Yesterday evening, our 2019 Les Bradshaw Memorial Lecture was a very interesting talk about the Betley Window by Laurence Bennion of Betley Old Hall. The event was also dedicated to our former archivist, Gregor Shufflebotham, who died earlier this year and spent time with Laurence both researching and discussing the subject. Between them, they accumulated significant amounts of information and illustrations about this very special May Day window.
BLHS Chair, David Becket, introducing our speaker, Laurence Bennion
The original Betley Window dates from the 16th or 17th century and is now on display in The Victoria and Albert Museum. Exact dating of the window is problematic. Arguably, as Laurence explained, it might be considered to be pre-1535 as none of the male characters have a beard and the clothing of the figures is characteristic of the period. On the other hand, the V&A dates it at 1535 or later because of the nature of the enamelling on the glass.
George Tollet 3rd wrote extensive notes about the window, running to some 5000 words, in Johnson's and Steevens's Shakespeare. Laurence discussed, in detail, each of the individual characters appearing in the window, drawing on Tollet's words and supplementing these with high resolution images.
The window also links to Barnard Flower who originally came from Antwerp to England and was, for a while, the Kings Glazier. His work included glass in Westminster Abbey and Kings College Chapel in Cambridge and at the Tower of London.
We heard that other 14th century artefacts show similar figures to those in the window - some from Israhel van Meckenem depicting early Morris dancers being a case in point.
A resident of Betley, Ralph Thicknesse, is reported to have believed that the window was transferred to Betley Hall from Heighley Castle when the castle was demolished in the 1640s during the English Civil War.
The window passed from Betley Old Hall to Betley New Hall and, in 1922, it went to Sotheby's and thence to Leigh Manor near Minsterley in Shropshire. In 1976 it was gifted to the nation and transferred to the V&A.
Laurence finished his excellent talk by sharing the enticing prospect that, ultimately, there may be a replacement for the copy of the Betley Window that was tragically destroyed in the fire at Betley Court earlier this year - this time housed in its former home of Betley Old Hall.