This is a catalogue of the pre-Gothic Revival stained glass found at 50 sites in Cheshire. Many of these are churches, but there are also domestic residences and other buildings. Highlights include an important 14th-century regional workshop, probably based in Chester, whose output survives at 9 sites in the county; 16th-century armorials and donors; a fascinating window of 1581 at High Legh which demonstrates the Elizabethan religious settlement; a unique window commemorating the English Civil War; and a plethora of 17th-century quarries depicting a wide range of subjects such as English monarchs, classical sibyls, military drill and menial occupations. The county's outstanding collections of foreign panels are also catalogued.
The stained glass of the neighbouring county of Lancashire appears in CVMA, Great Britain, Summary Catalogue 8, The Medieval Stained Glass of Lancashire. The introduction discusses many aspects of the stained glass of both counties: documentary sources, donors and heraldry, condition, iconography, as well as examining the style and techniques used by the glass-painters. This catalogue will be essential for scholars and students of the history of medieval and early modern art, and for all those interested in the social and religious history of Tudor and Stuart Cheshire.
