 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Window Dressing |
| Most people want to find out about ancestors so it was a surprise when I was asked to find out some information about a stained-glass window. A client in Palastine, Texas commissioned me to research the origin and history of a stained-glass church window which he had bought and incorporated into his home. |
| After some challenging and fascinating research involving the Newspaper Library, the Family Records Centre and the Guildhall Library I was able to give my client a background to the beautiful window and give it a new meaning. See the window |
|
| The only clue I had at the start of my research was the inscription at the bottom of the window, which read: |
|
In grateful remembrance of what God gave. In humble submission to God who took away. The Rev. W. J. Payne, MA places this window to the glory of God. In affectionate memory of Anne his beloved wife who fell asleep at Brighton, June 26, 1863, her 35th year |
| |
| The first step was to visit the Family Records Centre to obtain the death certificate. This was straight forward and the certificate confirmed that Anne was the wife of W J Payne and she had died on 26th June 1863 in childbirth at the age of 34. A trip to Colindale revealed in the Brighton Times, and the Church Time, an obituary for Anne. It read: |
|
June, 26th at Gordon House,Marine Parade, Anne, beloved wife of Rev. W. J. Payne MA, aged 34, and Alfred William, their eighth child, aged 22 hours. |
| |
| At a visit to the Guildhall Library I was able to consult Crockford's Clerical Directory which revealed that William John Payne had received a BA from Corpus Christi College, Cambridge in 1850 and an MA in 1853. I was able to trace his history from a curate at St Andrew's Manchester in 1850, to St Anne's, Brighton, between 1863 and 1875. This gave me the name of the church which most probably had the window. In addition I was able to trace him on various censuses, expanding his family. |
|
| I wrote to the Church Commissioners who were able to confirm the church was retired and closed for worship in 1984. The window formed part of the inventory of items being sold after it was demolished in 1986.
|
|
| I was able to established that Anne was his second wife and after a short period in Suffolk he settled in Sible Hedingham, Essex, where he died on 16th February 1886, at the age of 61, of heart disease. A number of articles announcing his death and burial were located in local papers. |
|
The Late Rev. W. J. Payne - In course of a few remarks made from the reading desk last Sunday afternoon, the Rector, Rev. C. J. Taylor, referred to the funeral of the Rev. W. J. Payne, which took place at Sible Hedingham on the previous day. |
|
| |
He said that Mr. Payne who was for two years the Curate of Toppesfield, had always felt a strong interest in the place, and he was sure the parishioners remembered him with affection and respect. Mr. Payne had taken a prominent part in church services, and had also visited among the people, and spoken words of comfort and advice to the sick and dying. |
|
| East Essex and Halstead Times, Haverhill and Colne Valley Advertiser |
|
|
|
|
|
|
){kind=link}