Stained Glass Windows
in Romsey Abbey
Christ the Good Shepherd
& Suffer the little Children
1: Alexander Gibbs - 1874 - North nave aisle.
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This window will be seen on the left as you walk clockwise around the abbey. It was installed in 1874.
The report in the Hampshire Advertiser on 16 January 1875 stated “The new stained window in the north nave-aisle, which has been recently placed there by Mr Henry Tylee must be considered a great success. It is the work of Mr Alexander Gibbs and far surpasses a former one of his in the adjoining window given by Mr C J Tylee some years ago. There are two medallions in this window which is a family memorial – one representing “Christ blessing little Children” the other “The Good Shepherd”. Both are painted in a most pleasing manner with a harmony and richness of color <sic> and a “breadth” of composition which not only evince very great improvement in the artist, but compare favourably with any other window in the church. The stonework surrounding this window was executed in a most substantial manner by Mr Ellery who has faithfully followed the leadings and types of cognate style found in other parts of the building. Particular attention is called to the mouldings in the head of the window; those boldly-cut stones which look so new were actually chiselled as they are now in the reign of Henry 1. About 775 years ago, and in all probability they again occupy their original position.”
Tylee, Mortimer and Attlee were a firm of local solicitors based in Romsey for over 200 years.
As it states in the article it was designed by Alexander Gibbs (1831-1886) of Bedford Square and Bloomsbury London: it is one of three ‘Gibbs’ windows in Romsey Abbey.
Alexander Gibbs was from a family of talented and prolific stained glass designers. Alexander started his own business in 1858, an enterprise that continued until 1915. His business soon became a close collaborator with the renowned Victorian Gothic British architect William Butterfield.
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Window Plan: No 1 Photo - P1160643
Grid location:- G-D06-N5
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Healing the Lame
The Good Samaritan
Healing the Blind
2: Alexander Gibbs - 1865 - North nave aisle.
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This is the second Alexander Gibbs window encountered as you walk clock-wise around the abbey: it was installed in 1865.
The three panels illustrate scenes from ‘Healing the lame’ - 'The Good Samaritan’ and ‘Healing the Blind Man’.
Windows by Alexander Gibbs are considered to be part of the best work created during the Victorian period.
If you are tall enough, you may spot the Alexander Gibbs signature in the extreme bottom right corner.
The Hampshire Advertiser of 21 October 1865 reported that:
“The northern nave aisle of the Abbey Church has just been enriched by the insertion of a stained window by Mr Tylee, his brother and son, in memory of three members of their family. The window (which is by Mr Gibbs of London) comprises three medallions of which the subjects are — Christ at the Pool of Bethesda, the Good Samaritan and the Saviour giving sight to the Blind. The subjects are excellently brought out and the richness and harmony of its colours, it is certainly not second to either of the memorial windows which have been previously inserted in the Abbey.”
Window Plan: No 2 - Photo P1160640
Grid Location:- G-D07-N5
​ St Swithun
3: Francis Skeat - 1951
North transept.
On your left as you enter the north transept you come upon a mid-20th century window dedicated to the memory of Canon Corban, who was the vicar of Romsey from 1925 until 1951. Mr Francis W Skeat (1909 to 2000) was a Fellow of the British Society of Master Glass Painters of St Albans. He created over 400 stained glass windows in churches and cathedrals, both in England and overseas.
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There are nine shields illustrated; representing different aspects of his life.
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Swithun (died 863 AD) was an Anglo-Saxon bishop of Winchester and subsequently patron saint of Winchester Cathedral. His historical importance as bishop is overshadowed by his reputation for posthumous miracle-working. St Swithun is the patron saint of the daughter church of the same name at the village of Crampmoor to the north of Romsey.
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The window was installed in 1951 by Francis Skeat of St Albans; he created over 400 painted/stained glass windows.
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Window Plan: No 3 - Photo P1160962
Grid Location:- G-CB09-W5
Annunciation
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4: James Powell & Sons - 1901
North transept.
This stained glass window is in memory of Almaric Rumsey of Lincoln's Inn.
Almaric Rumsey (1825–99), was a mathematician, barrister-at-law and professor of Indian Jurisprudence at King’s College, London, specialising in Sunni Islamic family inheritance laws.
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There is no obvious connections with Romsey. He was the son of Lacy Rumsey, clerk to HM Treasury and Elizabeth Spencer, niece to the Duke of Marlborough.
Above the window is a mosaic of two family coat of arms. The family connection with Romsey is traced back to Sir Walter de Romesey a knight from the the 12th century.
The right hand partition of the arms on the left hand side are the Marlborough Arms (Quarterly: 1st and 4th, sable a lion rampant argent, on a canton of the second a cross gules (Churchill); 2nd and 3rd, quarterly argent and gules a fret or on a bend sable three escallops of the first (Spencer); over all in the centre chief point (as an honourable augmentation), an escutcheon argent charged with the cross of St. George surmounted by another escutcheon azure charged with three fleur-de-lis two and one or ).
The left hand partition of both shields appears to be of the Rumsey family of Brecon, Wales (Quarterly: 1st and 4th, ar. a fess gu. in chief a label of 4 points az.; 2nd and 3rd, az. A cinquefoil within a bordure erm). The arms on the right hand side of the right hand shield have not been identified. It comprises on a bend gules in chief fleur de lis ar between two 5 point stars (mullets). According to the text below the window it was commissioned by his widow Caroline Montagu Rumsey (nee Pittar)
Window Plan: No 4 - Photo P1160629
Grid Location:- G-B09-N5
Holy Family at Work
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5: James Powell & Sons – 1901
North transept.
This engaging window by James Powell and Sons is in memory of the Revd E.L.Berthon 1813-1899, who was the Vicar of Romsey from 1860 until 1892.
The Revd Berthon was an inventor, astronomer and boat builder whose business of boatbuilding, used many of the skills of his workforce to undertake much needed and major restoration within the Abbey.
The window depicts the Holy family at work in Nazareth, which aptly reflects his own lifetime of dedicated work for the church; it also illustrates some of his interests and is a very good likeness of the man.
The window can be found in the North Transept.
Berthon was a prolific writer of articles and letters on boats and genealogy. Shortly before his death in 1899 he had completed his autobiography which is freely available on the Internet:- . A Retrospect of Eight Decades.
Window Plan: No 5 - Photo P1160629
Grid Location:- G-B09-N5
Angel of Music
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Angel of Music
6: Alexander Gibbs (attributed) – 1860s
North transept.
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Little is known of this lancet window called 'Angel of music'. It is one of several windows by Alexander Gibbs.
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This beautiful window is rarely noticed because because of its location high in the gable of the north transept, it's best seen from the choir stalls on the south side of the chancel.
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The figure has often been identified as that of St Cecilia, because it is holding a harp — but it is an angel with blue, green and orange wings, whereas St Cecilia was a Roman peasant girl. There was also a story that it had been placed in the high gable when the organ was moved from the gallery beneath in 1888, to show that there had been music in this area.
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Robert Eberhard, in consultation with two other stained glass experts, suggests that it was almost certainly by Gibbs, and would have dated from the early 1860s. This fits comfortably with Gibbs’ other commissions in the Abbey, and is the best information we have at present. (from the Victorian Web courtesy of Liz Hallett, Romsey Abbey Historian).
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Further support that this was an 1860s addition is given by the fact that the Church underwent substantial restoration work in 1867/68 at the same time as the Palmerston Memorial was erected in the Market place and three substantial memorial window erected at the west end of the Abbey (subsequently removed because of storm damage in 1961).
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Window plan - No 6
Photo 06 P1190072.JPG
Grid plan location:- C-B09-N
