Band of Brothers

There are many stained glass windows dedicated to those killed in war, particularly the First World War, and when I saw this one I assumed that's what it was. Its a very fine 'Resurrection' window with three lights. Its difficult to photograph the whole window because it is partly obscured by the pulpit and some lighting so I've photographed a small part of the left hand window. Around the feet of the Christ figure are three men dressed in what I take to be Crusader tabards and chainmail. I think however that the faces are probably portraits of the three brothers that the window is dedicated to. The pencil thin moustache on this one seems an unlikely choice for a Crusader. The three also appear, I think, in the guise of cherubs, at the top of the window.

The window was commissioned by Sir Charles Day Rose in memory of his three sons who all died as a result of conflict, but there are no dates. I checked on the war memorial tablet, also inside the church, and their names do not appear. It turns out that this is an unusual memorial window commemorating those who died not in the First World War but in the Second Anglo-Boer War (1900-1902).

Four brothers went to South Africa to fight. Captain Charles Rose, Royal Horse Guards, was killed in action in March 1900. His brother Lieut. Betram Rose, Thorneycrofts Mounted Infantry, died 'on campaign' two months later. The third brother, Captain Adrian Rose, Royal Horse Guards, survived the war but died from typhoid fever on his return. The fourth brother, Captain Frank Rose, 10th Hussars, also survived the Boer war but was killed in action at Ypres in October 1914. By this time Sir Charles had also died. So it appears that the window must date to sometime between 1908 and 1913. I'm still unsure as to which firm made it but Henry Holliday for James Powell & Co. would be my best guess. As for Captain Frank Rose, he has his own memorial in the form of a bronze and marble sculpture high up on the nave wall. Like his three brothers he too is dressed as a knight in armour.