Stained Glass of Buckinghamshire Churches

Windows by John Rowell - Maker

John Rowell (1689-1756). John Rowell was born in Hackney in 1869. Shortly after the turn of the century the family moved to High Wycombe where they had family and relations. John Rowell married Mary Berry, June 9th 1712, and they had five children, of which only Francis born 1724 survived, but he also died aged 30. John Rowell bought property in Curney Lane, High Wycombe (probably Cornell Lane, now Crendon Street), and set himself up in business as a plumber and water engineer, glazier, and artist. In the 1730's he began painting on glass and advertised in the London Journal 1733, and the Craftsman, listing some of his work which included a window at Newnham in Hampshire, nr. Basingstoke, of 'Two disciples at Emmaus', the subject of the Penn 1737 East window.

His 'Carte de Visite' also includes a thumbnail image of the same window in it's heading. John Rowell worked from High Wycombe for 30 years, before moving to Reading, his last recorded work before his move being the 1737 East window at Penn. He left his son Francis to run the High Wycombe branch, but Francis died age 30 in 1742. John Rowell's last known window was for All Saint's College, Oxford, in 1751, when he was over 60 years of age. He died at his house at London Street in Reading, with a funeral at St. Giles church, Reading, and was buried at 'High Wickham'.

3 Windows, listed in Church Order

Sort Windows by Date

Location	Church	Date	Craftsmen
Nave S (W)	St Mary in Fawley	17th c. or 18th c.	John Rowell
Nave N (W)	St Mary in Fawley	17th c. or 18th	John Rowell
East	Holy Trinity in Penn	1737	John Rowell

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Stained Glass of Buckinghamshire Churches