest windows
and it won a prize in the Colonial and Indian Exhibition of 1886 in
Kensington, London. The catalogue of the Canadian section at the
Colonial & Indian Exhibition in London in 1886 giving the notice of
the items exhibited by Joseph McCausland & Son, Toronto is brief
“1168 Stained Glass (in the Fisheries Annexe)”. The report (page
46) of Sir Charles Tupper, Executive Commissioner of the Canadian
section stated, “In the decorative arts some fine displays were made.
In the stained glass, the exhibits of Messrs. Spence & Sons and Castle
& Son, of Montreal, and Messrs. Joseph McCausland & Son, of Toronto, were greatly commended, the latter firm receiving orders from
several churches in England.” (The Pilgrim’s Guide refers to the window being shown in London in 1862 and admired by the Prince of
Wales. Another note from Dean Harry Bagnall’s time stated that the
window won the colonial award in 1881 in London.)
The main panels depict the Annunciation, and two small panels at the
bottom show the Nativity and the Visit of the Shepherds. These bottom panels have been used in the Cathedral Christmas cards. At the
top the angel in white carries a banner with the words “Hail, Mary.”
Charlotte Mitchell died in 1881, aged 63, and John died in 1885, aged
84. He came to Canada from Durham, England, and came to Hamilton after trying to farm in Nelson township. “Chopping in the woods
became monotonous” wrote his
biographer. In 1834 he bought land
and erected a hotel in Hamilton,
which became known as the Farmers’ Hotel. He cut every stick of
timber required for the building and
rafted it from the Credit River himself. He sat for many years as the
representative for St George’s ward
on the Board of Aldermen and did
active service during the Wellington, Grey and Bruce Railway campaign. His daughter, Elizabeth,
married Francis Carmichael Bruce
(see window #8).
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20.
(Right side) Zacharias & Elizabeth - 1862; (left side) Resurrection & Good Samaritan
Zacharias & Elizabeth: In
memory of Elizabeth and
John Davidson. This may
be the second oldest window in the Cathedral.
Forbes Geddes, in his 1862
diary, mentions its dedication. John died in 1861 and
Elizabeth in
Resurrection & Good Shepherd:
In memory of Peter Grant and
his wife, Judith Wills Grant
(1821-96). Peter (1813-72) was
born in England and came to
Canada in 1833 and to Hamilton
in 1837. He was a brewery
owner and farmer. They had 2
sons and 3 daughters. Susan
married James Murray Lottridge. The pulpit is in memory
of Murray Geddes Lottridge,
their son. Mrs Paul Myler was a
Lottridge.
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21.
There came Wise Men from the East; Then took he Him up in his arms; They found
Him in the Temple; He was subject unto them – 1925
This window is said to have been manufactured by McCausland & Company
or by a Scottish studio. In the visit to
McCausland
in
2009,
Andrew
McCausland did not identify this as
one of the windows manufactured by
the firm. There is a suggestion in the
archives, however, that Ballantine and
Allen of Edinburgh made a set of four
drawings of the type in this window.
It was given in memory of William
Henry Gillard and Mary Cordelia, his
wife and dedicated by Dean Owen on
Palm Sunday, 1925, and Frank Bruce
assisted in the unveiling. Mr Gillard
was born in England in 1837 and came
with his parents to Hamilton in 1858.
He was prominent in business and in the community, and his sudden death in 1901 was given
considerable coverage in the press. He had one son, James Turner Gillard, who later died in St
Catharines, and two daughters, H.H. Champ and Miss Annie.
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22.
Easter morning - 1944/5
This window was manufactured by
McCausland & Company. It was given in
memory of James Edwin O’Reilly and his
wife, Emilia Sophia Dundas. James O’
Reilly was the eldest son of Miles and
Jane Sumsion O’Reilly, and succeeded his
father as local Master of the High Court
of Justice. He died on February 27, 1907
at age 74. (For more information, see the
Dictionary of Hamilton Biography, volume 1 p 160.)
The text for this window should read “She
turned herself and saith unto Him
‘Rabboni’ which is to say ‘Master’”. After the restoration of 1977 the left-hand
panel from the next window was placed in
this window, and the left-hand panel of
this window was entered on the right.
23.
“Behold the Place” - 1947
This window was manufactured
by McCausland & Company. It
was given in memory of Marion
Walker Champ (1870- 1948?)
by her husband and children.
The full text should be “Behold
the place where they laid Him”.
This window is above the stairs
leading to Myler Hall and offices using the link that was built in
1977. This is why the bottom
panels are missing, and one appears in the previous window.
(See above)
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Other Windows
West window
24.
Faith, Hope and Charity – 1876
This window was made by Heaton, Butler and Baynes, and sent
from England. No signature has been found, although the writer
has seen a sample of a signature used by this firm. Experts in England confirmed in 2010 that the style of this window is that of the
designers. It was a gift from an old member of the church.
Clement Heaton (1824-82) was a glass painter, James Butler (18301913) a lead glazier, and Robert Turnill Bayne (1837-1915) a PreRaphaelite artist and chief designer in the firm. The firm was started in 1855 and a decade later established a studio in Covent Garden. It was a leading firm of Gothic Revival stained glass, and it
closed in 1953. They employed Henry Holiday as a free-lance designer between 1964 and 1878 (see window #3 and appendix A).
In windows of these three virtues, Faith is normally portrayed with
a cross and the center of the cross may be circular or a square.
Hope appears with an anchor, and Charity
carries a child, as they do in this window.
Columbarium
25.
St. Mark – 1992 in Cathedral
The window in the Columbarium, dedicated as All Souls Chapel on
Good Friday 1992 by Bishop Walter Asbil, came from the former St
Mark’s Church on Bay Street. It is titled “I am the Resurrection and
the Life”, and was given in memory of Thomas David Walker (August
9 1829 – April 5 1900).
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Chapel/Niagara Room
Three windows from the old chapel remain in the Niagara Room, and there is a fourth window
from the north wall of the chapel in storage. The former east window of the chapel is #6 in this
document. The windows are presented from west to east.
26.
Jesus in the Temple – 1925
This window was manufactured by McCausland. (See signature bottom right.) It carries the text, “Jesus increased in
wisdom and stature and in favour with God.” The window
is in memory of Edward Armstrong and his wife, Matilda,
and given by William and Martha Ann Armstrong in 1925.
On April 6 1925, Dean Owen “announced that during the
week had been unveiled in the chapel a window in memory
of Edward and Mrs Armstrong. The window had been arranged for by Mrs Armstrong during her last illness, and only members of the family were present when it was unveiled.
It is a beautiful conception of our Lord as a boy in the temple.”
Edward Armstrong was born in Ireland in 1819 and came to
Canada when young. He served in the militia in this area
during the Rebellion of 1837, and in 1843 married and settled on a farm in Ancaster where he lived until 1881. He
died January 11 1898 and was survived by his widow, 3
sons (Thomas of Dominion Hotel, William and George, superintendant with the Hamilton Cotton Co.), and 4 daughters (Mrs Urquhart, Mrs Rook, Mrs
T.W. Foster and Mrs W.W. Lumsden.) Mrs Armstrong died January 1 1904.
27.
Mary and Jesus in the Garden – 1939
This window was probably manufactured by McCausland, because the other windows in the Niagara Room were and the surround is the same. The text reads, “I ascend unto my Father and
your Father and to My God and your God.” This was given by
the Mothers’ Union in 1939 in memory of Elizabeth Fenton
Seavey, for many years president of the Mothers’ Union of the
diocese and the parish. The Seavey family were very artistic
and musical, and very prominent in the community. Misses
Theo and Marjorie are well remembered by older members of
the cathedral congregation.
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28.
Nativity – 1921
This window was manufactured and signed by
McCausland. (See bottom right.) It was given in
memory of Edwin A. Gavillar and his wife, Caroline, by their daughter in 1921. Dr Gavillar came
to Hamilton in 1882 after practicing medicine in
Chippewa for 8 years, and became well-known in
Hamilton as a general physician of great diagnostic
skill. His wife, Caroline, was the daughter of the
Rev Edward Dewar. Dr and Mrs Gavillar were
devoted members of the Cathedral congregation, as
was their only daughter, Amy. Dr Gavillar died in
1914 at the age of 74. Mrs Gavillar died in 1919.
28.
Baptism of Jesus – 1929
This window was manufactured by McCausland; the date was taken from the McCausland records and matches that in the notes in the archives. The text is, “This is My beloved Son, in
whom I am well pleased.” This was given in loving memory of Jessie Watson, who died February 28, 1922, and was erected by the Senior Women’s bible Class. This window was removed in the renovations of 1995 and is currently stored in the crypt.
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Appendix A
The article that follows appeared in the Cathedral Contact of Summer 2008.
Henry Holiday window
There was some excitement in the Cathedral during the last ‘Doors Open’ event. A visitor discovered that we have a stained glass window designed by Henry Holiday!
Which window? Who was Henry Holiday? The Cathedral Archives has the answers!
The window is on the south side of the nave over a side altar. The subject is Pilgrims and the
New Jerusalem and it is dedicated to the memory of John Winer and his wife Sarah given by
their three daughters.
I find the window’s beauty totally satisfying, and as a local historian I am interested in the Winer family’s contribution to Hamilton and the Cathedral.
We owe our knowledge of the window’s English designer to an English couple, Dennis and
Joan Hadley who while doing research on Henry Holiday and his windows, which are to be
found all over England, in Canada and the United States, visited our Cathedral. Afterward they
sent a copy of their published article to the then Dean, Harry Dawson, and it eventually came to
the Archives.
First their description of our window:
“The window is a fine example of the high quality glass produced by Holiday when he established his own studio in 1891 and stylistically has much in common with a larger two-light window made for Salisbury Cathedral, England. Holiday kept at hand a large collection of figure
studies so that although we have not previously seen a Pilgrims and the New Jerusalem window,
many of the figures are old friends.”
Holiday designed and used many angel figures with wings of red or blue. There is a beautiful
red-winged Seraph at the very top. (Steve Varey once asked me was it a mermaid or an angel?)
Henry Holiday lived from 1839 to 1927 and his working life extended over 60 years. The Hadley’s article, 20 pages of well researched illustrated (black and white), and documented, appeared in the Journal of Stained Glass, v.19 (sic: should be v. 14), 1989-1990. If anyone wants
to read it I’ll make a copy.
Our window was designed and made in 1891-1892. John Winer died in 1887. I am trying to
find when the window was dedicated.
Why did Winer rate a window?
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John Winer (1800-1887) came to Hamilton from his native New York in 1829. He had trained
as a chemist and in Hamilton made and sold patent medicines in a building on King Street near
John. He became a member of the new Anglican Church in 1835 and the rector, John Gamble
Geddes, said he was a faithful friend to him for the rest of his life. The other Winer claim on
our attention is that John and Sarah’s grandson, William Winer Cooke, died with Custer at the
battle of Little Big Horn in 1876. He was buried in the Hamilton Cemetery, and for years
Americans attended and decorated the grave annually.
Canon Katharine Greenfield
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Appendix B
Article re Yvonne Williams
Glass Art - March/April 2000
In Partnership with the Sun
The Life and Work of Yvonne Williams
By Sarah Hall and Jeffrey Kraegel
The scene is a busy stained glass workshop. Artists, glaziers and apprentices are all hard at
work, designing, drawing, painting, cutting and leading. The pace is steady, for the workshop’s
windows are high demand, and there is a long waiting list. In the midst of this activity - forming
a quiet intense focus - is the master, painting uninterrupted for hours at a time.
There is a timelessness to the scene, harkening back to the great Medieval workshops and the
golden age of stained glass. But the place was Canada, the time was the 1940s; and the workshop’s master was an extraordinary woman named Yvonne Williams.
Yvonne William’s accomplishments would be impressive in any era, but especially so, considering the times she worked in. She started her stained glass studio in the “dirty thirties”, and
built it up into a successful and highly respected enterprise, which created beautiful and artistically innovative windows, and fostered the development of a generation of glass artists. This
took courage, tenacity, and an inexhaustible energy, but Yvonne had these in great measure.
Even after her passing in 1997, her influence on the field continues to be significant. Given her
unique qualities - her sharp mind, her formidable artistic talent, her supremely practical nature –
Yvonne’s success at her chosen profession should be no surprise. She was destined to be a major force in any field she chose.
Yvonne Williams was born in Port-of -Spain, Trinidad in 1901 to Canadian parents. She spent
her childhood there, until the family moved back to Canada in 1918. In 1922 she enrolled at the
Ontario College of Art to learn sculpture, but soon moved to painting because she “missed the
colour terribly.” She attributed this love of intense colour to her Caribbean childhood. It was at
OCA that Yvonne developed an interest in stained glass, and after graduation she stayed another
year to study fine art metal and glass.
Upon graduation, Williams decided to pursue a career as a stained glass artist. This was, she
acknowledges, “a peculiar choice for a career in 1927; more so for a woman, and even more so
in Canada.” She made her first window at Pringle & London Glaziers in Toronto in 1926.
Yvonne Williams and George London were to eventually form a life-long working relationship
of artist and craftsman.
In winter of 1927, Yvonne began work at the studio of F. J. Hollister, a prominent Toronto
based stained glass artist. She shortly moved on to study in studios in St. Louis and Philadelphia. After a trip to England, France and Italy, she resolved to take formal training in the art of
stained glass. She apprenticed at the Charles Connick Studio in Boston from 1928 to 1930.
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Yvonne found her mentor in Charles Connick. Connick was a dedicated “Gothic revivalist”
whose book, Adventures in Light and Colour is a well-known classic in the stained glass
field. The two had kindred ideas about stained glass, and they continued to correspond long after
Yvonne had started her own business.
Finishing her apprenticeship, Yvonne returned to Toronto. She started her first studio in 1932
and set about building the business, taking time in 1936 to visit Europe and study the stained
glass at Chartres Cathedral. Yvonne claimed that the Great Depression was a rather good time to
start a studio. Architects weren’t very busy, and had ample time to view her portfolio. As her
reputation grew and the economy picked up, business got steadily better; by 1948, there was a
two year waiting list for her windows.
Looking at Williams’ windows, it is clear that her artwork was influenced from the beginning
by a belief in Gothic revival ideals - even before her apprenticeship at Connick. Hollister’s tirades against the commercialism and sentimental, Victorian style of Toronto’s McCausland Studio evidently had their impact as well. Hollister believed that naturalistic painting was anathema
to the basic properties of stained glass windows. The principles of canvas painting, which attempt to render perspective, do not belong on transparent glass, whose beauty lies in its ability
to transmit light and colour. Endless copies of pious Good Shepherds were not to be the legacy
of Yvonne Williams.
In the late 1940s, Yvonne designed and built a large studio on Caribou Road in North Toronto.
The studio, which was in operation for nearly thirty years, is legendary among the Canadian
stained glass community. It is known not only for the quality of work it produced, but for its
unique organization, which was a departure from the strict hierarchy and sharply defined tasks
of a traditional glass studio. Faced with a growing number of commissions, Yvonne had to decide how complete them while maintaining her high standards. Her solution was to bring other
talented artists into the studio and share the commissions with them, thus distributing the work,
and at the same time providing an opportunity to collaborate and learn from each other.
Many of the Williams Studio commissions were done collaboratively; others, Yvonne would
assign some to a single artist. Artists working at the studio could also execute their own commissions there, with complete autonomy. Although the designs, cartoons and glass painting
were done by the artists, the cutting, glazing and installations were done by craftsman George
London, who Yvonne had met while making her first window. In dividing up the work at the
studio, Yvonne relied on her Amagic formula, which was based on percentages for each part of
the job of making a window. Thus the artist who cartooned a work would be paid for that part,
while another would receive the portion for the painting, and so on.
The newly hired artist at Williams Studio is nervous. Although well-versed in painting and
drawing, he has never worked in stained glass before. Now he’s toiled steadily for four weeks
on a large cartoon, and has been given no guidance or instruction whatsoever. Finally, he asks
Yvonne how he is doing. She responds, “Fine. Continue.”
Gus Weisman laughs at this memory from his first months at the studio. He notes that Yvonne
was more interested in experimenting and learning from others than she was in playing the role
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of teacher or mentor.
Outside the studio, however, Yvonne Williams was notable for her writing and lecturing. She
wrote articles explaining the value of artistically creative stained glass, spoke frequently at public meetings and brought her clients into her studio so that they could see how their windows
were made. She also hosted many tours for students of architecture and the arts. She was in constant demand as speaker, tour guide, and public educator. These tours and speeches sometimes
slowed the work of the studio, but Yvonne considered it an important part of her studio's existence - to increase the general knowledge of the art with the public.
Through education, practice and evolution, Yvonne attained a distinct cohesion of technique and
inspired artistic vision. Her impressive career resulted in over four hundred private and public
commissions in churches, schools, hospitals and residences. Yvonne's work is known throughout Canada, and recognition within the artistic and architectural communities of her many accomplishments brought her several prestigious awards, including the Allied Arts Medal from the
Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, and in 1965, election to the Royal Canadian Academy
of Arts.
Yvonne's artwork was highly influential in the development of modern stained glass in Canada.
Her early work in the 1930s and '40s was inspired by firsthand observation of Medieval stained
glass, and by her mentor, Charles Connick. She went on to develop her own unique and contemporary style throughout the 1950s and '60s. Her windows show a continuous progress over the
years, moving through various painting techniques, while the designs themselves move progressively towards abstraction. Her work continued to evolve, and her experimentation with light
and colour extended to and through her "retirement" in the 1980s.
It sometime in the 1980s, and Yvonne is working on one of her commissions at the country studio of glass artist Rosemary Kilbourn. A fire breaks out in another part of the studio. Intent on
her glass painting, Yvonne doesn’t notice. Finally, distracted by the hubbub around her, she
looks up. She decides that the situation, while not actually under control, can be resolved without her help, and she continues working.
Even into her 90s, Yvonne Williams continued to design windows, and maintained an active
interest in the work and ideas of the generations that followed her pioneering career. In later
years, I had the opportunity to fabricate some of Yvonne’s windows in my studio. Even near the
end of her life, her artistic sensibility, high standards, and attention to detail were undiminished.
I’m tidying up my studio in anticipation of a visit from Yvonne Williams. Looking around at the
stark, white space, I decide it needs some colour. I quickly pull out a few sheets of richly colored antique glass and set them up along the window ledge. As soon as Yvonne enters the studio, the sheets of colour catch her eye. Turning her cool gaze on me, she says, “You’re not intending to use those two reds together are you? They do nothing for each other.” I look at the
sheets - one, a bright, selenium red and the other a sombre copper red, and resolve next time to
consider more carefully any welcoming gesture I make for Yvonne.
Yvonne Williams “peculiar choice” and the extraordinary career that followed, are both inspiring and humbling. Her four hundred commissions, her many awards, her pioneering reputation 27
all of these reveal a woman with a vision, and the determination to follow it through. Underlying it all was a profound artistry, and an understanding and love for light and colour. In her own
words:
Sunlight actually becomes part of a window; for while a painting is made visible by light falling
on its surface, stained glass is revealed by outdoor light passing through the glass to the interior
of the building. To paint a window so that it accepts this “partnership with the sun,” and is responsive to every passing cloud - even to the sparkle of light reflected from leaves moving in
the wind, is to give it its full interest. It is then alive, and leaving the class of static art, becomes
something not only in Space, but in Time.
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