St Saviour’s was built by a Mr Dethier of Christchurch to the designs of Speechly and Crisp on land donated by E. M. Templar for just over ₤400.
In 1867 the New Zealand press wrote the following of the windows:
“…It is well lighted, the east window being a rose over five lancets, and a large circular window at the west end…”[1]
St Saviour’s opening service occurred on Sunday the 3rd of November 1867[2] and it consecrated on Thursday 17th December 1868[3] by the Bishop of the Diocese.
A page from St Saviour’s history book includes the following entry:
“1881: Stained glass for east window arrives from Melbourne.”[4]
This entry gives the impression that the windows that were in place in 1867 may have only been plain or cathedral glass and the stained glass that exists today were erected circa 1881.
In 1998 the New Zealand Stained Historian, Fiona Ciaran, attributes these windows to Ferguson & Urie in her book Stained Glass Windows of Canterbury, New Zealand [5].
Photos taken 03/10/2010, courtesy of Errol Vincent, New Zealand.
[1] Press, Volume XII, Issue 1560, 6 November 1867, Page 2
[4] St Saviour’s Church, Templeton, New Zealand, church history book page 31.
[5] Stained Glass Windows of Canterbury, New Zealand. Fiona Ciaran, University of Otago Press, 1998. page 175.
Acknowledgements:
Special thanks to Errol & Ann Vincent for their enthusiasm for this family history and for undertaking the 1500 round trip to Templeton for the photos. Errol is a 2xGreat Grandson of James Ferguson of the Ferguson & Urie stained glass company.
Short link to this page: https://wp.me/p28nLD-us
Ferguson and Urie 