St Mary, Stopham, Heraldic Glass

What an awful day! It did not stop raining all day and by 6.30pm, we had had 31mm. I felt very sorry for all those who had organised events and those who went - it cannot have been very pleasant at all.

We went out and visited the garden centre at Pulborough and after visited Stopham Church for today's picture which is close by. This is a very old church and has a lot of stained glass. The interior is quite dark due to this but it can show up well when the light levels are lower and cloudy. This window is unusual as it is the chancel east window that normally will show something religious. This is entirely secular as it shows a series of heraldic shields connected to the Bartellot Family who have lived in the area since at least Norman times I believe. The family as many gentry families did, married into lots of the other large local families. These shields are divided up into quarters and that's about all I know - Heraldry is a very interesting but complicated subject and to decipher all these will need a real expert! I don't know the date of this window but it could be from the late 17th or well into the 18th Centuries.