William Wailes (1838-1914)


Stained Glass firm established by William Wailes in Newcastle-on-Tyne in 1838. It quickly became one of the two largest workshops in England with a vast output (the other was Hardmans of Birmingham), and by 1851 William Wailes was employing 76 workmen. From 1838-45 he made windows for A.W.N. Pugin. Windows by Wailes are characterised by bright colours. Later work was more 'factually' Biblical, and even pictorial. After the death of William Wailes in 1881, the firm continued to make stained glass under the leadership of Thomas Rankine Strang, the son-in-law of William Wailes, using the name Wailes and Strang. Waile's daughter and Strang's wife, Margaret Janet Wailes, was probably the chief designer in the later stages of the firm's life.




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  Christ with the Virgin Mary and St John Christ with the Virgin Mary and St John
firm/studio: William Wailes
1849
Church of St Gastyn, Llangasty-Talyllyn, Powys
east wall of the chancel
  Scenes from the Life of the Virgin Mary Scenes from the Life of the Virgin Mary
firm/studio: William Wailes
1852
St Beuno's Jesuit Spirituality Centre, Tremeirchion, Denbighshire
chapel
  Scenes with St Winefride and St Beuno Scenes with St Winefride and St Beuno
firm/studio: William Wailes
1852
St Beuno's Jesuit Spirituality Centre, Tremeirchion, Denbighshire
chapel
  Christ, Virgin Mary and Saints Christ, Virgin Mary and Saints
firm/studio: William Wailes
1852
St Beuno's Jesuit Spirituality Centre, Tremeirchion, Denbighshire
sanctuary of the chapel
  Scenes from the Life of St Peter Scenes from the Life of St Peter
firm/studio: William Wailes
1866
Church of St Peter, Carmarthen, Carmarthenshire
north wall of the north transept (window number: nV)
  Scenes from the Life of Christ Scenes from the Life of Christ
firm/studio: William Wailes
about 1868
Church of St Beuno, Bettws Cedewain, Powys
east wall of the chancel
  The Crucifixion with Saints The Crucifixion with Saints
firm/studio: Wailes & Strang
1879
Church of St Elvan, Aberdare, Rhondda Cynon Taff
east wall of the chancel


Further reading

Ronald Torbet, The Wonderful Windows of William Wailes (Lancaster: Scotforth Books, 2003).

Paul Thompson, William Butterfield (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1971), p. 463.





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