York Minster’s Chapter House and its Painted Glass Narratives Volume 1 of 3 Ann Hilary Moxon PhD University of York History of Art December 2017 Abstract This thesis focuses on the late thirteenth-century narrative glazing scheme of the chapter house in York Minster and the political and religious context of its design. Created as an intrinsic and integrated part of one of the most elaborate and important buildings in the period, the glass has suffered interventions affecting both its appearance and the positions of its narrative panels. By examining the glass in the context of contemporary visual and textual material, it has been possible to reconstruct the original order of the panels and to identify the selection of episodes the lives of the saints, some for the first time. The study has demonstrated the extent to which the iconography was rooted in liturgy and theology relevant to the period which, in turn, reflected the priorities of a dominant group among the active members of Chapter for whose use the building was constructed and, by extension, the contemporary Church. Further, the glass shows strong Mariological themes which reflected features in the rest of the decorative scheme and the architecture of the chapter house, indicating that the glazing scheme may have been conceived as part of the architectural whole. The conclusions are supported by parallel research into the prosopography of the contemporary Chapter which additionally suggests that the conception of the programme may have had its roots in the baronial wars of the 1260s. 3 Table of Contents Volume 1 Abstract 3 List of Tables 5 Acknowledgements 6 Declaration 8 Chapters 9 Abbreviations 11 Glossary 12 Volume 2 Appendix A 13 Appendix B 14 Appendix C 15 Appendix D 19 Appendix E 19 Volume 3 Figures 20 Bibliography 25 4 List of Tables: Table 2.1: The locations of the most easily identifiable panels 110 in CHs2 Table 2.2: The locations of the less certain panels in CHs2 112 Table 2.3: Suggested original locations of the panels in CHs2 114 Table 2.4: The suggested sequence for the more secure 116 identifications and locations in Chn2 Table 2.5: The suggested sequence for Option 1 (CHn2:26 119 with an original A and CHn2:28 with an original B border) Table 2.6: The suggested sequence for Option 2 (CHn2:26 119 with an original B and CHn2:28 with an original A border) Table 3.1: Panels associated visually and/or thematically in 139 each window 5 Acknowledgements I am grateful to so many people for helping me with this project. My supervisors, Professor Jane Hawkes and Dr Jeanne Nuechterlein, rescued the thesis at a difficult time and set it on track. I cannot thank them enough for their professionalism, intellectual rigour and their generosity of spirit. In this bracket I also include Sarah Brown, both in her capacity as my Thesis Advisory Panel member and as Director of York Glaziers Trust. Professor Christopher Norton’s generosity in sharing his current research into the architecture of the Minster has been of enormous assistance. For other academic support, in alphabetical order, I am grateful to Aileen Bloomer, the late Professor Barrie Dobson, Oliver Fearon, Dr John Gough, Dr Louise Hampson, Dr Stuart Harrison, Dr Katherine Lewis, Dr Chloe Morgan, Professor Robert Swanson and Mark Williamson. I obviously take full responsibility for the use I have made of their valuable advice. For practical assistance, I thank, above all, Nick Teed and Anna Milsom for their photography, Nick for his refinement of the images in the run up to the final printing and Anna for her editing of the photographs and her advice on how to determine the age of glass. At York Minster Library and Archives, I have been helped by Peter Young, Steven Newman and Kirsty Mitchell. At York Minster, as well as Chapter, I should like to thank Andrew Arroll, John David, Paul Greene and the Scaffolding Team. For information and material, I am grateful to Greer Ashman, Dr James Hillson, Dr David Johnson, Ivan Martin, Jill and the late Hugh Murray, Beverley Parrish, Professor Virginia Raguin, Dr James Richardson and Dr Zoe Robinson. For practical assistance with the mysteries of IT, I thank Wendy Adams, Izzy Armstong-Frost, Mike Dunn, Mark Parvin and Matt Pidcock; for additional 6 photography I am grateful to Geoff Green and Katie Harrison, and, for proof- reading, Veronica Wallace. For personal support, I am indebted to Carol Clarke, Jonathan and Adi French, Ros Ibbison, Wendy Johnson, Linnie Marris, Susan Mason, John Rushton, and especially Howard Gregg, Dr Heather Swanson and Dr Dorothy Nott. Finally, this project would not have been possible without the expertise and dedication of Mr John Mancey-Jones and the Breast Cancer team at York District Hospital nor without the care of Dr Stephen Bilsborough at Priory Medical Group, York. Above all, I thank my husband, Chris Adams, for his practical assistance, for his patience, for his encouragement and for staying cheerful throughout. 7 Declaration: I declare that this thesis is a presentation of original work and I am the sole author. This work has not previously been presented for an award at this, or any other, University. All sources are acknowledged as References. 8 Chapters Introduction 27 I.1 Aims of the project 32 I.2 Methodology 33 I.3 The body of the research 37 Chapter 1: The History of the Chapter House and its Glass 39 1.1 Introduction 39 1.2 Patronage and construction 40 1.2.1. Key dates in the Chapter House construction 40 1.2.2. Responsibility for the project 46 1.2.3 Motivation: a focus on the transepts 53 1.2.4 Suggestions for the management of the project 57 after Dean Langton’s death 1.3 Introduction to the glazing interventions 60 1.4 Analysis of the glazing interventions 62 1.4.1 From installation to the testimony of James Torre, 63 1690-91 1.4.2 From James Torre to the description by John 69 Browne, 1690-91 to 1844-45 1.4.3 From John Browne, 1844-45, to the descriptions by 73 J.W. Knowles, 1890-1920 1.4.3.1 The chapter house restoration of 1844-45 75 1.4.3.2 The plan to copy the glass 76 1.4.3.3 The mid-nineteenth century 77 1.4.4..From J.W. Knowles to the reinsertion campaign 78 after World War II. 1.4.4.1.The re-leading exercise, 1929-32 79 1.4.4.2 The reinsertion of the chapter house 81 windows 1.5 Conclusion 86 Chapter 2: Reconstructions of the original windows 91 2.1 Introduction 91 2.2 Three straightforward windows: CHs3, CHn4 and CHs4 95 2.2.1 CHs3: Narrative of Paul 95 2.2.2 CHn4: Narrative of Katherine of Alexandria 97 2.2.3 CHs4: Narratives of the Five Saints 99 2.3 Four problematic windows: CH1, CHs2, CHn2 and CHn3 102 2.3.1 CH1: The Passion and Resurrection window 102 2.3.2 CHs2: Narrative of Peter 107 2.3.2.1 Reconstruction 109 2.3.3 CHn2: Narrative of the Virgin 115 2.3.4 CHn3: Narrative of William of York 122 2.3.4.1 Reconstruction 125 2.4 Comments on the heraldic scheme 131 2.5 Conclusion 134 Chapter 3: A unified glazing scheme 137 3.1 Introduction 137 9 3.2 Theological influences 137 3.2.1 Narrative structures: central positions (4c and 6c) 138 3.2.2 Narrative structures: corner positions (2e and 8a) 147 3.2.3 Narrative structures: corner positions (2a/b and 155 8e) 3.2.4 Possible theological underpinnings 160 3.2.5 Deliberate or coincidental? 166 3.3 Liturgical influences 172 3.3.1 The narrative of Peter 172 3.3.2 The Assumption of the Virgin Mary 176 3.4 Conclusion 183 Chapter 4: A Marian and virginal focus 187 4.1 Introduction 187 4.2 Focus on the Virgin Mary 187 4.2.1 The importance of CHn2: the Life of the Virgin 187 4.2.2 The relationship between CHn2 and CH1 191 4.2.3 The Virgin Mary in the painted decoration of the 194 chapter house 4.2.3.1 Flora and foliage 197 4.2.3.2 Construction analogies 202 4.2.4 The Virgin Mary: a pervasive theme 205 4.3 The links between the virgin saints and the Virgin Mary 206 4.3.1 Katherine of Alexandria 208 4.3.2 Margaret of Antioch 214 4.3.3 Significance of the location of the female saints 217 4.3.4 Virginal associations of the male saints 219 4.3.5 Theological underpinning 222 4.4 Sculptural context 224 4.5 Architectural context 231 4.6 Reassessment of the Five Saints Window 238 4.7 Conclusion 241 Conclusion 245 C.1 The windows 245 C.1.1. The narrative of the Passion and Resurrection 246 C.1.2. The narrative of St Peter 249 C.1.3. The narrative of the Virgin Mary 251 C.1.4. The narrative of St Katherine 254 C.1.5 The narratives of the Five Saints 257 C.1.6. The narrative of St Paul 258 C.1.7. The narrative of St William 260 C.2. The context 262 C.3. Future research 268 10 Abbreviations BAA British Archaeological Association BL British Library BLTT British Library Thomason Tract CCR Calendar of Close Rolls CPR Calendar of Patent Rolls CVMA Corpus Vitrearum Medii Aevi DBA Thomas Woodcock and Sarah Flowers, Dictionary of British Arms: Medieval Ordinary.