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In All Saints, High Wycombe Parish Church, Buckinghamshire.
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...........................................................................Giving thanks to God for peace restored
...........................................................................in South Africa, May mcmii, in the year
...........................................................................of the Crowning of King Edward vii, the
...........................................................................Parishioners of Wycombe dedicate this window
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....A further advance in the adornment of the grand old Parish Church of High Wycombe was made on Saturday [16.1.1904] by the dedication of a new stained glass window as a memorial of the termination of the Boer War in South Africa. This window is the easternmost one in the south wall of the Bower Chapel, or south chancel aisle. The portion of the church is late Perpendicular and extremely plain as regards its architectural features; but before the Reformation it was one of the most lavishly decorated parts of the building. The window unveiled on Saturday is a large four-light one, in which the mullions extend right up to the head, and it contains no tracery of any description. This was, perhaps, an advantage to the artist, Mr. C. E. Kempe, as it supplied him with the whole surface of the window in which to place his design, and allowed free scope for the introduction of some elegant tabernacle work of a delicate and pearly character above the figures, and which he has thrown into relief by back-grounds of dark blue and red alternately.
....The service for the dedication of the Peace Memorial Window took place at half-past one o'clock, and was attended by many of the local Oxfordshire Light Infantry, Yeomanry, Volunteers, Church Lads' Brigade, &c., who were accommodated with standing room inside the Bower Chapel near the window. The service commenced with the hymn "O God, our help in ages past" (A. and M. 165) sung in procession. The assistant priests and choir remained in the chancel, while the Vicar proceeded to the Bower Chapel and requested the Mayor of Wycombe, Mr. D. Clarke, to unveil the window. His Worship expressed his pleasure in complying with the Vicar's request to perform the ceremony as General Lord Grenfell, who had promised to do so, was prevented by his duties from being present. They were all heartily pleased when the war was brought to an end, and he was glad that there was to be a permanent memorial of the declaration of peace, and he thought the window they had met to dedicate was a very appropriate one. He hoped that the peace of which it was a memorial would last for many years, and he was pleased to formally unveil the window.
....Suiting the action to the word, the Mayor then drew back the curtain, which had hung in front of the window, exposing its beautiful design and colouring, and as the sun was at the moment shining brilliantly those persons who were so placed as to be in full view of the window must have had a very pleasing introduction to it. The service then proceeded—the Lesser Litany, Our Father, Versicles and Responses, Psalm cxxii. (to Mornington in D), Versicles and Responses, three prayers including the Dedicatory collect, hymn—"Praise the Lord (292 A. and M.) A collection was made on behalf of the Memorial Fund while this was being sung.
....The Vicar then gave an address upon the subject of the window, and the saints commemorated therein. "God Save the King" was then sung, and the service was brought to a conclusion with the Benediction pronounced from the altar in the Bower Chapel, at which all the service had taken place. A large number of the congregation passed through the chapel to see the new window, which was an object of general admiration.
....I must now give in a little fuller detail a description of the window. It is, as I have already indicated, of four lights, and in each light stands the figure of a saint. At the right hand side of the window near the bottom is the following:—"Giving thanks to God for peace restored in South Africa, May, MCMII , in the year of the crowning of King Edward VII., the parishioners of Wycombe dedicate this window." The figures depicted in the several lights are as follow:—
....First Light.—St Oswald, crowned, holding a sceptre and palm of victory in his right hand, in his left, a wooden cross; on his breast a cross with a lion rampant in each angle. "S'tus Oswaldus Rex."
....Second Light.—St. George, holding in his right hand a staff with St. George's ensign, red crosses on his breast and shield, trampling down dragon of evil, garter on his right knee. "S'tus Georgius." ....Third Light.—St. Sebastian, holding two arrows m his right hand, the palm of victory in his left, which rests upon a shield; the face of a lion on each knee. "S. Sebastianus Martyr."
....Fourth Light.—St. Edmund, crowned, holding in his right hand two arrows and a palm branch, his left hand on a shield charged with three crowns, through each two arrows crossing each other. "S. Edmundu' Rex et Martyr."
....All the figures are ornamented with crowned initials of their names. ....The funds for the memorial window were contributed chiefly at the services of thanksgiving which were held when the soldiers returned from the war.
Bucks Herald, Saturday 23rd January 1904