Window a focus for Down Under visitors

Though parts of the building can claim to be nine centuries old, it has seen so much alteration over the years that the earliest designs we see today date from only 1862. These, including the central three above the altar, were installed for the re-opening of the church after demolition and rebuilding of a chancel that had stood a mere 50 years.

Powell of Whitefriars' grisaille (grey background) trio illustrates in bright colours the Crucifixion (given by the then vicar, the Rev James Carnegie, in memory of his parents and aunt) with the Sermon on the Mount (from Bailiff and Churchwarden JS Turner) and Christ blessing little children from pupils of Seaford College (then at Corsica Hall) on either side. Twenty years later two more windows were fitted; on the south end beyond the college gift was added a depiction of St John, at the north end, St Paul. Many people are surprised to learn that this latter window has become a focus for visitors from New Zealand: it is dedicated to the memory of Mr Felton Mathew, one of the signatories to the Treaty of Waitangi (1840), the first between native Maoris and British settlers. 'He iwi tarn tatou . We are now one people'.

Powell's 1862 work also includes the two lancet windows in the north transept. The Ascension in memory of Charles Hincks, died 1813, and the Raising of Lazarus from members of the Simmons family.

The only other whole window of any age is 'the Kempe' of three saints, in the south aisle, from left to right 'St. Leonard Confessor' (with ball and chain signifying his patronage of prisoners), 'St Wilfrid Apostle of Sussex' and 'St Pancras Martyr', in memory of Mr BB Head. CE Kempe lived in Lindfield; various of his windows (there is one in Chichester Cathedral) can be identified by his trade mark golden corn sheaf (just visible here).

To the east of his window, the rose window and two lancets are comparatively modern replacing the originals '“ the Last Supper and Incidents in the life of Christ '“ destroyed by enemy bomb blast in the Second World War. Plain glass was substituted at the behest of the War Damage Commission. It was not till July 1958 that the replacements were installed. Small framing pieces are all that have survived to show where windows facing south and west were also wartime casualties: above the tower door had been a three-light depiction of Our Lord healing the sick, while to the south (my modern photograph shows plain glass) was a window in memory of the Rev Thomas Evans, vicar 1777-1815 and his family.

Mr Evans served the town twice as Bailiff '“ another of our colourful forefathers it would have been so exciting to meet! Under the influence of this energetic and imaginative man improvements were made to the sad condition of the church and its surroundings, culminating in the decision to rebuild the chancel (which survived till 1862, as mentioned earlier).

There had been yet another window facing south, at right angles to the Evans, roughly where now hangs the Millennium tapestry. This was so badly blasted that It had to be sealed off and never replaced. Intact since installation in 1924 in the memorial chapel are the twin lancets 'Charity' in memory of Mrs Clare Mellor and 'Sacrifice', Mr WS Galloway's tribute to his 18-year-old son Maurice, killed in France during the First World War.

PAT BERRY