Fig. 214.—Cartoon for Stained Glass. Coloured. Royal Gallery, Houses of Parliament.
In domestic stained glass conditions that were different from those that were involved in church windows had to be considered, and especially excessive obscuration of the light was to be avoided, this being effected by the use of plain, or slightly decorated, quarries, the stronger colour being confined to a centre roundel or medallion, a very suitable space for heraldic treatment, and to decorated borders. In addition, from the time of the Middle Ages such stained windows had been made movable by being enclosed in frames which could be temporarily fastened into window spaces, as is still done, and for a similar reason armorial roundels may remain detached from the window and be suspended by wires (see Fig. 168).
Of such roundels there are many excellent examples, that were originally in Netley Abbey, in the Hartley Museum at Southampton.
Fig. 215.—Arms of Henry VI,
Ockwells Manor, Berks.
Fig. 216.—Arms of the Earl of Warwick,
K.G. Ockwells Manor.
From the second half of the fifteenth century onwards armorial stained glass increased greatly in extent and freedom. The shields became square and in many instances have the form (derived from the tournament shield à bouche) which became associated later with the name of the Tudors. Probably the finest examples of domestic stained glass that we have are the splendid heraldic windows at Ockwells Manor, Berks. In these the shields are much curved, the helmets and mantlings are very elaborate, and the figures are drawn with great vitality and beauty. Each light has an achievement, consisting of arms with mantled helm and crest, in the middle, upon a background of quarries placed diamondwise and bearing the Norreys Badge, three distaffs, in yellow stain. In diagonal lines, the motto in text letters, “Feyth = fully serve,” is several times repeated in all but two of the lights, the exceptions being the Royal ones, where “Dieu et mon droit” accompanies the Arms of Henry VI (Fig. 215) and “Humble et Loiall,” the motto of his Queen, Margaret of Anjou, is with her armorials. In both these lights the Norreys Badge appears as in the others. Below the King’s Arms are his two supporters, heraldic antelopes Argent, which are spotted, as well as armed, crined and unguled (i.e. horned, haired and hoofed) Or. The series, which included twelve lights that are now vacant, was erected by Sir John Norreys, the builder of Ockwells Manor House, and consists of his arms and those, to quote Mr. Everard Green, “of his sovereign, patrons and kinsfolk. In short a liber amicorum in glass, a not unpleasant way for light to come to us.” The arms here illustrated are those of Sir Edmund Beaumont, K.G., and Sir James Butler, K.G. (Figs. 217 and 218), of Sir Henry Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick (Fig. 216), and the Royal Arms, to which reference has already been made. The heraldic particulars of those and others that remain will be found amply set forth in Archaeologia, vol. lvi., 1899. It will be observed that the arms of such as were K.G. are not encircled with the Garter, that practice not having as yet come into full general use. Some attention should be given to the badges on these windows as being good examples of the practice in domestic glass of decorating transparent quarries with devices, badges and monograms, floral and other running patterns, in stain and grisaille, as admirably serving its purpose without too much sacrifice of light, and therefore as affording suggestions for modern work which has to comply with similar conditions. The lights herein illustrated are from the excellent drawings by Mr. W. T. Cleobury, in the Victoria and Albert Museum.
