Sarah
Hawkins Genealogy Site
Newspaper
Articles
The Western Chronicle and Three Shires Advertiser. Friday 10 Apr 1925
Page 6 Column 6
<some letters in this article are missing, I've acknowledge them with an underscore _>
SOUTH PETHERTON.
SCHENCK MEMORIAL WINDOW.
Unveiling Ceremony.
Vicar and the Gift.
On Sunday morning the new stained glass window placed in the lady chapel of the Parish Church at South Petherton in memory of the late John Edward SCHENCK was unveiled and dedicated in the presence of a large congregation. In the absence of representatives of the family, the unveiling was performed by the churchwardens, Mr. J. F. BROUGHTON and Mr. W. P. IRISH, and the dedicatory prayers were taken by the Vicar (the Rev. W. T. PHILLIPS). The window is the gift of the family and was designed by Mr. A. K. NICHOLSON (London), the main subject is the Nativity and the Adoration of the Shepherds; and this covers the centre portion of the three lights with the Angelic Choir above. Below the main design are three smaller panel pictures showing the presentation of Christ, the Magnificat and the finding of Our Lord in the Temple whilst in the tracery are four figures, the centre ones being St. Anne and St. Elizabeth, and the other two _epresenting the Woman of Canuean(?) and the unmarried woman of the Gospels sometimes associated with St. Mary Magdeline. The artist has produced unison which is of an unusual design but which is also of very high merit as a work of art and the church at Petherton is to be congratulated upon the new and worthy adornment. _n his address the Vicar referred to the beautiful gift. It is with real pride and pleasure, he said, that we who are connected with this Parish Church are able this morning to receive into our charge the offering of the window, which has been made by the representatives of the family of the late _ohn Edward SCHENCK, who was a resident in our parish for a period of about 30 years, and who died in January of last year at the age of 73. I need scarcely say that we will value this offering not only for its own particular merits(?) as a work of art and not only because its design is so especially appropriate as a setting for our Lady Chapel but as a record of the really generous instinct of our friend towards the church in this parish generally. Although so long resident in the parish Mr. SCHENCK was comparatively unknown to large numbers of the people as for so many years he was incapacitated by a malady and was confined to his rooms or to the near vicinity of his residence. So long as his health permitted Mr. SCHENCK was a devout Churchman – most generous in his _ifts to church funds and was ever ready to help those in distress. In the words of a former vicar with whom he served as churchwarden – He was generous to a fault and a great friend to the poor. In conclusion, the Vicar stated “That as a work of art the window will, like every other window have its critics but may it be accepted by everyone for the truth it conveys as I am sure it will be treasured by us in memory of our friend.”