Northern Saints Windows
Look to the south side windows, starting in the Chancel and working westwards as far as the main door. All these windows were made by Shrigley & Hunt of Lancaster and were probably inserted at the time of the extension of St Mary’s in 1911.
The first window, St Oswald, was given in memory of a former vicar of Haxby and the remainder in memory of the various members of the Hodgson family. Richard Hodgson, 1817-1848, the fourth son of Thomas Hodgson was a generous benefactor of St. Mary’s and is commemorated in a plaque in the west wall of the balcony. Other members of the family were also benefactors.
This is a simple lancet window. St Oswald is shown in regal garb – a gold crown and ermine-trimmed robes and a gold chain wound twice round his neck and shoulders from which hangs a badge or mark of an order. He carries the orb and sceptre in his right and left hands respectively. There is a red nimbus around his head.
A heraldic shield at the top of the window has a gold upright cross on a blue ground with a white lion rampart in each quarter.
St Oswald was King of Northumbria from 633 until he died in battle in 642.
The window was giving in memory of the Revd E Bunne, vicar of Haxby 1894-1902, by parishioners and friends.
Another simple lancet window. Aidan was given the island of Lindisfarne for a monastery and Episcopal seat by King Oswald after he had been sent from Iona to preach the gospel in Northumbria.
St Aidan is depicted wearing a mitre and cope with jewelled orphreys and a golden morse, the dress of a bishop. His right hand is raised in blessing and his left hand holds a crosier with a vine leaf finial. He has a blue nimbus.
His heraldic shield shows a white capital A surmounted by a gold crown, on a red ground.
The window is in memory of Catherine, died 1902, wife of Edward Hodgson of Hartlepool.
This and the next two are two light windows with a cinquefoil light and two eyes in the tracery. The Sacred Monogram as either IHC or IPC is shown in gothic lettering in the main tracery light each window.
St Cuthbert, on the left hand side, wears bishop’s clothing – mitre, a red chasuble with a blue pallium, and a crosier with a lamb and cross in the finial in his right hand. He reads from a book, the Bible – held in his left hand.
His heraldic shield shows a gold cross on a red ground with a lion rampart in each quarter.
St Cuthbert lived c634-687 and was a monk and Bishop of Lindisfarne. About a hundred years after his death when the Danes destroyed Lindisfarne, his body – known by now to suffer no corruption – was taken round the north of England until it reached its final resting place in Durham in 995.
The Venerable Bede wears a monk’s black habit and soft hat and reads froman open book held in both hands. He stands against a desk with a fitted inkwell and quill pen, symbols of his scholarship, and has a red nimbus. A bound bible lies on the floor.
His heraldic shield is an open book, with legible writing, on a red ground.
Bede was a monk at Jarrow and a renowned scholar who lived from 673 to 735. He wrote the first history of England and is often credited as being the first person to translate the Bible into English.
This pair of windows is in memory of Edward Hodgson of Hartlepool, died 1896.
St Hildar was baptised by Paulinus in York on Easter Eve 627 with her relative, King Edwin. She became a nun and in due course Abbess of Whitby.
St Hilda, in the left hand light, has a red nimbus and wears a nun’s veil and habit, holds a crosier in her right hand and read from book held in her left hand. There is a model of Whitby Abbey in the bottom right hand corner of the panel by her feet.
Her heraldic shield is three ammonites, alluding to her prayers to turn dangerous snakes into stones; also fossilised ammonites are found in the cliffs at Whitby.
St Helen has a red nimbus. Her braided hair is covered by a veil held in place by a gold crown and she wears a blue cloak lined and border with ermine – the garb of a queen. Her hands clasp a wooden cross with a label INRI on the upper part.
Her heraldic shield is three nails in a Y-shape within a crown of thorns.
St Helen lived from c250-330 and was the mother of Emperor Constantine. She became a Christian when she was over sixty and is believed to have discovered the remains of the True Cross on Calvary.
This pair of windows is in memory of Mary Anne Hodgson, 1810-1894, and Elizabeth MacTurk, 1818-1891, daughters of the late Thomas Hodgson of Haxby.
St Paulinus, on the left of the window, has a red nimbus and wears a white mitre and chasuble with pallium and holds a bejewelled crosier.
His heraldic shield is the crossed keys of St Peter surmounted by a gold crown on a red ground.
Paulinus was chaplain to Ethelburga, who married King Edwin, and baptised Edwin and Hilda on Easter Eve 627 in a small wooden church in York.
St Wilfred has a green nimbus. He also wears a mitre and chasuble with pallium and holds a bejewelled cross, though a simpler one than Paulinus, and he holds a book in his right hand.
His heraldic shield shows a gold starfish on a blue ground.
St Wilfred lived c633-709, was educated at Lindisfarne and is known as a monastic founder and builder of churches. The crypts of his churches at Hexham and Ripon survive to this day.
This window is in memory of John Hodgson, 1807-1890, and William Hodgson, 1814-1892, sons of the late Thomas Hodgson of Haxby.
Reprinted with permission
Chasuble : the principal and most conspicuous vestment, covering all the rest
Mitre : bishop’s hat
Nimbus : shining light implying great dignity, similar to halo
Pallium : worn about the neck, breast, and shoulders, over the chasuble