In the County Hall Museum, the four large windows facing the Market Place contain heraldic windows. In 1881 when St Nicolas Church was being restored not too much care was given to these same windows, and they were disposed of, some being used in Old Abbey House and some at Barton Court – both private houses at the time. In 1938 there was a movement to get the windows restored to public view at the County Hall. Old Abbey House had become the property of Abingdon Corporation and used as municipal offices, and Barton Court had become the property of the Convent of our Lady, and both donated the glass.

A recent exhibition at the museum had all these windows labelled and described. The shields of the best known Abingdonians appear in the first window….

1. A cross and four martlets (heraldic birds)

2. An eagle part blue and part silver

3. Three teasels

4. A silver griffin

5. Three battering rams and a coronet.

Can you put the right shield with the right name?

a) Thomas Tesdale of Fitzharry’s, Abingdon – benefactor of Roysse’s School and Pembroke College in Oxford

b) John Roysse – founder of Roysse’s School (to become Abingdon School)

c) Abingdon Abbey

d) Bertie – Earl of Abingdon

e) John Blacknall – bequeathed money to St Nicolas and for a bread charity for the poor, and well remembered by a large monument in St Nicolas Church.

I’ll add the answers in a comment unless somebody beats me to it. By the way I did ask at the museum desk to borrow the little booklet describing ALL the windows so I do know.

Thanks to K for this picture of ‘What’s Up Folk’ – the resident big band from John Mason School, Abingdon. The picture was taken a couple of weeks a go when they headlined at Kennington Village Hall.

The band is made up of a mixture of students and staff from the School and the 15 members have been working hard to earn their stripes. They sold out at last year’s Oxfolk Folk Festival and went down a storm at Towersey Village Festival. Featuring a diverse range of instruments from a brass section, strings and cahon.

On the subject of John Mason, there is an exhibition at the school’s 06 Gallery featuring David Hockney’s etchings of six Grimms Fairy Tales. It is during school hours until 13th March.

The evening included a good meal from the caterers at the Guildhall, a speech by an ex Dalton Barracks commander, and dancing to the music of Catch 22, and a raffle.