The Stained Glass Windows of St Andrew’s Church, Histon
The windows in the chancel are by Mayer of Munich. Windows by this company are relatively rare but may be seen at Melchbourne (Beds), Apsley Gurse (Beds), Brentwood RC Cathedral, St Mary, Ipswich, Great Bealings (Suffolk) and South Repps (Norfolk). Pevsner describes the style as ‘completely pictorial’. Starting at the NW, the windows follow selected words from the Nicene Creed.
1 The Creation
I believe in one God the Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and earth
A representation of God’s hand at the very top of the window forms the introduction to the window. Elements of Creation are depicted, sun and moon, land and water, birds, plants, fish, animals and Adam. These follow the order of Genesis 1.1–31.
|Day one:||the creation of light and its separation from darkness to be day and night.|
|Day two:||the creation of the sky.|
|Day three:||the creation of sea and of land producing vegetation (both water and land are in the window with trees and other plants growing on the land).|
|Day four:||creation of the sun and moon to separate day and night and to mark the changing seasons (sun and moon both in the window).|
|Day five:||creation of fish and birds (there are fish in the water and birds in the sky in the window).|
|Day six:||creation of all other living creatures and of Adam and Eve. Eve is not depicted. However, a serpent is visible, a reminder of the Fall of Adam and Eve and their subsequent expulsion from Eden.|
The inscription is DONO I ELLIOT (given by J Elliot).
2 Annunciation and Nativity
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God…And was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary
The dove at the top is one of the traditional symbols of the Holy Spirit. The angel is telling Mary that she is to bear Jesus. This is based on the account in Luke 1.26–38. The traditional Nativity scene shows an angel, Mary and Joseph, and the Magi offering their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh (Matthew 2.11).
The inscription is DONO L A UNDERWOOD (given by L A Underwood). This was Canon Underwood’s wife. The chancel was restored in 1874 under the direction of Canon C W Underwood.
3 Betrayal and Judgement
And was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate
In the Garden of Gethsemane, Christ was betrayed by Judas’ kiss (Matthew 26.48–50). Judas is holding the bag of money, the thirty silver coins he received from the Jewish officials (Matthew 26.15). The betrayal happened at night, and some of the men are holding torches. Both Roman soldiers and Jewish officials were involved in arresting Jesus (Matthew 26.47). A priest is shown behind Judas, at the right of the window.
Pilate washes his hands (Matthew 27.24) as the mob call for the release of Barabbas (Matthew 27.15–20). Jesus is bound and a prisoner. A reed is placed in his arms to symbolise a sceptre. This was part of the mocking of his kingly status and the humiliation he underwent (Matthew 27.28–31).
The inscription is DONO CLERIC ARCHDIAC.
4 Instruments of the Passion
The small panels depict the various instruments of the Passion of Jesus. From the top left, we see a crown of thorns (Matthew 27.29) and three nails (traditionally one nail for each hand and one nail through both feet). A hammer and pincers or pliers used for the crucifixion and then for taking down the body. The middle pane is a traditional emblem of Christ, based on the words of John the Baptist as recorded in John 1.29, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’ The whip used for the scourging of Christ (John 19.1) was a Roman instrument of torture with small pieces of metal on the leather thongs. The inscription INRI was placed on the cross at Pilate’s instructions. It was usual for a placard stating the crime to be carried before the victim as he was taken to the place of execution and then fastened to his cross. The Latin Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum translates as Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews. The final pane on the left side depicts the sponge dipped in vinegar (John 19.28) and the spear with which the 