Historic Melton: The Martyrs’ Window at St Mary’s Church
The Rev. William Morris Colles was a Curate within the Parish of Melton Mowbray from 1848 to 1866, after which he became the Vicar until his death in 1889.
In his memory, Colles Memorial Hall was built, and two windows in the Church were erected to commemorate his work he carried out whilst serving at St Mary’s.
Set above the tomb of the Crusader in the South Aisle is a window which was the gift of Rev. William Colles’ son and daughter of in memory of ‘One who was faithful unto death’ and is known as the Martyrs’ Window.
The window portrays three individuals from the Tudor period who became part of the ‘Noble Army of Martyrs’, namely Nicholas Ridley, Bishop of London; Hugh Latimer, Bishop of Worcester, and Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury. But why would we have a stained-glass window in St Mary’s commemorating the Oxford Martyrs?
Hugh Latimer was a local lad, a son of a wealthy farmer from Thurcaston in Leicestershire. He studied at Cambridge University, graduating with a Master of Arts degree in April 1514 and he was ordained as a priest on the 15th July 1515.
In 1535, he became Bishop of Worcester and on 22nd May 1538, at the insistence of Thomas Cromwell, he preached the final sermon before Franciscan Friar John Forest was burnt at the stake.
In 1539, he opposed Henry VIII’s Six Articles, with the result that he was forced to resign his bishopric and imprisoned in the Tower of London. He subsequently served as chaplain to Katherine Duchess of Suffolk.
According to the Churchwarden’s accounts of St Mary’s, in October 1553, there are a couple of entries “Payd to John Hynmane and to Robert Bagworth for rynginge of ye great bell for master Latimore sermon – 2d” and “Payd for master Latymer charges 2s 4d”.
When Edward VI died in 1553 and his sister Mary I came to the throne, Latimer was tried for his beliefs and teachings in Oxford and imprisoned. In October 1555 he was burned at the stake outside Balliol College, Oxford along with Nicholas Ridley. Six months later, Thomas Cranmer was burnt at the stake on the same spot as Latimer and Ridley, collectively they are known as the ‘Oxford Martyrs’.
St Mary’s Church was unfortunately broken into back in September and the culprits stole some petty cash that was onsite. They gained access via smashing their way through the bottom corner of the Martyrs’ Window which is still awaiting repair.