Memorial Details

Stained Glass Window 1939-45 St. Aidan

S86.054

SOUTH SHIELDS

NZ 361678

St. Aidan’s Church, St.Aidan’s Road, The Lawe Top, (Demolished). At east end.

St.Stephen’s Church, Mile End Road, NZ 367676, on the west wall

1939-45

1. Installed in 1951.
2. Rededicated November 2010 by Rt.Rev. Mark Bryant.

Stained glass windows of five lancets depicting the story of Jonah, Christ in glory and men at sea. The Centre and two outer lights contained the pictures, the two inner lights were clear glass.
The central light depicts (Bottom) the Crucifixion, with one figure holding a wreath, except that the centre cross is much higher than the rest and on it is Christ in glory with hands spread in blessing and above him is a dove. The dedication is at the bottom of this light.
In the outer lights are scenes of stormy seas with people in boats, on the left one is falling out, on the right he is back in the boat. At top of both windows are the hand of God stretched downwards, In each He is holding a dove. On the left there are the letters “Alpha” and “Omega” and on the right, a cross. At the foot of the two outer lights is a crest, that on the left showing four rampant lions and on the right an anchor.
The three lights containing the pictures are now in light boxes in St.Stephen’s.

None

Leonard Evetts

1. The Windows were dedicated as a tribute to the 2000 seamen from South Tyneside who died on convoy duty. The originals were shattered by a landmine during the bombing raids.

2. St.Aidan’s Church was built in 1887 to seat 600 people at a cost of £5,000. The foundation stone was laid by Alderman John Readhead. Prior to this the first vicar, Rev. Lewis David Evans, held services in the old skating rink in Ocean Road. Due to maintenance costs and falling numbers, the church closed on 30th November 1995 when the parish merged with that of St.Stephen’s, and was called “The Lawe”

3. The windows were vandalised when in St Aidan’s church when the church was empty, They were restored by artist Chris Chesney who is Northumberland based.

4. Vicar Ralph Shaw was instrumental in transferring these stained glass windows from St Aidan’s to St Stephens.

5. There was a campaign held to raise funds. Money came from various sources:
South Tyneside Borough Council provided £6000 to transfer the windows. This came from the South Shields Riverside Community Area Forum. Cheque was handed over by Cllr Audrey McMillan approx. Thursday February 17th 2000. The Freemasons of Hedworth Lodge, South Shields donated £200.
A funeral, held during the campaign to raise funds for the windows had a collection of £230
There was a donation from the Catherine Cookson Charitable Trust and members of the Seafaring Community. But most of the £30,000 was raised by parishioners and supporters of the church.

6. Also from the church was transferred the Wooden reredos, altar and pulpit; a chest remembereing former Sunday School teacher Mrs Gladys Tate S86.074; the west windows were to the memory of men of the parish who died in the Great War; a pair of candlesticks remembereing a foyboatman lost in a tragic accident; a communion rail recalls Henry Rudd DSC who lost his life in the Russian convoys in 1942 S86.138;
a commemorative plaque preserves the memory of William Trealor, master of the SS Laleham which foundered with the loss of all hands off the coast of America in 1899;
another recalls Henry Heatley, lost at sea by the presumed wreck of the SS Lovaine in the Atlantic in 1887; another recalls Stephen Archdale, killed by falling from aloft aboard the vessel Crompton, in the South Pacific in 1898”
There is also a mention of a Memorial (not known) to a chorister who died of enteric fever in India in 1907 and a young trooper, killed in the Boer War.

Photos: Simon Raine; in St.Stephen’s: James Pasby

Evening Chronicle 16/11/2000 reports proposal to remove the windows to St. Stephen’s Church.

Shields Gazette passim.

Fitzhugh Collection, Middleton in Teesdale; John Dixon; James Pasby; Janis Blower (Shields Gazette)

If you are researching this memorial please contact 2014@newmp.org.uk

 

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Individual stories for this Parish