Just around the corner from Shepperton Studios is an ancient church, full of history, St Mary Magdalene Littleton. When I first came there, it was not long before I started hearing rumours that one of the stained glass windows might be by the famous Pre-Raphaelite artist, Sir John Millais, the painter of Ophelia and The Boyhood of Raleigh. But mystery surrounded this, because no one was sure which window it was, and the church guide book made no mention of it. Was the whole thing a myth?
Many years later I looked into writing a brief article on it for the parish magazine, Littleton Life. To my surprise, at each step of the way, the more I looked, the more a flow of unexpected facts appeared – if only historical research was always like that! A fascinating story began to emerge, with joy and tragedy, and a dramatic conclusion.
Clearly a Millais window had once existed, and in the late nineteenth century there were direct personal links between the Millais family, Littleton Church, and Littleton House, the old red-brick building now at the centre of Shepperton Studios. Millais’ wife, the former Effie Gray, had played a crucial part in the story. It also became possible to reconstruct what the window might have looked like, a stark and original interpretation of Jesus as the “Good Shepherd” who laid down his life for his flock.
I couldn’t fill in all the gaps, and questions still remain, but for once this was a mystery that could be partly solved. It was decided to put on a talk at Littleton Church with a slide show and four speakers: Sue Dean, Mari Smith, my brother Robert Hardy, and myself. This took place on 8 April, and went down well, attended by 71 people and 2 dogs.
The plan now is to mount the talk again at the church on Friday 30 September at 7.30 pm. It is free, with a retiring collection for church funds, and an interval with refreshments. All are welcome!
by Will Hardy