Deborah, Huldah and Judith, from designs by Sir Edward Burne-Jones (1833-1898), made by the Morris Co. and installed in the north aisle of All Saints, Leek in 1933. Deborah holds a stringed instrument, Huldah a book, and Judith a sword and some leafy branches. All three of the women featured here were renowned for their achievements: Deborah was the first woman judge of Israel, a prophetess instrumental in the defeat of the king of the Canaanites in battle (Book of Judges, 4, 4 and 23). Huldah was a prophetess too (2 Kings 22, 14), and Judith heroically cut off the head of Holofernes, the chief captain of the army of Assur (Jusith 13, 6-8); receiving thanks from the women of Israel, she "gave branches to the women who were with her" (Judith 15, 12). The inscription tells us that the window, one of a number of Morris/Burne-Jones windows in this lovely church, is "A Thankoffering for the life of Thomas Grace," and was erected by his wife.
Photograph taken and kindly sent in by Michael Critchlow, who gave the information about the placing and date of the window. Text 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 this UR or cite the Victorian Web in a print one. Click on the image to enlarge it.]
Related Material
- Interior of All Saints' Leek (with a list of other windows from there which are shown on this site)
- Beheading Women (includes Judith)
Created 16 November 2015