Christopher Whall works in Gloucester Cathedral is a narrative list of works that Christopher Whall executed for Gloucester Cathedral.
Ante-Chapel North
"Man's Fallen State"
"Man's Fallen State"- The Fall and Deprivation of Paradise. Window in the Ante-Chapel North. 1898. This was the first window to be completed and at the top of the window are fragments of old glass found during restoration work in 1895."The Stained Glass of Gloucester Cathedral" by David Welander.. First published by Canon David Welander and the Priests of Gloucester Cathedral in 1985.National Art Library General Collection 89.J Box III and 86.W Box I Special -320053 contain Whall's notes on the Gloucester Cathedral work. Also those of his daughter Veronica Whall.
In this window Whall takes his inspiration from the Creation Story from the Old Testament (Genesis iii) and in the centre light he draws the serpent wound around the Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden. The inscription reads-"I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed". In the left hand light Whall depicts Eve with a child beside her and in the right hand light an angel in red bars the entrance to the garden. An image of this window is shown above. The memorial note was designed by Veronica Whall and inserted into the window in 1928 recording that the window was given in memory of Henry Bruton, J.P.(1813–1894).
The Restoration in the Sacrament
The Restoration in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. Window in the Ante-Chapel South. 1902. This three-light window links to the "Man's Fallen State" window opposite and through the death and resurrection of Christ we have gone full circle and man and God are now reconciled. Now Adam and Eve are clothed and kneel as though in contrition and look across at an angel who holds out a chalice in her left hand whilst in her right hand she holds a wheatsheaf. "Man has been restored through the sacrifice of Christ and the Sacrament of the Gospel" is the message and in the centre of his composition Whall depicts wheat stalks and vine leaves (the bread and wine of the Eucharist).
Window was donated in memory of Archdeacon John William Sheringham. When Archdeacon he had raised a large amount of money for the Cathedral's restoration.
North Nave
"The Childhood of The Blessed Virgin Mary" Window 1. This being the first large window on the North Nave side of the Lady Chapel. "The Childhood of The Blessed Virgin Mary". 1901
Position in Window I Image (s) depictedCommentsThe Top LightRaphael, one of the ArchangelsWhall describes Raphael as "the guide of pilgrims and travellers. Material and spiritual". St. Raphael is one of the seven Archangels who stand before the throne of the Lord. Whall depicts him with lantern and staff. He is the leader of the Powers and besides Raphael, Michael and Gabriel are the only Archangels mentioned by name in the Bible. In Hebrew Raphael's name means "God is my Health". This identity came about because of the biblical story which claims that he "healed" the earth when it was defiled by the sins of the fallen angels in the apocryphal book of Enoch. He is also the patron of the blind, of happy meetings, of nurses, of physicians and of travellers. It is Raphael who is traditionally identified as the angel who stirred the healing waters when Jesus healed a paralytic as described in Matthew 9:1-8.First tier of five lights and positioned below St Raphael.The Choir of VirginsWhall explains that lights 1 and 2 depict " The Choir of Virgins (not Angels or one of the Angelic Choirs, but those who share with them in Heaven as in Revelations Chapter 5)". In light 3, the central light, Whall depicts the "Angel of the Narrow Way, showing a path out through the thorns of the world". Light 4 depicts a "Virtue" and light 5 depicts a "Principality".Second Tier of five lights and positioned below the Choir of Virgins.Agnes, Lucy, Faith and Agatha. All representing the "Virgin Martyrs" with a depiction of the Childhood of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the centre light.St. Agnes was only thirteen years old when she suffered martyrdom for her Faith. She had made a vow of chastity and was a beauty whose hand in marriage was vied for by many. To such suitors she would say, "Jesus Christ is my only Spouse." The story was that she refused the marriage proposal of Procop, the Governor's son. He then tried all ways to persuade her to accept his proposal and eventually she was condemned to death. On the day of execution many begged her to save herself. She refused with the words "I would offend my Spouse, if I were to try to please you. He chose me first and He shall have me!" Then she prayed and bowed her head for the death-stroke of the sword.
Lucy's name means "light". Legend tells us that Lucy was a Christian martyr during the Diocletian persecution. As with Agnes, Lucy was determined to devote herself to Christ and refused when her mother proposed her marriage to a pagan. In anger the spurned suitor denounced her as a Christian to the governor of Syracuse, Sicily. She was imprisoned and her prison guards we are told were unable to move her or burn her and they ultimately took out her eyes with a fork before she was executed. Lucy is the patroness saint of the blind
Faith was another victim of Diocletian persecution of the Christians and she was tortured to death for her Christianity on a red-hot brazier.
According to legend Agatha was another who dedicated her life to God and resisted any men who wanted to marry her or have sex with her. One of these men was Quintian who thought he could use his high position to force her to succumb to him. He had her arrested and when his further efforts failed he had her put into a brothel, then moved back to a prison and then tortured. It seems that people prayed to her during the eruption of Mount Etna and she is thus considered a protector against the outbreak of fire. She is also considered the patroness of Bellmakers perhaps because bells were used as fire alarmsThird Tier of five lightsThe "Northern Saints". Columba, Aidan, Hilda, Cuthbert and ChadColumba was probably born in Donegal in Ireland. He studied under St Finnian. Ordained before he was twenty-five, he spent the next fifteen years preaching and setting up foundations at Derry, Durrow, and Kells. A possible family feud got out of hand and in the resultant battle some 3000 people died. As a consequence he was sent into exile and left Ireland and landed on the island of Iona off the coast of Scotland. There he built what was to become a world-famous monastery and helped by the saints Canice and Comgall he spread the gospel to the Picts. He died on Iona. Columba is also known as Colm, Colum and Columcille.
Aidan was also born in Ireland before becoming a monk at Iona. At the request of King Oswald of Northumbria, Aidan went to Lindisfarne as bishop. He founded a monastery at Lindisfarne that became known as the English Iona and was a centre for missionary activity for all of northern England. He died in 651 at the royal castle at Bamburgh.
Hilda was a Benedictine abbess, the daughter of a Northumbrian king. She spent some time at Chelles Monastery in France but was asked by St Aidan to return to Northumbria. She did so and became the abbess of Hartlepool. Later she became the head of the double monastery of Streaneschalch, at Whitby.
Cuthbert is also thought to be Irish though some regard him as a Scot. Orphaned when a young child, he was a shepherd for a time, is thought to have possibly fought against the Mercians and became a monk at Melrose Abbey. A period was spent at Ripon Abbey but Cuthbert then returned to Melrose where he became the Prior and then Prior of Lindisfarne when St Colman and others returned to Ireland after a row over liturgical matters. At Lindisfarne he was said to have attracted huge crowds when preaching. He then asked for permission to live as a hermit until against his will he was elected bishop of Hexham in 685, but arranged with St. Eata to swap Sees, and returned to Lindisfarne where he lived as bishop for the remaining two years of his life.
Chad was an Irish archbishop and brother of St. Cedd, also called Ceadda. He was trained by St. Aidan in Lindisfarne and in England. Made the archbishop of York by King Oswy, Chad was disciplined by Theodore, the newly arrived archbishop of Canterbury in 669. Chad accepted Theodore's charges of impropriety with such humility and grace that Theodore regularized his consecration and appointed him the bishop of Mercia. He established a see at Lichfield. In liturgical art he is depicted as a bishop, holding a church. Fourth and final tier of five lightsScenes from the lives of the five Saints shown above.These depict events which are associated with each of these five saints. For St Columba, Whall chose to depict Columba with a stork, reminding us that Columba had to suffer exile from Ireland and would have missed his homeland and for St Aidan, he depicts the shield of the first Church of Wattles on Lindisfarne with the motto "Simile est grano sinapis" / "It is like a grain of mustard seed", thus reminding us that Aidan was to help sow " the seed of Northern Christianity" (mustard was grown on Lindisfarne). For Hilda, Whall depicts St Aidan visiting St. Hilda's school and for Cuthbert we have the motto "Et factus in arborem magnam" /"It becomes a great tree (Gloucester Cathedral)". Finally Whall depicts Chad placing his Bishopric at the disposal of Theodore. The window is in memory of John Dearman Birchall (1828–1897) of Bowden Hall near Gloucester and was given by his son.
"The Annunciation" Window 2. This being the second large window on the North Nave side. "The Annunciation" 1901