Andrew Rigby Gray and William Meikle & Sons, south nave window (1913), Lamlash Parish Church, Lamlash, Isle of Arran.

Photo: Peter Hildebrand

Andrew Rigby Gray and William Meikle & Sons, detail of south nave window (1913), Lamlash Parish Church, Lamlash, Isle of Arran.

Photo: Peter Hildebrand

Lamlash Parish Church, Lamlash, Isle of Arran

Address

Lamlash Parish Church, Lamlash, Isle of Arran KA27 8LR

Recommended by

Iain B Galbraith (10)

Highlight

Revd. Peter Robertson memorial window, liturgical north wall of the nave

Artist, maker and date

Reason for highlighting

The detail shown, ‘Gloria’, is one of a series of miniatures forming part of the larger single light window. The others are a cymbalist, a triangle players and an astonished cherub. Each is an accomplished study. Gloria’s strange closed face; her dark hair & golden halo circlet; her realistic cello & strings fingering; all against a light foreground palette and dark green foliage background containing dark blue and pink patches.

Other comments

This handsome church by H & D Barclay (1884-6) also contains fine stained glass windows from Robert Anning Bell (‘Blessed are the Peacemakers’ with its dark blue palette, c.1909), Gordon Webster (Resurrection window, 1951 and Fishers of Men, 1981) and Christian Shaw (Earth, Sea and Heaven with its circling doves, 1993)

The future of the building is currently uncertain as the church closed at the end of October 2023 and the building has been put up for sale.

Artist/maker notes

Andrew Rigby Gray (1875-1962) studied at the Royal College of Art. He was William Meikle and Sons’ principal designer after 1907, taking over from JT Stewart.

William Meikle and Sons was one of the leading Glasgow firms of stained glass makers. It was founded in 1836, but only started working in glass in 1886, just two years before the management pasted to the founder’s son, William T Meikle. Equally important was the arrival in 1892 of John Tytler Stewart (1858-1930) as principal designer.

Source: Scotland’s Stained Glass Making the Colours Sing by Michael Donnelly (Historic Scotland, 1977)