History of the Windows
West Windows of Holy Trinity
Charles Morris Esq was the first person to appear in the Pew Rent Book. Although he had a home in London, he and his sister, Jane, spent many months of the year in Malvern where they lived at ‘The Chase’ in Worcester Road. Charles Morris was a generous benefactor to Malvern and in particular to our North Malvern parish. In 1835/1836 he gave people their first public water supply when, at his own expense, he erected the water tanks and water spouts at North Malvern and two years later he rebuilt the North Malvern National School because he did not think the school built in 1836 was adequate for all the children of North Malvern and the surrounding parishes.
Charles and his sister donated almost £3,000 towards the building of North Hill Church, now of course known as Holy Trinity. He also donated the original east window (later replaced) and the organ; according to his obituary in The Berrow’s Worcester Journal, (Saturday, December 27 1856) he also “caused the ground to be laid out”.
Charles Morris died suddenly, at his London home, on the 16th December 1856. In his memory and in gratitude for all he did for North Malvern the West Windows of our church and this plaque were erected in 1858.
The plaque reads: “This window is placed to the honour of God's house and in memory of his servant Charles Morris whose faith working by love bore the fruit of many good works and alms deeds in this parish and district. Erected by parishioners and friends MDCCCLVIII” The windows have the very appropriate text from Ma hew, Ch25 v35 - "I was an hungered and ye gave me meat, thirsty, and ye gave me drink, naked and ye clothed me.”
Looking at the People Commemorated in our Windows
Admiral John William D'Orville
Admiral John William D’Orville of High Croft, Graham Road, Malvern, who died on the 24th June 1894.
The window is at the west end of the south aisle. The dedication reads “To the Glory of God In Memory of Admiral John William D’Orville Born May 24th 1816 Died June 24th 1894 Erected by his Widow”
D’Orville would have been the original spelling of the surname but all records, newspaper articles etc. have Dorville without the apostrophe. The date of birth should read 1814; he was baptised 22 June 1814 at ‘St. Mary-Le-Bone’ the son of John William and Martha Dorville.
He entered the Navy just before his fourteenth birthday, on the 7 May 1828 and re red as Captain in January 1861. By 1887 he had risen through the Retired List to the rank of Admiral. He had a long and distinguished career, described in the ‘Colonies & India’ Newspaper at the me of his death:- “Admiral Dorville, who died at Malvern the other day, had a long and gallant record of service. As far back as 1840 he was mate of the Bellerophon on the coast of Syria, and captured an enemy's flag at Beyrout. As first lieutenant of the Battler in the Burmese War, 1853, he received the thanks of the Government of India for his services while commanding the Naval Brigade at Rangoon. He also took part in a desperate and successful attack on pirates at Namquam, China; was in command of the St. Jean d'Acre during the Russian War; and was present at many of the engagements in the Baltic. Admiral Dorville will also be long remembered as author of that most interesting book, " Cruising in Many Waters." He wrote the book in 1883 and gave the profits to help those who were supporters in the Egyptian war.
In 1864, he married Elizabeth Addenbrooke, daughter of Henry Addenbrooke, Ironmaster of Clent. They married at the Priory and setup home in High Croft. in Malvern where the Admiral took an active interest in local a airs. The Worcester Journal recorded his death giving an account of his funeral, part of which is copied below.
Berrows Worcester Journal Saturday, June 30, 1894
Admiral John William Dorville was buried at Malvern Cemetery where his headstone can be found, bearing the rope and anchor insignia of the Royal Navy. Elizabeth Dorville, who was sixteen years younger than her husband, died at High Croft in December 1904.
General Sir John Hawkins
‘Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God’
These words are on the window to the right of the pulpit. The dedication reads:
“In the blessed hope of everlasting life this Window is dedicated by the 5 children of GEN SIR JOHN S HAWKINS KCGM RE who died Jan 10 1895 aged 78 and of his wife LEONORA MARY who died Aug 1 1879 aged 55 In loving memory of their Parents”
John Summerfield Hawkins was born in Tettenhall, Wolverhampton, in 1817. His father John was a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy. John did not follow his father into the Navy, instead he joined the army and had an illustrious career with the Royal Engineers, rising through the ranks to become a General.
In 1847 he married Leonora Mary Kelly at Mount Talbot, Roscommon, Ireland, and their first child, Elizabeth Mary was born in Galway the following year. The couple had six children all born in different places. Their second child, Denis John was born in York but I assume he died as there is no mention of him after 1861when he was a boarder at Lower Wick, Worcester. John William was born in Tasmania, Walter Francis in Sydney, Australia, Arthur in Great Malvern and another daughter Leonora Harriet in Woolwich.
The family first came to Malvern around 1861. In 1881 John was a Lieutenant General, still on the active list but by 1891 he was a re red General. At some point he was knighted and awarded the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George. KCMG denotes Knight Commander of St. Michael and St. George, a member of the second highest rank of a British order of knighthood. The order was not a military award and I do not know why he received it but he certainly gave devoted service to many important causes in Malvern and was chairman of the Local board for many years. He died at St. Leonards in St. James Road. His funeral was attended by many local dignities including Mr Alfred Baldwin M.P.
The funeral was reported by Berrows Worcester Journal on Saturday, January 19th 1895.
The plaque next to the window commemorates John and Leonora’s son, Arthur. Arthur was ordained a Deacon in1881, was a Curate at St. George’s Kidderminster 1881 - 1886 and from 1886 until he retired in 1918 he was Vicar at Leysters, in Herefordshire. When Arthur died, aged 85 in 1944, he was living at ‘The Flat’ Highcroft, in Graham Road. Neither of his sisters married. They continued to live in Malvern at Araghty, Avenue Road which was where they died, Leonara Harriet in 1924 and Mary Elizabeth in 1935.
The Haden Cope Window
The window in the children’s corner is dedicated to the wife and children of the Revd. Francis Haden Cope, Vicar of Holy Trinity from 1875 until 1903.
The words Purity and Charity are above the figures and below them:
‘HER CHILDREN ARISE UP AND CALL HER BLESSED’
Francis Haden Cope was the second son of wealthy wine merchant, Richard Cope & his wife Mary Ann. Francis was born on the 4 Jan 1824 in Ardwick, Manchester. He chose not to enter the family business but instead he entered St John'sCollege Cambridge in 1847, attaining a BA in 1851. The same year he was ordained and served in several parishes including Cleobury Mortimer and Leamington before coming to Holy Trinity in 1875.
In 1852 he married Elizabeth Norris at Manchester Cathedral and they went on to have seven children, three sons and four daughters.
Francis’ wife Elizabeth died in 1902 and the following year Francis Haden Cope re red and bought historic Bartestree Court, a massive old country house in Dormington where his son was the local Vicar. He died there in 1906 at the age of 82.
His second son Alfred Norris Cope also became a clergyman and was ordained at Worcester Cathedral in 1878. He became Vicar of Dormington with Bartestree, in Herefordshire in 1886. His son Richard Haden Cope farmed in the same area. Mabel Holker Haden Cope, the youngest daughter continued to live in Malvern where she was living at The Mill House, Clarence Road when she died in 1947, aged 80 years.
Sir H.E.F Lambert
On the south side of the chancel are two windows dedicated to Sir H.E.F Lambert.
Sir Henry Edward Francis Lambert was the nephew of Lady Emily Foley; his mother Anna Maria Foley was the sister of Lady Emily’s husband, Edward Thomas Foley.
Sir Henry succeeded to the title of 6th Baronet Lambert, of London on 17 December 1858. Born on the 7th June 1822, he married Eliza Catherine Hervey in 1860. Sadly when he died, 12 years later, he le nine young children the eldest 11 years old and the youngest just 18months. He died on the 15th June 19872, at the family home, The Lodge, Worcester Road, Malvern, which he had bought in 1859 when he was considered heir presumptive to Lady Emily Foley. Sir Henry worked tirelessly for the local people and held several important positions in the county. It was mainly through his e orts that Holy Trinity became an independent parish in 1869.
Over £500 was raised for a memorial - a monument in the form of a tomb was placed in the Priory and a large cross was erected over his grave in Malvern Cemetery.
The windows in our chancel depict the Good Shepherd and Christ the Light of the World. Both plaques have his name and dates but the larger plaque also has the inscription:
“THIS WINDOW IS PLACED IN HIS PARISH CHURCH BY THOSE WHO KNEW AND LOVED HIM WELL.”
C W Dyson Perrins
The East Window Dedicated to C W Dyson Perrins
If you climb into the pulpit you will see a brass pulpit stand with the inscription;
THE EAST WINDOW THE OAK PULPIT AND THE SEATING IN HOLY TRINITY CHURCH MALVERN WERE GIVEN BY C: W: DYSON PERRINS A:D:1901:AND 1908
The following extracts, from a timeline compiled from minutes of vestry meetings, church magazines and churchwardens notes, give us an insight into the time when these events were happening:
1902 - Special Vestry Meeting, Tuesday, January 21st, 1902
. This was called to approve disposal of the East Window ** for £20 to allow for the erection of a new East Window, the gift of C.W. Dyson-Perrins Esq and for any other business. The design for the new window was accepted. 31st March 1902 (Annual Vestry Meeting) Chancel decorations completed. The new East window installed
1907 - Vestry & Parish Meeting held in the Boys school, North Malvern, Thursday December 12th 1907. The Vicar read the following letter from Mr C W Dyson-Perrins 'I think the appearance of Holy Trinity Church might be much improved by the substitution of oak seats for the resent varnished pitch pine seating, and if it would be agreeable to yourself and others concerned, I would have much pleasure in presenting new oak seating throughout the Church. This was unanimously accepted. The question of the Parish room was then discussed. It was resolved, if possible, to build a parish room in the corner of the Churchyard.
1908 - The church reopened September 1908. Oak seating throughout the church, stalls and a new pulpit had been installed, given by C W Dyson Perrins at a cost of about £1,200. A new floor to the nave cost £100. During the progress of this work services were held in a tent in the churchyard.
[** I would love to know why it was felt necessary to dispose of the original window. Reports of the Consecration Service say that Mr Morris presented the window which "is filled with stained glass by Mr O'Connor, of London, and ranks with his best works." - Joan Colbourne]