There is a remarkable interest in stained-glass window making that spans the generations and families.
If we go back along the Barker line for 4 generations, starting with Denise Clur nee Barker, we see Beatrice Emily Jane Barker nee Cusens (Denise’s grandmother), then Beatrice’s mother Fanny Orchards. Fanny’s father was Edwin Orchards and his mother Mrs Henry Orchard nee Wills. It was one of her family Wills who created the stained-glass windows in Bath Abby.
Stained-glass windows have always attracted me. When visiting churches I always photograph them. When I bought a house in Kensington with some broken leaded windows, I decided to do the restoration myself and started lessons. Some of the resulting creations are shown here.
My Uncle Ted Cockrell, the brother of my step grandmother, made stained-glass windows professionally. Ted made the stained-glass windows of the New Johannesburg Cathedral in South Africa. The scene of each window was suggested by Bishop Boyle and the designs and paintings were done by Patrick Pollen of Dublin. When Ted died, the last of the skilled professional stained-glass window makers of South Africa died. There was an article in the newspaper complimenting his work and marking the end of an era.
Ted’s brother George was an excellent copy artist and was known to copy the Hay Wain of John Constable (1821). In his version, just to show it was a copy he would add an extra dog.
