The Annunciation, Romsey Abbey, Hampshire, by James Powell and Sons, 1901, with a mosaic of the Rumsey arms above it. The window is in memory of Almaric Rumsey, a professor of Indian jurisrudence of Lincoln’s Inn, born 31 December 1825 and died 8 April 1899. The window was placed here by “his sorrowing widow,” although it is not clear why he is commemorated in the Abbey. The Rumsey family were important in the nunnery for several generations — one was a prebend — but had left the area long ago. One of the present members of the family has said that there was a family story that they descended from the illegitimate son of the Abbot of Romsey in the thirteenth century (a figment of the imagination since, being a nunnery, Romsey never had abbots). The story, however ill-founded, might explain the heraldic design of the mosaic above the window. [Click on the image to enlarge it.]
Photograph and text by parish historian Liz Hallett; perspective correction, captions and formatting by Jacqueline Banerjee. You may use these images without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the photographer and (2) link your document to the Victorian Web or cite it in a print one.
Related Material
- Closer view of the Rumsey arms opus sectile mosaic
- James Powell & Son's opus sectile work
- Romsey Abbey (this lists other stained glass windows in the church)
Bibliography
Eberhard, Robert. "Stained Glass Windows at Romsey Abbey, Hampshire." Church Stained Glass Windows. Web. 29 May 2019.
Hallett, Elizabeth. Romsey Abbey, the First 1100 Years (a chronological history), 2015 (available from Romsey Abbey, price £15, or via The Parish Office, parishoffice@romseyabbey.org.uk).
Created 29 May 2019