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The silver-stained roundels and other small windows around the church came from St. James Pockthorpe. When the windows there were re-glazed in 1954, older glass was incorporated from the collection of the Norwich glazier Dennis King. Several of the roundels - including one that depicts the parable of the rich man and Lazarus - are 16th-century Flemish glass.
According to the page about St Mary Magdalene on the website Norfolk Stained Glass, the windows were removed from St James and then stored until at least 1977, before being installed at St Mary Magdalene. The work may have been done by G. King & Son, a local glazing firm.
The windows are all illustrated below. They depict: (i) Dives and Lazarus; (ii) an unidentified biblical scene; (iii) St James the Great; (iv) St Barbara; (v) St Lucy; (vi) - (ix) four scenes from the Passion; (x); St Mary Magdalene; (xi) St John; (xii) an unknown saint; (xiii) St Andrew; (xiv) St James the Great.
Click on an image in the gallery to see it in greater detail.
(i) The parable of the rich man and Lazarus the beggar, with dogs and servants at the rich man's feast (West window (left)).
Lazarus sits with his feet stretched out in the foreground. Steps lead to an open room where Dives and his family are feasting.
Roundel, 28cm. Condition. Several leads. Technique. Black paint, light and dark yellow stain.
Attribution/Sources. In the style of the School of Antwerp, c.1550. The window was in the centre of the north side of the nave at St James.
(ii) Dives in hell (West window (right)).
Dives is surrounded by devils and snakes points to his mouth and looks at Lazarus above the clouds in God's lap.
Roundel, 26.6cm. Technique. Black paint, light and dark yellow stain.
Attribution/Sources. Not a companion to roundel on its left. In the style of the School of Antwerp. Date. c.1550. The window was in the centre of the north side of the nave at St James.
(iii) St James, shown bearded and wearing a scallop shell (North window (left)). The window was in the restored east window at St James Church.
(iv) St Barbara, holding a castle (North window (middle)). The window was in the restored east window at St James Church.
(v) St Lucy, with a dagger in her throat. Lucy committed her life to Christ and pledged to remain a virgin. She was forced into prostitution and unharmed when her eyes were torn out and she was burned alive. She was killed with a dagger. (North window (right)). The window was in the restored east window at St James Church.
(vi) The betrayal of Jesus: at the moment he is kissed by Judas Iscariot, who is shown holding his reward, while soldiers capture Jesus, and a disciple attacks a soldier. (South aisle (left window - top)).
On the right a soldier holds Christ with a rope and another is about to put a noose on him.
Roundel, 22.5cm. Technique. Black paint, a little yellow stain.
Attribution/Sources. After an engraving of Jacob Cornelisz from his Large Passion. No.3 of a series of twelve dated 1512. Also at Holy Trinity, Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire; St Mary, Addington, Buckinghamshire; the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. (Inv. RBK 1966). Date. c.1540.
Bibliography. Steinbart 1937,46.
The window was in the Lady Chapel at St James.
(vii) Jesus bearing his Cross - also depicted are Simon of Cyrene (assisting Jesus) and Veronica , with the image of Jesus on her cloth. (South aisle (left window - left)).
Christ bends under the weight, Simon helps him. A large building to the left.
Roundel, 23cm. Technique. Black paint, yellow stain.
Attribution/Sources. In a style similar to Jacob Cornelisz, c.1525.
The window was in the Lady Chapel at St James.
(viii) Jesus being nailed to the Cross by his executioners, with a Roman officer looking on (South aisle (left window - right)).
Two men nail Christ's hands. A third has a large augur and makes a hole in the cross for the nail for the feet. In the background, Jerusalem.
Roundel, 22.8cm. Technique. Black paint, yellow stain, c.1525.
The window was in the Lady Chapel at St James.
(ix) The body of Jesus at the tomb, attended by mourners (South aisle (left window - bottom)).
Christ is being carried by Nicodemus, Simon and others to a tomb on the right. Mary Magdalene is also on the right.
Rectangular, 18cm x 24cm. Technique. Black paint, lemon yellow stain, brick red enamel for the tomb.
Attribution/Sources. After a print of Philip Galle of a drawing by Jan van der Straet, No.33 of a series on the Life of Christ. Also an oval in the Byloke Museum, Ghent. There are many omissions from the print. 17th century.
(x) St Mary Magdalene in a rural setting, holding a crucifix and a bible (South aisle (above left door)).
She stands in a landscape and holds a crucifix. Oval, 25cm x 21.5cm. Technique. Black paint, yellow stain.
Attribution/Sources. After a print of Jacob Matham of a drawing by Hendrick Goltzius, one of a series of the Virtues and Vices. Also at St Lawrence, West Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. 17th century.
(xi) St John the Evangelist, attended by an eagle (South aisle (above right door)).
He writes his Gospel. The eagle has his claw on another book on the ground.
Roundel, 26cm approximately. Condition. Some loss of paint and many leads. Technique. Black paint, yellow stain, enamel. 17th century. The window was in the transept (Lady Chapel) at St James Church.
(xii) St Matthew attended by an angel (Inside the office (middle)).
He sits in front of a bulbous column decorated with trefoils. The angel puts her finger on a word in his book.
Roundel, 23cm. Condition. Several fractures. Technique. Black paint, light and dark yellow stain, enamels.
Attribution/Sources. A slight variant of an engraving by Hieronymus Wierix of a drawing by Adrian de Weerdt. 17th century. Bibliography. Mauquoy-Hendrickx 1979, No.848
(xiii) St Andrew (Inside the office (left)).
He stands in a landscape with his cross on his left. S ANDREAS across the top and across the bottom CREDO IN DEUM PATREM OMNIPOTEN/TEM CRE-ATOREM CO..I ET TERRAE.
Rectangular, 30.5cm x 15cm.
Condition. A matt over all and colours very faded. Technique. Light black paint, yellow stain, enamels. Attribution/Sources.
Companion to St James. 17th century. The window was in the of north of the chancel at St James Church.
(xiv) St James the Great (Inside the office (right)).
He stands in a landscape. Across the top S JACOBUS MAIOR and below QUI CONCEPTUS EST DE SPIRI-TU/SANCTO NATUS EX MARIA VIRGINE.
Rectangular, 30.5cm x 15cm. Condition. A matt over the whole, but the glass is faded. Technique. Light black paint, yellow stain, enamels.
Attribution/Sources. 17th century.
Further information
Cole, William (1993). A Catalogue of Netherlandish and North European Roundels in Britain. London: British Academy. ISBN 9780197261163 .
Husband, Timothy B. (2019) 'The Silver-Stained Roundel in Northern Europe' in Investigations in Medieval Stained Glass . Brill https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004395718_024
Long, Sydney (1961). The History of the Church and Parish of St. James with Pockthorpe, Norwich. Ramsgate: The Church Publishers.
http://norfolkstainedglass.org/St_Mary_Magdalen/home.shtm (there is little further information here, but the quality of the images of the windows is excellent)
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