Kempe's Windows in Brighton
Kempe was a Sussex man. He was born in Ovingdean Hall near Brighton.
St. Nicholas Church in the centre of Brighton has a complete set of his windows. They tell the story of the life of Christ. It is interesting to compare his Annunciation at St. Nicholas with the same subject by Morris at Selsley. Kempe's Mary is far more richly dressed than Morris's. Kempe placed his family coat of arms of three gold wheat sheaves on a red shield in several of these windows, though in most churches only one wheat sheaf is used. St Nicholas is open from 1 to 4.30pm pm on Saturdays.
St Peter's Church in Brighton was designed by Charles Barry, some time before he and Pugin designed the Houses of Parliament, and before Victoria became queen. It has some Victorian windows by Kempe. Amongst others, there are a fine Child Jesus in the Temple and Christ with the fishermen.
St Paul's in Brighton has a set of windows by Pugin but it also has a few very fine windows by Kempe. Each shows a different saint. The image below is a detail from St. Thomas More. The Church is open to visitors on Saturdays.
Thomas More is an unusual choice of saint for an Anglican Church, as Henry VIII had him beheaded for refusing to swear that Henry was Head of the Church and not the Pope. He has the SS collar which he wore as Lord Chancellor, a post which he resigned when Henry married Anne Boleyn. Notice how most of this window is made from clear glass, painted with black pigment and yellow stain, but with flashed ruby glass for More's gown.