THE CHURCH OF NORBURY. 93 



that have so fine and extensive display.' Jt suffered, how- 

 ever, most grievously during the nineteenth century. The 

 great east window of the chancel, which had far the finest glass 

 of all, got into bad repair about 1800, when the then rector, 

 Mr. Mills, actually blocked it up with lath and plaster, in order 

 to save the expense of repairing it, for which he as rector was 

 legally liable. His successor. Rev. Thomas Bingham, was 

 offered a large sum of money by a Roman Catholic family 

 of Yorkshire, for permission to remove what remained of this 

 east window glass to a private chapel. The offer was at first 

 (1823) declined, but seems afterwards to have been accepted. 

 At all events, this beautiful figure glass disappeared shortly 

 afterwards, and cannot now be traced.* At this time all the 

 clerestory windows of the nave, the large west window, and the 

 windows of the north aisle — in fact, all the windows of the 

 church — retained their coloured glass in but a slightly damaged 

 condition. 



When, however, the time came for the well-intentioned, but 

 reckless and disastrous, restoration of 1842, the east window 

 was again opened, and it was decided to remove the glass from 

 the body of the church to fill it up. This unfortunate decision 

 not only caused much damage and loss to the old glass in course 

 of removal, but it effectually destroyed the harmony and con- 

 sistency of the scheme of the chancel colouring by placing 

 fifteenth century glass in juxtaposition with work of a very 

 different style, and at least a hundred years earlier in date. 

 On some of the quarries of the east window, as at present glazed, 

 may be noticed the initials N. and A., and others the golden star 

 or rose en soleil, the badge of Edward IV., showing that it was 

 glass put in by Nicholas and Alice Fitzherbert, circa 1450. 

 Other pieces, taken from the south-west chapel, bear J.F., 

 representing the initials of John Fitzherbert, circa 1500. In 

 the centre light is a representation of the Holy Trinity, which 

 was taken from the south-west chapel, and below it are the 



* The date of its disappearance almost exactly synchronises with the robbery 

 of good glass from the chapel of Haddon Mall, a fact that can scarcely tiave 

 been accidental. 



