The dedication of the second Morris window

Joseph Fieldhouse

(First published in 1991 in volume 5, pp. 77-78, of the third series of The Bradford Antiquary, the journal of the Bradford Historical and Antiquarian Society.)

It was an article by Mary Lister in Third Series No.1 of The Bradford Antiquary that drew attention to the second of the Morris windows placed in Bradford Parish Church in 1864 as a memorial to Mary Hartley, of Fulford Grange, York. The first was the east window, erected in 1863 by Mrs. Tolson in memory of her husband, Richard, a Bradford solicitor.

When the old chancel was being demolished in 1958 in preparation for the extensions to the Cathedral, its three windows, including the two by Morris, were removed. The Tolson window was earmarked for use in the new Lady Chapel but the other two were packed in crates and placed in a cellar.

On December 8th 1984, when the first number of this new series was launched by Canon Kenneth Cook in the Cathedral Parish Room a surprise was in store for most of us. The proceedings opened in semi-darkness, but when the curtains were withdrawn we saw for the first time, ranged around the room, figures of saints from the Mary Hartley window. The movement to restore the second William Morris window may be said to have begun on that day. When Mary Lister died suddenly in March 1985 it was suggested that a section of the glass might be restored and placed in the Cathedral as a memorial to her.

In the meantime the re-ordering of the Cathedral caused all minor projects to be held in abeyance, but when that was finished a scheme to restore the whole of the Mary Hartley window emerged. The cost, about £12,000, was to be defrayed largely by charitable funds and the commission was left in the able hands of Mr Peter Gibson and the York Glaziers Trust.

The Dedication Service, which took place on Sunday 9th September 1990, was conducted by the Provost of Bradford, the Very Reverend John Richardson, and the preacher was Canon Kenneth Cook. It was then seen that eight restored panels occupied the windows in the north and south transepts, four on each west wall, while the centre panel of the original window was mounted in the north ambulatory as a memorial to Mary Lister.

The framed inscription alongside the latter reads:

IN HAPPY MEMORY OF MARY LISTER 1923 - 1985
SCHOLAR, TEACHER, HISTORIAN FRIEND.
THIS WILLIAM MORRIS STAINED GLASS WAS RESTORED
AND PLACED HERE. 1990.

Many donations in memory of Mary Lister had been received by the Treasurer, from members of the Society and from friends. These have been sent to the Provost, along with £500 from a reserve fund. Others who wish to subscribe may still do so. A small booklet, The William Morris Windows in Bradford Cathedral (50p) was compiled to coincide with the Dedication Service. It is now on sale in the Cathedral and copies will be available at our meetings.