St. Modan's Church

There are two Douglas Strachan windows in the South transept. The first you come to is a window dedicated to Mr Lorne Campbell, the factor to the Duke of Argyll, who walked with his family each Sunday the four miles over the moors to the church. His widow presented the window to the church. Princess Louise is said to have had great influence in choosing Strachan as the artist.

The windows relate to the text "and with his hands he healed them" and to the text referring to Christ carrying the cross "For us men and for our salvation"

The Lorne Campbell Window

You can see from this general image that these windows are a big departure from the earlier ones. This window was installed in 1915 and follow the artistic conventions of the time. As in all Strachan's work there is a clear Arts and Crafts influence, but with a distinctive Scottish expression.

Healing, Upper

Healing, Lower

There is a strong composition within the two windows as a set and also within each window. But I find myself drawn to the faces.

Healing, Detail

This, I presume, is a father bringing his son to be healed. The determination shown in the father's partially turned head combined with the uplifted head of the son exhibiting an enduring nature is affecting.

The peaceful appearances of the angels above the whole scene provide assurance all will be well. Still not all of theme are serene. Some seem to be pressing to get a view too.

Here you have two figures looking on critically. Are they the religious leaders making certain all is done within the appropriate bounds? A thin lipped Jesus proceeds to lay his hand on a daughter while raising her up with the other.

The exhausted father looks hopefully toward Jesus while the daughter seems to be wide-eyed with trust.

In the other part of the window Strachan uses the theme of salvation through the crucifixion.

Crucifixion, upper

Crucifixion, Lower

Here Christ takes the weight of the cross, staring at the ground. The soldiers are not impassive, one seems to be full of grim determination to see it through, while the other through the glance to the side seems to have some sympathy.

Is this his mother, full of despair supported by Joseph or one of his brothers?

All of this is watched over by the crowd of angels, again they jostle each other for a view.

Much more information about Douglas Strachan and his works can be found on Wikipedia and Ecclesiart.

St. Modan's Church

There is a small window just opposite the entry to the church and next to the large Clayton and Bell window in the East transept. This also is by Clayton and Bell. It was dedicated by his father in memory of Captain McLeod Campbell who was drowned at sea in 1888.

The image is of Christ walking on the water. I am not sure this was entirely appropriate, but I assume the father approved.

St. Modan's Church

The Window at the East end of the church is in memory of the Rev. McLeod Campbell who was welcomed at Rosneath after being shunned by the church at large for writing a book The Nature of Atonement which asserted that salvation and atonement were available to all and not just the elect few.

The window was designed by the Edinburgh firm of Clayton and Bell and installed in 1873.

Clayton and Bell 1873

Left Window Architectural Detail

More of Left Hand Architectural Detail

Left Lancet Depicting Christ in Gethesmane

Lower Portion of Left Lancet with Architectural Detail

The central portion depicts the text "I am the bread of life"

Architectural Detail of the Central Panel

The Central Image

Image and Details at the Foot of the Central Panel

The Image on the Right is clearly influenced by the Holman Hunt painting which had great popularity at the time and continuing influence today.

Architectural Detail at the Top of the Right Lancet

Architectural Detail Above the Main Image

"Behold I Stand at the Door and Knock"

Details at the Foot of the Window

St. Modan's Church

The oldest window of in the church is known as the Oliphant window as it was gifted by a Mrs Oliphant, a writer who was a frequent visitor to Rosneath Manse. It is dedicated to the memory of her daughter who died while holidaying in Rome.

The theme is Jesus the Lamb of God. It depicts Jesus with children, being crucified, and as the good shepherd. It was designed by A Maitland and installed in 1862.

General view

Tracery Detail

Jesus with the Children

Crucifixion

Angels over the Good Shepherd

The Good Shepherd

St. Modan's Church

Although St Modan's is a relatively small church, it has a wealth of significant window makers from the late 19^th century into the latter half of the 20^th century.

The oldest window in the church and originally was in the East Window of the Chancel. It was designed by A Maitland and installed in 1862.

Maitland, 1862

Other windows include the Edinburgh company of Clayton and Bell who put two windows into the church. The first was installed in 1973 in the West window.

Clayton and Bell, 1873

This small window has the memorial date of 1888, but was installed later that that.

Clayton and Bell, after 1888

There are two Douglas Strachan windows of 1908 and 1915 in the South transept.

Strachan, 1908

Strachan, 1915

The window in the Chancel is by Stephen Adam & Son, installed in 1921. This is strange to me, as I thought the partnership between father and son had been dissolved before WWI.

Stephen Adam and Son, 1921

In the chapel there is a window by CE Stewart installed in 1955.

C E Stewart, 1955

In a small window to the right of the Chancel is a small lancet window by Crear McCartney, installed in 1996.

McCartney, 1996

There also is a set of windows by Gordon Webster installed in 1976 which I was unable to photograph as it was covered in scaffolding due to roof repairs. This, of course, forms an excuse to attend the church again.

This provides a taste of the windows, I will show pictures of each of the windows in turn.

St. Modan's Church

St Modan's Church is located in Rosneath, Arglyshire, Scotland. It is on the site of one of the oldest christian churches in Scotland. St Monan came to Scotland about the same time as St Columba. It is reputed that St Monan died around 700 CE at a well named after him which was the location of the first church – a wattle and daub structure. An incised stone was discovered in the 19^th century which is thought to be his grave covering.

St Modan's Stone

A church building is known to have existed by 1199, This was replaced by another in the 16^th century and again after the reformation in the 17th. This was a cruciform church of very plain structure which the Duke of Argyll apparently referred to as the barn. The remaining walls of the church in the graveyard indicate how plain the structure was.

17th century church from the south west

17th century church from the West

More information on the archaeology of the site can be found on Scotland's Places

The graveyard contains the only known grave in Scotland of an African slave. Robert Story came to Scotland as a freed slave and became a servant of the minister of the church, Rev. Robert Story. He took the minister's name as a mark of respect apparently. The graveyard continued to be used into the early 20th century.

Graveyard from the North

Some stones hark back to earlier periods, such as these two 19^th century stones made to recall an earlier period.

The older stones such as this one show quite a different outlook although hard to interpret.

The fifth and present church on this site was completed in 1853. It has been expanded several times, each one keeping faith with the materials and form of the original church. It was the church in which Princess Louise, daughter of Queen Victoria and her husband the Duke of Argyll worshipped. The East Transept faces the main road through the town.

East Transept

The 1853 building consisted only of the East - West transept. The North and South transepts were added later.

The entrance is at the right side of the South transept.

South Transept

The North transept as the oldest window, a Claton and Bell one from 1873.

North Transept

Perhaps as a result of the titled interest, the church has a wealth of objects, decoration and stained glass from the 19^th to 20^th centuries. The church was opened in 1853 with a single isle. The North and then the South transepts were added later.

Interior facing the Chancel

The chancel roof is highly decorated for a Scottish presbeterian church.

South Chancel Roof

The altar is highly decorated with a painting of the last supper above. It also contains a modern representation of St Modan preaching.

Just outside the chancel is erected the stone discovered buried in the 19^th century and thought to be St Modan's gravestone.

Further posts will be about the glass, of which there is considerable.