Edited By Alexander L. Darling

From notes by John Rathbone

(former Canon Pastor and Diocesan Archivist),

extensive notes by Katharine Greenfield

(Cathedral Archivist),

and additional material from the archives

and visits elsewhere.

Photographs © Alexander L. Darling

The Stained Glass

Windows

of

Christ’s Church

Cathedral

Anglican Diocese of Niagara

Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

2

Introduction

For many years Katharine Greenfield has served as Cathedral Archivist and she has accumulat-

ed extensive information about the operation of the Cathedral throughout its history. The start

of the 175th anniversary year and external enquiries resulted in this attempt to gather together

the information we have about the stained glass of the Cathedral. As I came to do this, I found

two people were invaluable. John Rathbone, former Canon Pastor of the Cathedral and Dioce-

san Archivist, had made notes about the windows in the 1970s when he was Canon Pastor.

Katharine Greenfield, the Cathedral Archivist, had gathered much more information and this

went far beyond narrow descriptions of the windows and dates of installation. The information

included summaries about the people named and their families, correspondence and newspaper

clippings. Most of what follows is, therefore, Katharine’s work and she should receive due

recognition for it. In compiling this document I drew a little on observations I made while tak-

ing photographs at the Cathedral and other churches in the Diocese, and a visit to Robert

McCausland Limited, a leading designer and manufacturer of stained glass. In addition, I

learned more information as a result of a visit by Charlie Hill of the National Gallery and Tobi

Bruce of the Hamilton Art Gallery; in particular they found a number of inscriptions and signa-

tures, and provided suggestions on follow-up. Having watched them look for signatures, I was

subsequently able to find others. My wife, Jeni, has guided many people on tours; her observa-

tion has drawn detail to my attention, and our discussions have helped my understanding.

Although stained glass had been used earlier, by the 19th century the techniques and skills of

making and using true stained glass had been lost because of changes in artistic taste and

protestant theology. Thomas Willement, who made his first stained glass in 1811, was called

“the father of Victorian stained glass” and he operated from 1811 to 1869. Commercial manu-

facture started in the 1830s, and by 1851 Ballantine and Allen, manufacturers of one or more of

our windows, was one of twenty-five firms able to display stained glass windows in the Great

Exhibition. Within Canada the firm of McCausland dates from the 1850s. From this time on-

wards the fashion arose of inserting stained glass windows as memorials, and this coincides with

the period when the first work on building the stone cathedral we know today took place.

Organization

The information is presented in the sequence the windows occur if one were to walk in the front

door and proceed around the Cathedral in a counter-clockwise direction.

3

South Nave Windows

1. Suffer the little children – 1873

This window was manufactured by Ballantine and

sons, Edinburgh, Scotland. This firm started in

1837 and operated through three generations of Bal-

lantines; the grandson of the founder, James, died in

an accident in 1940. The window was originally

over the sacristy door and was subsequently placed

in the current location overlooking the font, which

was south of the central door at the back of the

church.

It was dedicated by Dean Geddes on July 8, 1873,

and an account of the dedication is in the Hamilton

Evening Times of that date. This was thought to be

the oldest window in the church, but it appears not

to be. The Davidson window was dedicated in

1862, and the original east window was erected in

1853.

It was given by Mrs. Robert Forest Ainslie in

memory of Mary A. Worsop Ainslie and infant (her

sister-in-law and infant): her two sons William Al-

lan and Robert Forest Gordon. The Ainslie family

were members of the original congregation of

Christ’s Church in 1835. Mr. Ainslie, listed as a

farmer, owned a large property to the west of the city, a property including Ainslie Woods, a

favourite picnic area years ago, and site of the Hillfield School before it moved to the mountain.

The Ainslie home was the headmaster’s house in those days.

4

2. Dorcas – 1911

This window has the same decoration above and below the main panels, as two of the windows

manufactured by McCausland in the north-west of the Cathedral. It did not, however, appear in

the files of McCausland when a visit was made in 2009 to review the files. The window was

restored by the Women’s Auxiliary (no date given); the W.A. banner and case containing the

badges of life members are in front of it.

The window is in memory of Elizabeth Mitchell Bruce, wife of Francis Carmichael Bruce and

daughter of John and Charlotte Mitchell. (See Annunciation window – north nave) Her sons

were Walter H. Stuart and Ernest.

Dorcus appears in the Acts of the Apostles as Tabitha, a rich widow who gave to the poor, as

she is portrayed in this window.

5

3. Pilgrims and the new Jerusalem – 1891/1892

This window was designed by Henry Holiday (1839-27), a prominent English artist in stained

glass, and is pre-Raphaelite in design. It is said to be the most valuable window in the cathedral,

and was the subject of an article by Katharine Greenfield, Cathedral Archivist, in the Cathedral

Contact (Summer 2008). The article is reproduced in full in Appendix A.

The text in the upper half is “In My Father’s House are Many Mansions”, and in the lower half

“Here we have no Continuing City”. The two figures in the lower section of the window are

pilgrims on their continuing journey.

This was given by their daughters in memory of John Winer and his wife Sarah (d 1891). John

Winer was a druggist who came to Hamilton about 1830 and sold patent medicines for many

years. Later in 1863 he started a glass manufactory in partnership with George Rutherford,

which at times furnished employment for as many as 250 men and boys. Mrs Winer was one of

the more prominent and active members of the church having been the first to receive John

Gamble Geddes when he came to Hamilton to establish an Episcopal church. She was one of

the founders of the Hamilton Orphan Asylum, associated with many benevolent societies, and

performed many kind and unpublicized deeds. The Vicar, E.M. Blan, said at her funeral that her

good deeds extended from the time when, with apostolic simplicity, the services of the church of

her love had been celebrated in an upper chamber of her house before there was a church here

right up to her death. The Winer name is known to local historians because her grandson, Wil-

liam Winer Cooke, fought and died in the American Civil War. His monument in the Hamilton

Cemetery was replaced by an American group with some publicity.

John Winer was baptized as an adult on September 1, 1838 prior to his confirmation by the

Bishop of Montreal.

6

Nicodemus: This window bears a

signature “McCausland 1889”

and it was dedicated in August

1889. [The Canadian Architect

and Builder, II:8 (August 1889)

p.93] Charles T. Jones died at his

residence at 80 Ferguson Avenue

on November 26 1888, aged 72.

He was a long-time resident of

Hamilton, appearing in the 1853

city directory. During his career

he was a clerk, working for Rich-

ard Juson, a ticket agent and ex-

change broker. His obituary

names no survivors. The central

part of the window shows Nico-

demus coming by night to Jesus,

and the bottom section Jesus’

charge to Peter.

Good Samaritan: Senator Bull died in 1881, and so the window

post-dates that. The Masonic symbols at the top always draw com-

ment, and the crown at the bottom probably symbolizes the fact

that he was a senator. The Bulls, originally from Ireland, were

among the first families to form the congregation. George Perkins

Boothesby Bull came to Hamilton about 1834 or 1835 to be propri-

etor and publisher of the Hamilton Gazette, a conservative newspa-

per under the patronage of Allan MacNab. George P. Bull was

tireless in the work of the Barton Masonic Lodge. He had three

sons: Harcourt, George and Richard. Harcourt became a senator,

and George was an Anglican priest. G.P. Bull died in 1847 and

was buried in the graveyard.

4. Nicodemus/ Good Samaritan – 1889/ unknown

7

St. Mark: The tiled floor on which St Mark stands is the same

as that in the portrayal of St John in the adjacent light, and ap-

pears in presentations of St John in other churches. The lion in

one of the lower panels is symbolic of Mark. Helen Nelles

Woolverton died on June 13 1884, aged 35. She was the first

wife of Dr Algernon Woolverton. She was said to be a gentle,

devout woman, active in the Ladies Aid, and a musician who

occasionally played the organ in the Cathedral. There is a rec-

ord of a musical evening given at the Woolverton’s house across

from the Cathedral to raise money for the building fund. On her

deathbed she requested that her husband be baptized and Dr

Mockridge performed the rite and Mrs Woolverton named him.

The archives contain extensive information about the Woolver-

ton family. The central panel appears in other churches.

St. John: The tiled floor on which St John stands is the

same as that in the portrayal of St John in other churches.

The eagle in one of the lower panels is associated with the

evangelist John, and many churches incorporate an eagle

into the lectern which holds the Bible on the outstretched

wings of an eagle. James MacNab (July 1834 to January 24

1866) was probably a member of the family of Sir Allan

MacNab, but not directly. A connection can be made be-

tween the MacNab and Woolverton families, but it is dis-

tant. The central panel appears in other churches.

5. St. Mark/ St. John

8

This window was the principal panel in the east window of the Cathe-

dral prior to the current five-panel memorial to Bishop Fuller, the cur-

rent east window. The window carries the note “Erected in 1853”,

which probably means that it was the central panel in the east window

of the new chancel of the stone building, for which the corner-stone

had been laid in 1852. It was replaced in 1885 by the current east win-

dow. Later it became the east window of the chapel, and was removed

during remodeling in 1995 to enable the move of the Diocesan Offices

to Cathedral Place in 1996. The window was a tribute to the work of

John Gamble Geddes, the first rector of the parish and first Dean of the

Diocese of Niagara, when it was founded in 1876. The generosity of

two of his great-grandchildren, Katharine and William Greenfield, ena-

bled the window to be mounted in its current location in 2006.

6. Jesus, Lord – 1853

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7. The four great Christian festivals – 1954

This striking, modern window was designed by Yvonne Williams, a Canadian artist who grew

up in the Caribbean and had a studio in Toronto. (An article from Glass Art, March/ April 2000

describing the life of Yvonne Williams appears in Appendix B.) This window drew considera-

ble attention when it was installed, because Jesus, Mary and God are black. (Other windows by

Yvonne Williams appear in St Jude’s Oakville and Holy Trinity Welland.) The four scenes are

the Nativity, the Crucifixion, Resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit. The glass is thick-

er than that of other windows, the palette of colors is richer, and the glass appears textured.

It was given by Frederick I. Ker and dedicated to the memory of Amy Southam Ker by Bishop

Broughall on October 3 1954. In the archives are Mrs Ker’s wishes for the window design and

a letter from the artist, Yvonne Williams, about the themes for the window.

Chancel Windows

The original plan for the north and south windows of the chancel was to have four windows,

which would portray four great works of music in Anglican liturgy: Gloria, Sanctus, Benedictus

and Te Deum. The plan was followed for the Bruce (1925) and Howell (1938/9) windows, but

not for the remaining two.

10

8. Gloria in Excelsis, Mercy and Truth are met together – 1928

This window carries the signature of Cowan and Hollister, Toronto, 1928 in the right-hand pan-

el. This was given in memory of Alexander Bruce (1836-1920) and his wife, Agnes (1841-

1928) by their family in 1925, the year in which the chancel was extended to its current size.

Alexander Bruce was counsel for the Canada Life Assurance Company, and left Hamilton to

live in Toronto. When he died, however, in 1920 he was buried in the Hamilton Cemetery after

a funeral in the Cathedral. His wife was the daughter of the Reverend Ralph Robb, a Presbyteri-

an. His children were Ralph, a lawyer in Hamilton, Charles with Canada Life, Mrs H.D. Carmi-

chael of Broughty, Scotland, Mrs B.P. Cheeves of Plymouth, England and Mrs Bessie C. Bruce.

Very little information is available about Cowan and Hollister, but Frank S. J. Hollister was se-

lected to design three windows for the House of Commons Chamber and four for the Memorial

Ante-chamber. The former were made by Cowan and Hollister in 1927, and the four latter in

1928, the same period as this window in the Cathedral. The linear style and colors used are very

similar to those employed in this window of the Cathedral.

11

9. Ascension and Nativity – 1885

The Gothic frame of the great east window of the Cathedral was modeled on the window of

Guisborough Priory in north-east England by the architect William Thomas. Statements in the

files suggest that John Thomas, brother of the architect, designed the stained glass windows for

the addition, but the origin of this claim is unknown. The design for stained glass of the window

now in place was undertaken by Ballantine and Allen of Edinburgh, and McCausland of Toron-

to acted as their agent in executing the design. The window was dedicated on December 20

1885, and a Hamilton Spectator article the previous day stated, “It is probably the most im-

portant work in stained glass produced in Canada.” (This is in conflict with a letter in the ar-

chives from the 1970s which indicates that Ballantine designed and executed the window, and

so clarification was obtained from McCausland in 2009.) The sermon given on the day of dedi-

cation is given in the Spectator on December 21, 1885.

The current design replaced the original design and the central panel of the previous design is

now above the entrance to the Sacristy (#6 above). The current window is in memory of T.B.

Fuller, first bishop of Niagara and it was given by his wife Cynthia and completed by their chil-

dren. The central panels are the Fuller gift and the intention was that the outside panels would

be completed later. The window was restored in 2000.

12

10. Sanctus – 1939

This window was manufactured by McCausland, and a signature is in the outer-left panel. The

McCausland records give a date of 1936 (possibly date of initial order), and the notes in the ar-

chives show1939 (possibly date of dedication). There is an undated newspaper clipping about

the dedication of this window. This window is in memory of “Christine Margaret Rutledge, be-

loved wife of Frederick Justus Howell 1936”.

The text reads Mine Eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God

Almighty. The following explanation is given in the archive files:

(5-petaled flower) Christ Enthroned

(3-petaled flower) Holy, Holy, Holy

(spade pointing down left) Four Evangelists’ Emblem

Two central openings:

St Michael with spear (marked Raphael in drawing) and St Gabriel (lilies)

Above St Ariel and St Raphael

2 seraphims above

Two side openings:

Left- Isaiah, angel with crown & palms above, and angel with cross at top.

Right – St John with pen & chalice, angel with Bible above (alpha & omega), and angel with

harp (praise) at top

13

11. Visit of the Kings – 1952

This window was manufactured by McCausland

and may be seen in other churches. It carries the

signature and date of 1952 in the right-hand pan-

el. It was dedicated on November 2 1952. It

was given in memory of “Frederick Justus How-

ell, beloved husband of Christine Margaret

Rutledge 1939)” by his daughters Mrs Simpson

and Mrs. Wigle. Mr. Howell was President and

founder of Howell Lithographing Co., prominent

mason, director of Scottish Rite Cathedral, and

born in Brantford. His daughters, who were life-

long parishioners were Florence, who married

Dr. James A. Simpson, and Olga, who married

G.W. Wigle. Margaret Simpson MacLennan and

Jane Simpson Spears are granddaughters.

12. St. Matthew – 1959 (1984 in the Dean’s Vestry of the Cathedral)

This window was given to St Matthew’s Church on Barton Street

by Annie Matthews in 1959 in memory of her husband, Charles

Harold Matthews. The church was almost totally destroyed by

fire in 1967, and the St Matthew window was among the few arti-

cles that remained. From the ashes rose St Matthew’s House

across the street from where the church had stood. The parish

community of St Matthew’s dispersed among other churches, and

Annie Matthews joined the Cathedral congregation. The surviv-

ing memorials were installed in the Chapel of St Matthew’s

House. Extensive alterations to the House around 1984 threatened

the loss of the memorials, including the St Matthew window. An-

nie Matthews and her family were able to reclaim the window,

and gave it to the Cathedral. The window was installed in the

Dean’s Vestry and dedicated on June 24, 1984.

14

Ambulatory Windows

The first three windows are on the south side from west to east, and the second three on the

north from east to west.

14. St. Augustine – 1929

Given by the Honorable Harcourt

Bull in 1929 in memory of John

Elden Bull (1849-1927) and

George Harcourt Bull (1851-

1929), sons of the Honorable Har-

court Bull. Canterbury Cathedral

appears in the background.

15. St. Alban – 1929

In memory of Elsie Stuart Bankier. St. Alban was the first British

martyr.

13. Bishop Lancelot Andrews – 1929

Given by S.S. Dumoulin. In the background appears Winchester

Cathedral, the longest cathedral in England. Christ’s Church Ca-

thedral was modeled on Winchester, but it never acquired the tow-

er at the west end.

15

17. The Good Shepherd – 1930

Given by the Sunday School.

16. The Way, the Truth and the Life - 1930

Given by the Sunday School.

18. Raphael’s Sistine Madonna – 1930

Given by the Mothers’ Union.

16

North Nave Windows

These are described from east to west.

19. Annunciation – 1886

Designed and manufactured by Joseph McCausland and Sons, Toron-

to (signed in bottom right corner.) This is one of the finest windows

and it won a prize in the Colonial and Indian Exhibition of 1886 in

Kensington, London. The catalogue of the Canadian section at the

Colonial & Indian Exhibition in London in 1886 giving the notice of

the items exhibited by Joseph McCausland & Son, Toronto is brief

“1168 Stained Glass (in the Fisheries Annexe)”. The report (page

46) of Sir Charles Tupper, Executive Commissioner of the Canadian

section stated, “In the decorative arts some fine displays were made.

In the stained glass, the exhibits of Messrs. Spence & Sons and Castle

& Son, of Montreal, and Messrs. Joseph McCausland & Son, of To-

ronto, were greatly commended, the latter firm receiving orders from

several churches in England.” (The Pilgrim’s Guide refers to the win-

dow being shown in London in 1862 and admired by the Prince of

Wales. Another note from Dean Harry Bagnall’s time stated that the

window won the colonial award in 1881 in London.)

The main panels depict the Annunciation, and two small panels at the

bottom show the Nativity and the Visit of the Shepherds. These bot-

tom panels have been used in the Cathedral Christmas cards. At the

top the angel in white carries a banner with the words “Hail, Mary.”

Charlotte Mitchell died in 1881, aged 63, and John died in 1885, aged

84. He came to Canada from Durham, England, and came to Hamil-

ton after trying to farm in Nelson township. “Chopping in the woods

became monotonous” wrote his

biographer. In 1834 he bought land

and erected a hotel in Hamilton,

which became known as the Farm-

ers’ Hotel. He cut every stick of

timber required for the building and

rafted it from the Credit River him-

self. He sat for many years as the

representative for St George’s ward

on the Board of Aldermen and did

active service during the Welling-

ton, Grey and Bruce Railway cam-

paign. His daughter, Elizabeth,

married Francis Carmichael Bruce

(see window #8).

17

Zacharias & Elizabeth: In

memory of Elizabeth and

John Davidson. This may

be the second oldest win-

dow in the Cathedral.

Forbes Geddes, in his 1862

diary, mentions its dedica-

tion. John died in 1861 and

Elizabeth in

Resurrection & Good Shepherd:

In memory of Peter Grant and

his wife, Judith Wills Grant

(1821-96). Peter (1813-72) was

born in England and came to

Canada in 1833 and to Hamilton

in 1837. He was a brewery

owner and farmer. They had 2

sons and 3 daughters. Susan

married James Murray Lot-

tridge. The pulpit is in memory

of Murray Geddes Lottridge,

their son. Mrs Paul Myler was a

Lottridge.

20. (Right side) Zacharias & Elizabeth - 1862; (left side) Resurrection & Good Samari-

tan

18

21. There came Wise Men from the East; Then took he Him up in his arms; They found

Him in the Temple; He was subject unto them – 1925

This window is said to have been man-

ufactured by McCausland & Company

or by a Scottish studio. In the visit to

McCausland in 2009, Andrew

McCausland did not identify this as

one of the windows manufactured by

the firm. There is a suggestion in the

archives, however, that Ballantine and

Allen of Edinburgh made a set of four

drawings of the type in this window.

It was given in memory of William

Henry Gillard and Mary Cordelia, his

wife and dedicated by Dean Owen on

Palm Sunday, 1925, and Frank Bruce

assisted in the unveiling. Mr Gillard

was born in England in 1837 and came

with his parents to Hamilton in 1858.

He was prominent in business and in the community, and his sudden death in 1901 was given

considerable coverage in the press. He had one son, James Turner Gillard, who later died in St

Catharines, and two daughters, H.H. Champ and Miss Annie.

19

22. Easter morning - 1944/5

This window was manufactured by

McCausland & Company. It was given in

memory of James Edwin O’Reilly and his

wife, Emilia Sophia Dundas. James O’

Reilly was the eldest son of Miles and

Jane Sumsion O’Reilly, and succeeded his

father as local Master of the High Court

of Justice. He died on February 27, 1907

at age 74. (For more information, see the

Dictionary of Hamilton Biography, vol-

ume 1 p 160.)

The text for this window should read “She

turned herself and saith unto Him

‘Rabboni’ which is to say ‘Master’”. Af-

ter the restoration of 1977 the left-hand

panel from the next window was placed in

this window, and the left-hand panel of

this window was entered on the right.

23. “Behold the Place” - 1947

This window was manufactured

by McCausland & Company. It

was given in memory of Marion

Walker Champ (1870- 1948?)

by her husband and children.

The full text should be “Behold

the place where they laid Him”.

This window is above the stairs

leading to Myler Hall and offic-

es using the link that was built in

1977. This is why the bottom

panels are missing, and one ap-

pears in the previous window.

(See above)

20

Other Windows

West window

24. Faith, Hope and Charity – 1876

This window was made by Heaton, Butler and Baynes, and sent

from England. No signature has been found, although the writer

has seen a sample of a signature used by this firm. Experts in Eng-

land confirmed in 2010 that the style of this window is that of the

designers. It was a gift from an old member of the church.

Clement Heaton (1824-82) was a glass painter, James Butler (1830-

1913) a lead glazier, and Robert Turnill Bayne (1837-1915) a Pre-

Raphaelite artist and chief designer in the firm. The firm was start-

ed in 1855 and a decade later established a studio in Covent Gar-

den. It was a leading firm of Gothic Revival stained glass, and it

closed in 1953. They employed Henry Holiday as a free-lance de-

signer between 1964 and 1878 (see window #3 and appendix A).

In windows of these three virtues, Faith is normally portrayed with

a cross and the center of the cross may be circular or a square.

Hope appears with an anchor, and Charity

carries a child, as they do in this window.

Columbarium

25. St. Mark – 1992 in Cathedral

The window in the Columbarium, dedicated as All Souls Chapel on

Good Friday 1992 by Bishop Walter Asbil, came from the former St

Mark’s Church on Bay Street. It is titled “I am the Resurrection and

the Life”, and was given in memory of Thomas David Walker (August

9 1829 – April 5 1900).

21

Chapel/Niagara Room

Three windows from the old chapel remain in the Niagara Room, and there is a fourth window

from the north wall of the chapel in storage. The former east window of the chapel is #6 in this

document. The windows are presented from west to east.

26. Jesus in the Temple – 1925

This window was manufactured by McCausland. (See sig-

nature bottom right.) It carries the text, “Jesus increased in

wisdom and stature and in favour with God.” The window

is in memory of Edward Armstrong and his wife, Matilda,

and given by William and Martha Ann Armstrong in 1925.

On April 6 1925, Dean Owen “announced that during the

week had been unveiled in the chapel a window in memory

of Edward and Mrs Armstrong. The window had been ar-

ranged for by Mrs Armstrong during her last illness, and on-

ly members of the family were present when it was unveiled.

It is a beautiful conception of our Lord as a boy in the tem-

ple.”

Edward Armstrong was born in Ireland in 1819 and came to

Canada when young. He served in the militia in this area

during the Rebellion of 1837, and in 1843 married and set-

tled on a farm in Ancaster where he lived until 1881. He

died January 11 1898 and was survived by his widow, 3

sons (Thomas of Dominion Hotel, William and George, su-

perintendant with the Hamilton Cotton Co.), and 4 daughters (Mrs Urquhart, Mrs Rook, Mrs

T.W. Foster and Mrs W.W. Lumsden.) Mrs Armstrong died January 1 1904.

27. Mary and Jesus in the Garden – 1939

This window was probably manufactured by McCausland, be-

cause the other windows in the Niagara Room were and the sur-

round is the same. The text reads, “I ascend unto my Father and

your Father and to My God and your God.” This was given by

the Mothers’ Union in 1939 in memory of Elizabeth Fenton

Seavey, for many years president of the Mothers’ Union of the

diocese and the parish. The Seavey family were very artistic

and musical, and very prominent in the community. Misses

Theo and Marjorie are well remembered by older members of

the cathedral congregation.

22

28. Nativity – 1921

This window was manufactured and signed by

McCausland. (See bottom right.) It was given in

memory of Edwin A. Gavillar and his wife, Caro-

line, by their daughter in 1921. Dr Gavillar came

to Hamilton in 1882 after practicing medicine in

Chippewa for 8 years, and became well-known in

Hamilton as a general physician of great diagnostic

skill. His wife, Caroline, was the daughter of the

Rev Edward Dewar. Dr and Mrs Gavillar were

devoted members of the Cathedral congregation, as

was their only daughter, Amy. Dr Gavillar died in

1914 at the age of 74. Mrs Gavillar died in 1919.

28. Baptism of Jesus – 1929

This window was manufactured by McCausland; the date was taken from the McCausland rec-

ords and matches that in the notes in the archives. The text is, “This is My beloved Son, in

whom I am well pleased.” This was given in loving memory of Jessie Watson, who died Feb-

ruary 28, 1922, and was erected by the Senior Women’s bible Class. This window was re-

moved in the renovations of 1995 and is currently stored in the crypt.

23

Appendix A

The article that follows appeared in the Cathedral Contact of Summer 2008.

Henry Holiday window

There was some excitement in the Cathedral during the last ‘Doors Open’ event. A visitor dis-

covered that we have a stained glass window designed by Henry Holiday!

Which window? Who was Henry Holiday? The Cathedral Archives has the answers!

The window is on the south side of the nave over a side altar. The subject is Pilgrims and the

New Jerusalem and it is dedicated to the memory of John Winer and his wife Sarah given by

their three daughters.

I find the window’s beauty totally satisfying, and as a local historian I am interested in the Win-

er family’s contribution to Hamilton and the Cathedral.

We owe our knowledge of the window’s English designer to an English couple, Dennis and

Joan Hadley who while doing research on Henry Holiday and his windows, which are to be

found all over England, in Canada and the United States, visited our Cathedral. Afterward they

sent a copy of their published article to the then Dean, Harry Dawson, and it eventually came to

the Archives.

First their description of our window:

“The window is a fine example of the high quality glass produced by Holiday when he estab-

lished his own studio in 1891 and stylistically has much in common with a larger two-light win-

dow made for Salisbury Cathedral, England. Holiday kept at hand a large collection of figure

studies so that although we have not previously seen a Pilgrims and the New Jerusalem window,

many of the figures are old friends.”

Holiday designed and used many angel figures with wings of red or blue. There is a beautiful

red-winged Seraph at the very top. (Steve Varey once asked me was it a mermaid or an angel?)

Henry Holiday lived from 1839 to 1927 and his working life extended over 60 years. The Had-

ley’s article, 20 pages of well researched illustrated (black and white), and documented, ap-

peared in the Journal of Stained Glass, v.19 (sic: should be v. 14), 1989-1990. If anyone wants

to read it I’ll make a copy.

Our window was designed and made in 1891-1892. John Winer died in 1887. I am trying to

find when the window was dedicated.

Why did Winer rate a window?

24

John Winer (1800-1887) came to Hamilton from his native New York in 1829. He had trained

as a chemist and in Hamilton made and sold patent medicines in a building on King Street near

John. He became a member of the new Anglican Church in 1835 and the rector, John Gamble

Geddes, said he was a faithful friend to him for the rest of his life. The other Winer claim on

our attention is that John and Sarah’s grandson, William Winer Cooke, died with Custer at the

battle of Little Big Horn in 1876. He was buried in the Hamilton Cemetery, and for years

Americans attended and decorated the grave annually.

Canon Katharine Greenfield

25

Appendix B

Article re Yvonne Williams

Glass Art - March/April 2000

In Partnership with the Sun

The Life and Work of Yvonne Williams

By Sarah Hall and Jeffrey Kraegel

The scene is a busy stained glass workshop. Artists, glaziers and apprentices are all hard at

work, designing, drawing, painting, cutting and leading. The pace is steady, for the workshop’s

windows are high demand, and there is a long waiting list. In the midst of this activity - forming

a quiet intense focus - is the master, painting uninterrupted for hours at a time.

There is a timelessness to the scene, harkening back to the great Medieval workshops and the

golden age of stained glass. But the place was Canada, the time was the 1940s; and the work-

shop’s master was an extraordinary woman named Yvonne Williams.

Yvonne William’s accomplishments would be impressive in any era, but especially so, consid-

ering the times she worked in. She started her stained glass studio in the “dirty thirties”, and

built it up into a successful and highly respected enterprise, which created beautiful and artisti-

cally innovative windows, and fostered the development of a generation of glass artists. This

took courage, tenacity, and an inexhaustible energy, but Yvonne had these in great measure.

Even after her passing in 1997, her influence on the field continues to be significant. Given her

unique qualities - her sharp mind, her formidable artistic talent, her supremely practical nature –

Yvonne’s success at her chosen profession should be no surprise. She was destined to be a ma-

jor force in any field she chose.

Yvonne Williams was born in Port-of -Spain, Trinidad in 1901 to Canadian parents. She spent

her childhood there, until the family moved back to Canada in 1918. In 1922 she enrolled at the

Ontario College of Art to learn sculpture, but soon moved to painting because she “missed the

colour terribly.” She attributed this love of intense colour to her Caribbean childhood. It was at

OCA that Yvonne developed an interest in stained glass, and after graduation she stayed another

year to study fine art metal and glass.

Upon graduation, Williams decided to pursue a career as a stained glass artist. This was, she

acknowledges, “a peculiar choice for a career in 1927; more so for a woman, and even more so

in Canada.” She made her first window at Pringle & London Glaziers in Toronto in 1926.

Yvonne Williams and George London were to eventually form a life-long working relationship

of artist and craftsman.

In winter of 1927, Yvonne began work at the studio of F. J. Hollister, a prominent Toronto

based stained glass artist. She shortly moved on to study in studios in St. Louis and Philadelph-

ia. After a trip to England, France and Italy, she resolved to take formal training in the art of

stained glass. She apprenticed at the Charles Connick Studio in Boston from 1928 to 1930.

26

Yvonne found her mentor in Charles Connick. Connick was a dedicated “Gothic revivalist”

whose book, Adventures in Light and Colour is a well-known classic in the stained glass

field. The two had kindred ideas about stained glass, and they continued to correspond long after

Yvonne had started her own business.

Finishing her apprenticeship, Yvonne returned to Toronto. She started her first studio in 1932

and set about building the business, taking time in 1936 to visit Europe and study the stained

glass at Chartres Cathedral. Yvonne claimed that the Great Depression was a rather good time to

start a studio. Architects weren’t very busy, and had ample time to view her portfolio. As her

reputation grew and the economy picked up, business got steadily better; by 1948, there was a

two year waiting list for her windows.

Looking at Williams’ windows, it is clear that her artwork was influenced from the beginning

by a belief in Gothic revival ideals - even before her apprenticeship at Connick. Hollister’s ti-

rades against the commercialism and sentimental, Victorian style of Toronto’s McCausland Stu-

dio evidently had their impact as well. Hollister believed that naturalistic painting was anathema

to the basic properties of stained glass windows. The principles of canvas painting, which at-

tempt to render perspective, do not belong on transparent glass, whose beauty lies in its ability

to transmit light and colour. Endless copies of pious Good Shepherds were not to be the legacy

of Yvonne Williams.

In the late 1940s, Yvonne designed and built a large studio on Caribou Road in North Toronto.

The studio, which was in operation for nearly thirty years, is legendary among the Canadian

stained glass community. It is known not only for the quality of work it produced, but for its

unique organization, which was a departure from the strict hierarchy and sharply defined tasks

of a traditional glass studio. Faced with a growing number of commissions, Yvonne had to de-

cide how complete them while maintaining her high standards. Her solution was to bring other

talented artists into the studio and share the commissions with them, thus distributing the work,

and at the same time providing an opportunity to collaborate and learn from each other.

Many of the Williams Studio commissions were done collaboratively; others, Yvonne would

assign some to a single artist. Artists working at the studio could also execute their own com-

missions there, with complete autonomy. Although the designs, cartoons and glass painting

were done by the artists, the cutting, glazing and installations were done by craftsman George

London, who Yvonne had met while making her first window. In dividing up the work at the

studio, Yvonne relied on her Amagic formula, which was based on percentages for each part of

the job of making a window. Thus the artist who cartooned a work would be paid for that part,

while another would receive the portion for the painting, and so on.

The newly hired artist at Williams Studio is nervous. Although well-versed in painting and

drawing, he has never worked in stained glass before. Now he’s toiled steadily for four weeks

on a large cartoon, and has been given no guidance or instruction whatsoever. Finally, he asks

Yvonne how he is doing. She responds, “Fine. Continue.”

Gus Weisman laughs at this memory from his first months at the studio. He notes that Yvonne

was more interested in experimenting and learning from others than she was in playing the role

27

of teacher or mentor.

Outside the studio, however, Yvonne Williams was notable for her writing and lecturing. She

wrote articles explaining the value of artistically creative stained glass, spoke frequently at pub-

lic meetings and brought her clients into her studio so that they could see how their windows

were made. She also hosted many tours for students of architecture and the arts. She was in con-

stant demand as speaker, tour guide, and public educator. These tours and speeches sometimes

slowed the work of the studio, but Yvonne considered it an important part of her studio's exist-

ence - to increase the general knowledge of the art with the public.

Through education, practice and evolution, Yvonne attained a distinct cohesion of technique and

inspired artistic vision. Her impressive career resulted in over four hundred private and public

commissions in churches, schools, hospitals and residences. Yvonne's work is known through-

out Canada, and recognition within the artistic and architectural communities of her many ac-

complishments brought her several prestigious awards, including the Allied Arts Medal from the

Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, and in 1965, election to the Royal Canadian Academy

of Arts.

Yvonne's artwork was highly influential in the development of modern stained glass in Canada.

Her early work in the 1930s and '40s was inspired by firsthand observation of Medieval stained

glass, and by her mentor, Charles Connick. She went on to develop her own unique and contem-

porary style throughout the 1950s and '60s. Her windows show a continuous progress over the

years, moving through various painting techniques, while the designs themselves move progres-

sively towards abstraction. Her work continued to evolve, and her experimentation with light

and colour extended to and through her "retirement" in the 1980s.

It sometime in the 1980s, and Yvonne is working on one of her commissions at the country stu-

dio of glass artist Rosemary Kilbourn. A fire breaks out in another part of the studio. Intent on

her glass painting, Yvonne doesn’t notice. Finally, distracted by the hubbub around her, she

looks up. She decides that the situation, while not actually under control, can be resolved with-

out her help, and she continues working.

Even into her 90s, Yvonne Williams continued to design windows, and maintained an active

interest in the work and ideas of the generations that followed her pioneering career. In later

years, I had the opportunity to fabricate some of Yvonne’s windows in my studio. Even near the

end of her life, her artistic sensibility, high standards, and attention to detail were undiminished.

I’m tidying up my studio in anticipation of a visit from Yvonne Williams. Looking around at the

stark, white space, I decide it needs some colour. I quickly pull out a few sheets of richly col-

ored antique glass and set them up along the window ledge. As soon as Yvonne enters the stu-

dio, the sheets of colour catch her eye. Turning her cool gaze on me, she says, “You’re not in-

tending to use those two reds together are you? They do nothing for each other.” I look at the

sheets - one, a bright, selenium red and the other a sombre copper red, and resolve next time to

consider more carefully any welcoming gesture I make for Yvonne.

Yvonne Williams “peculiar choice” and the extraordinary career that followed, are both inspir-

ing and humbling. Her four hundred commissions, her many awards, her pioneering reputation -

28

all of these reveal a woman with a vision, and the determination to follow it through. Underly-

ing it all was a profound artistry, and an understanding and love for light and colour. In her own

words:

Sunlight actually becomes part of a window; for while a painting is made visible by light falling

on its surface, stained glass is revealed by outdoor light passing through the glass to the interior

of the building. To paint a window so that it accepts this “partnership with the sun,” and is re-

sponsive to every passing cloud - even to the sparkle of light reflected from leaves moving in

the wind, is to give it its full interest. It is then alive, and leaving the class of static art, becomes

something not only in Space, but in Time.