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Moseley Chimes
February 2008
As you enter the church through the southwest porch, on the left is a copy of a window by Sidney Meteyard. The original was stolen about 12 years ago. Sidney Meteyard was a well-known artist of the pre Raphaelite School who lived in Wake Green Road. One of his paintings is in the Birmingham Art Gallery. (See the Moseley Society’s ’Some Moseley Personalities, volume I’)
Turn left as you go into the church, and behind the wooden screen is the west window. The stonework is 16th century, and the glass is in memory of Matilda Mary Tippettts (d 1915). It was damaged by enemy action in 1940, and restored after the war. Small panels at the bottom depict scenes from Acts (2:38-42;17:22-32,26). All the windows on the north side were damaged by a bomb blast in December 1940. The first has always been plain glass. Only the tracery at the top remains in the second and third windows. The second was in memory of George (d 1902) and Eliza Lingard (d 1887). The third was in memory of Mary Ann Davies (d 1904), the fourth (in memory of Thomas Sneyd Kinnersley (d 1892) and fifth in memory of Caroline Assinder (d 1898) were damaged and partially restored after the war. The figure of Christ in the fifth window was intact the day after the bombing, this was widely thought to be a miracle. The sixth window, the ‘Magnificat’ window, (Luke 1:46-55) was given to the Church in 1981 in memory of Mr and Mrs Montgomery. This replaced a window in memory of John Avins (d 1891) which was almost destroyed in December 1940. The one remaining panel is in the Sacristy.
The east end of the Church was badly damaged by a landmine which exploded above Moseley Railway Station in December 1940, and the east window (the Sermon on the Mount) dates from 1954. Go to the high altar and look up to your right, where there are two panels rescued from the Colmore memorial window, which used to be on the south side of the Lady Chapel, and depicted scenes from the Incarnation. (See the ’Birmingham News’ January 30, 1909.)
Windows in the Lady Chapel were all damaged in the Blitz, and replaced in 1954/1955. The tracery above the diocesan coats of arms is all that remains of a war memorial window (1931). The windows on the south side were not damaged during the war. They are memorials to various people, some of whom died before the south aisle was built in 1910. There are four windows by the famous firm of C E Kempe, whose logo looks like a chess castle on a wheat sheaf. It’s usually in the bottom left corner. Can you find them?
Further information may be found in Richard Gibbs’ book The Stained Glass of St Mary Moseley. This is out of print but I think there are a few copies available.