St Margaret’s Eltham, Church Archives, 22nd November 1861.
St Margaret’s Church at Eltham has a letter in their archives from the Ferguson and Urie stained glass company dated the 22 November 1861, addressed to the Church Committee on the progress of the window. It mentions specifically the production of imitation ancient glass for the small end window as being the first in the colony. The window was reported to have cost £1 (one pound). This is the oldest extant stained glass window by the firm and whilst there were reports that this may have been done by James Urie and James Ferguson, this is highly unlikely. The artist John Lamb Lyon (1835-1916) joined the firm officially in late 1861 as a result of his encounter with Ferguson & Urie at the . This is definitely his work and would be amongst the earliest windows made at the Ferguson & Urie workshops in Curzon Street North Melbourne. The Artist David Relph Drape (1821-1882) officially joined the firm on the 8th November 1863.
Advertiser, Hurstbridge, Friday 22 July 1932, page 2.
‘Early History of the Church of St. Margaret’.
St Margaret’s Church Eltham awarded contracts for building the church and Ferguson & Urie were awarded the contract for windows and varnishing seats at £41.
( The reference to varnishing seats I believe to be incorrect).
ABOUT ST MARGARET’S:
The foundation stone for St Margaret’s was laid on the 4th of April 1861 and was built by George Stebbings to the designs of architect Nathaniel Billing. The Church was opened and dedicated on the 12 December 1861 and consecrated by the Rt.Rev. Bishop Thornton of Ballarat on the 16th of May 1876.
In 2000, St Margaret’s received a grant of $12,000 from Heritage Victoria to restore all the windows in the church and during the renovations, a Dossal erected behind the altar in 1935, was removed to reveal the historic Ferguson & Urie stained glass window which no one had seen for over 65 years.
As at 2012, the Ferguson & Urie window at St Mararet’s, Eltham, is the earliest known extant stained glass window by the company.
Photos taken 2nd January 2011.
St Margaret’s Eltham [summary 20110117]
Short link to this page: http://wp.me/p28nLD-21
Ferguson and Urie 