Bournmoor Church: Windows

On entering the church by the main door, the first window on the left is in the west wall, behind the font:

It is a three-panelled window which was unveiled on Sunday 20th August, 1871 by the then Vicar of Burnmoor, Rev. Alfred Merle Norman and dedicated to the memory of the Countess of Durham, who died unexpectedly on Saturday 21st January, 1871, a few days after giving birth. She was interred in the Lambton family grave in the churchyard and the Lambton Memorial Cross was also erected in the churchyard in her memory. The window to the Countess was unveiled just three and a half years after the church was consecrated and it meant that the previous, original window had to be removed and enlarged to accommodate the new one. The unveiling of the window was announced in the local press as follows:

26 August 1871

Memorial Window to the Late Countess of Durham

The death of the Countess of Durham was deeply felt in every house and cottage in Burnmoor and a very strong desire was expressed in some way to put on record the feelings of respect and affection entertained for her memory throughout the parish. It was therefore resolved to fill with stained glass the west window of Burnmoor Church by means of contributions voluntarily brought to a committee authorised to receive them. On Sunday morning last, the memorial window, being completed, was unveiled at the close of the morning service. On the curtain being lowered, it was seen not only that the stained glass was of a very high character, but also that the window itself had been considerably enlarged and had a new and handsome stonework setting. In the upper half of the window is portrayed the Ascension. The dedication at the base runs as follows: "To the Glory of God and in grateful and loving remembrance of Beatrix Frances, Countess of Durham, who died Jan. 21, 1871. By parishioners and persons attending this church."

During 1881— and reopening in 1882 - the Church of St Barnabas was enlarged. A contemporary newspaper article describes the changes thus:

“…..it was therefore decided, after much consideration, to build a broader aisle, to give it a flat roof, so as to allow of large windows to the north, and as a necessary consequence to adopt a later style of architecture for the building. This has been done, with very happy results, both externally and internally. The arcade separating the nave from the new aisle necessarily corresponds with that existing on the south side, but beyond that all is of a later style. The windows are tall, square-headed ones, of three and four lights with very delicate tracery and the flat and massive roof has richly-carved bosses at the intersections of the moulded ribs that form the panelling into which it is divided. Externally the details of the work are refined and of the same late character that the windows possess. A new clergy vestry has been built, leaving the old clergy vestry to be thrown into, and to enlarge, that of the choir. The new building is necessarily carried out in white brick with patterns of darker brick as in the original church and the flat roof is of thick lead."

In this new area, another window was added to the west wall of the church, containing clear glass, thus allowing the maximum amount of light into the church. Today it overlooks the children's area of the church. The children's corner was dedicated on 7th July, 1929.

Moving now to the westernmost part of the North Wall, directly in front of the main door into the church is another three-panelled window, the central part of which contains stained glass to the memory of Private Frederick Blunt of the West Yorkshire Regiment who was killed in action in France on 28th June, 1918:

It was erected by his father and mother and unveiled on Thursday 2nd November, 1922

03 November 1922

Memorial Window Dedicated

At the evening service yesterday, at the St Barnabas' Church, Burn moor, a stained glass window placed in the church by Mr and Mrs Geo. Blunt, of New Lambton, in memory of their only son, Frederick, Blunt, aged 19, who was killed in France, was dedicated. The window was unveiled by Mr T. Allison who, in a short address, said there were two special features in the deceased soldier's life which stood out prominently in his school days and which he commended to all present and particularly to the young people. They were cheerfulness and thoroughness, two excellent characteristics. The Rev. A.J. Gadd, rector, dedicated the memorial and thanked Mr and Mrs Blunt for their splendid gift to the church.

The next window as we move round the church, located to the right of the above window, is a magnificent three-panelled stained-glass window:

This window is dedicated to the memory of William Steward, of Bowes House who died on 12th July 1884. He was land steward to the Lambton Estate.

The next window in the North wall is a simpler affair of coloured glass, giving it a sunset effect, with a dedication running left to right across the whole width of the window, three lines of text high. It is located behind the Angel of Victory, the right-wing tip of which can be seen in the image below. It is the work of Messrs Fouracre and Sons, of Stonehouse, Plymouth. It contains two coats of arms in circular form, the left being the Lambton family motto Le Jour Viendra, the right being that of the Coldstream Guards, Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense, the late Earl's regiment.

The window is dedicated to the memory of Frederick William, the Fourth Earl of Durham, who died January 31", 1929. Frederick William is interred in the Lambton family grave in the churchyard.

12 February 1931

In Memory of 4th Earl of Durham

Burnmoor Church Window Dedication

The stained-glass window which the Dowager Countess of Durham is having placed in the parish church at Burnmoor will be unveiled and dedicated by the Bishop of Edinburgh on Sunday, February 22. The window is of amber glass with red tints to give it a sunset effect and will be a fitting background for the white marble Angel of Victory statue erected in front of it. The statue was placed in the church by the Earl of Durham as a memorial to his father and uncle. The window will have the inscription "To the glory of God and in loving memory of Frederick William fourth Earl of Durham, born June 19, 1855, died January 31, 1929. Given by his wife, Beatrix Dowager Countess of Durham, 1931. Amor Omnia Vincit." It will have the coat-of-arms of the Lambton family and the device of the Coldstream Guards, the late Earl's regiment. The window is being erected under the supervision of Mr J. Gibson Cowe, architect, Lambton Park and the maker is Mr E.R. Phillips, of Plymouth. The Bishop of Edinburgh, in addition to being a personal friend of the rector, the Rev A.J. Gadd, is also a friend of the Lambton family and of Earl Hume, a son-in-law of the Countess. The Rev A.J. Gadd has composed a hymn suitable for the dedication.

23 February 1931

In Earl's Memory

West Country Craftsmanship in Stained-glass Window

At St Barnabas' Church, Burnmoor, Co. Durham, yesterday, a memorial window was dedicated by the Bishop of Edinburgh in memory of Frederick William, fourth Earl of Durham, the father of the present Earl. The window is the gift of Beatrix, Countess of Durham. Messrs Fouracre and Sons, of Stonehouse, Plymouth, were given the contract to make the window, having already executed a stained-glass window for the Countess in Northumberland in memory of her son, the Hon Geoffrey Lambton, who lost his life in the war.

Moving now to the chancel and the final north window, to the right of the organ:

20 June 1919

Burnmoor Memorial

Apropos of the unveiling of the three memorial windows in Burnmoor Church, announced in our last week's issue, we give further details on the subject. The first window in the North side of the chancel, in memory of Hon. F. Lambton, contains two lights. The first gives a figure of St. Alban, the first martyr of Britain, 300 A.D., and the panel represents his martyrdom outside of Verulam. The second light describes the fight of Caedmon. the first British Poet, while the panel below shows the Angel of Caedmon in a cow byre teaching him to sing.

The main east window, behind the altar, is another window of highly-ornate stained glass which can be seen above the handsome reredos of oak:

As we move round to the South wall, the next window, also located in the chancel, is by Morrison, but in 2021 it was removed and replaced by clear, modern glass, as the church had been affected by subsidence. This, it was feared, would damage the window beyond repair so it was temporarily removed for safe-keeping until repairs to the building could be carried out. This window was dedicated to the memory of the Honourable Geoffrey Lambton of the Coldstream Guards who was killed in action in France in September, 1914.

Next to the Morrison window is a double window also on the south side of the chancel representing Justice, Charity, Faith and Hope. It was erected by Rev. Alfred Merle Norman, the first vicar of the parish, to the memory of his brother, The Honourable John Q. Norman, Chief Justice of Bengal, who was assassinated in 1871:

Leaving the chancel, we find a narrow, stained-glass window embedded in the short east-facing wall. This window is dedicated to Sara May Reynolds, the wife of Rev. Sydney Montgomery Reynolds, the third vicar of Burnmoor 1903 - 1922. Sara May died at Burnmoor Rectory on 21st September, 1917 and was interred in the churchyard. The upper part of the window depicts the figure of Samuel and the panel below represents Hannah presenting the child Samuel to Eli. This window is the work of the late Mr Burne-Jones. Below this window is a brass plaque with an inscription.

The next window in the south wall is of the triple lancet type:

The pane to the left commemorates George and Elizabeth Gray who died 18th February 1929 and 19th August 1922 respectively. Mr Gray was the church's first Sexton. It was given to the church by their daughter, Isabella Gray, in 1930. The central pane commemorates the Rev. Sydney Montgomery Reynolds, the third vicar of Burnmoor during the period 1903 —1922. It was unveiled on Sunday, 28th October 1923 by the Lord Bishop of Durham. Below the window is a brass plaque which reads:

This window was erected by parishioners and friends in grateful remembrance of a faithful ministry. The pane to the right commemorates Ethel Anne Tower who died 6th August, 1929, given by her husband. It was unveiled at the same time as the above window, commemorating George and Elizabeth Gray.

April 23rd, 1930

The annual Easter Vestry meeting of St Barnabas, Burnmoor, was held in the Parish Hall on Wednesday night, the Rev. Arthur J. Gadd presiding over an excellent attendance.....

Two exquisite stained glass windows, representing "Faith", in memory of Mr and Mrs George Gray, had been given by their daughter, Miss Isabella Gray; and another, representing "Hope" in memory of Mrs Ethel Tower, had been given by her husband, Mr Fred Tower. Three pictures — Raphael's "Sistine Madonna", given by Master J. Robertson Hall; Holman Hunt's "Light of the World", given by Thomas Reed of Gateshead; and Reynold's "Angel Choir", given by the scholars of the Sunday School — and a brass cross given by Mr R. Swinney, had been added to the Children's Corner

02 November 1923

Memorial Window

Dedication by the Bishop at Burnmoor There was a crowded congregation at the Parish Church of St Barnabas, Burnmoor, last Sunday morning at Morning Prayer and Choral Celebration of the Holy Communion. During the service the Lord Bishop of Durham dedicated the window provided by the parishioners in memory of the late Rector(the Rev S.M. Reynolds). His lordship also gave an address and was the celebrant at the Eucharist. The choir, under the direction of the organist, Mr F.G. Fennel!, sang, the anthem "What are these" and the music at the Holy Communion was by Woodward. The Rev. F.G. Clayton (the Bishop's Chaplain) was the Epistoler and the Rev A.J. Gadd the Gospeller. The Bishop remarked that they were gathered there that morning to dedicate a memorial to the late Rector of that parish and the memorial had been fittingly set up in the sacred place where the late Rector for many years had officiated as perfectly as possible as a Christian minister. He was an excellent example of the type of Christian minister who was distinctly a minister of the Church of England - the parson of his parish. There were other types and examples of ministers of other churches, but none in his (the Bishop's) judgment equalled the parish parson of the Church of England. In the Roman Catholic Church the character of the parson had been completely submerged. In the Non-conformist Churches the preacher had been raised and all other associations of the minister subverted. In the Russian and the Eastern Churches, the parochial clergy were neither preachers or teachers but providers of Sacraments. But in England, among the parochial clergy many phases of their national history had been combined with the pastoral duties. The English parson was more than a minister; he stood in close personal relation with every one of his people. Where the parish, like Burnmoor, was not of excessive size and population the personal relation was greatest. The parson exercised and wielded a personal authority such as was not known in other parishes. In this relation there was recognised a responsibility to the law and to the parish. It sometimes was the case and it must be admitted that this responsibility was sometimes forgotten; the independents had been abused and with little regard to the rights of their parishioners. But it had been found by the Commissioners in 1906 that in the large majority of the parishes that everything was being done by the clergy and that they were loyal to the English Reformation and were acting and teaching in accordance with the Book of Common Prayer. Their late Rector had been for 32 years an ordained minister in the church and with the exception of eight years he had ministered as a clergyman. During the eight years he was Diocesan Inspector of Schools and had laboured in the parish of Burnmoor for 19 years. During that period, the late Rev S.M. Reynolds rendered useful work in the parish and had proved himself a true pastor of his parishioners. It was hardly necessary for him (the Bishop) to say anything of his life there and his relations with the parishioners, because it was well known that he was a faithful minister and that he did his duty. There he had preached to them the Gospel and they had received at his hands the Blessed Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ. He had baptised their children and had united them in the bonds of holy matrimony. These ministrations and his personal contact with their common affairs and associations were like the creeping ivy clustering around their memory of him. His lordship concluded his address by a talk on the "Parish Church." The memorial is the central light of the window at the eastern end of the south aisle. The subject is "I am the light of the world" (being a copy of the well-known picture of Christ crowned with thorns, bearing a lantern and knocking at the door which appears to have not been opened for a long time). It is from the famous painting by Holman Hunt, the original of which is in the rector's college, Keble College, Oxford and a duplicate of which hangs in St Paul's Cathedral. The window bears the following inscription 'To the Glory of God and Loving Memory of Sidney Montgomery Reynolds M.A., Rector of This Parish 1903-1922. Born January 7th, 1863; Died January 8th, 1922." Another tablet below the window is inscribed "This window was erected by parishioners and friends in grateful remembrance of a faithful ministry."

April 23rd, 1930

The annual Easter Vestry meeting of St Barnabas, Burnmoor, was held in the Parish Hall on Wednesday night, the Rev. Arthur J. Gadd presiding over an excellent attendance ......

…..Two exquisite stained glass windows, representing "Faith", in memory of Mr and Mrs George Gray, had been given by their daughter, Miss Isabella Gray; and another, representing "Hope" in memory of Mrs Ethel Tower, had been given by her husband, Mr Fred Tower. Three pictures — Raphael's "Sistine Madonna", given by Master J. Robertson Hall; Holman's Hunt's "Light of the World", given by Thomas Reed of Gateshead; and Reynold's "Angel Choir", given by the scholars of the Sunday School — and a brass cross given by Mr R. Swinney, had been added to the Children's Corner…..

The final double-window in the south wall, nearest the entrance porch is dedicated to the memory of Herbert William Bulmer a parishioner who died tragically in a motorcycling accident on Saturday 7th July 1923. It was made by the company of Atkinson Bros., of Newcastle and was unveiled and dedicated by Rev. Gadd on Sunday 20th April, 1924:

13 July 1923

Shocking Fatality at Chester-le-Street.

About 9.30 on Saturday morning, a shocking incident occurred at the Four Lane Ends, Picktree, Chester-le-Street, which unfortunately proved fatal. It appears that Mr Herbert William Bulmer (21), son of Mr T. Bulmer, secretary of the Durham County Cricket Club, of North Terrace, New Lambton, Fence Houses, was proceeding from Chester-le-Street to Fence Houses riding a motor cycle and when near the Four Lane Ends he collided with a char-a-banc loaded with 18 passengers, driven by Mr N. Willis (of 20 Wear Street, Hetton) in the employ of Hetton Motor Company, coming from the direction of Sunderland. On reaching the Lane Ends, it is stated the driver of the char-a-banc sounded his horn but did not see the motorcycle coming round the bend from Chester-le-Street until he was quite close on him. The cyclist was caught by the front of the radiator. The driver of the char-a-banc pulled in about 30 yards and found the motor cyclist underneath the char-a-banc. After being extricated, it was found Mr Bulmer had received terrible injuries and he was placed in another motor car belonging to the company and conveyed to Dr W.A. McKellar's surgery where it was found he was suffering from a fractured skull and internal injuries. He was conveyed to the Newcastle Infirmary by the Chester-le-Street Motor Ambulance where he died a few minutes after admission.

April 25, 1924

Burnmoor

Memorial Window Dedicated

There was the record number of 335 communicants at the celebration of the Holy Communion at St Barnabas' Church, Burnmoor, on Easter Sunday. At the morning service, the church was filled to overflowing when the Rector, the Rev. A.J. Gadd, unveiled and dedicated the memorial window erected to the memory of the late Herbert William Bulmer. The window, designed and erected by Messrs Atkinson Bros, of Newcastle, in is two parts. One represents the three Marys at the Sepulchre, with the words "He is not here." The other depicts the angel with uplifted hand, with the words "He is Risen." The inscription thereon is "To the Glory of God and in Loving Memory of Herbert William Bulmer. Born Sept 14th,1901. Died July 7th,1923. Given by His Father, Mother and Sister." The Rector preached a very appropriate sermon on "He is risen." Mr Jas. Green sang the solo "0 rest in the Lord." At the evening service, there was another large congregation when the choir rendered the anthem "They have taken away the Lord." The collections throughout the day were given as a freewill offering to the Rector.