CHAS is very grateful to Dr Rachel Koopmans, historian of medieval religion and specialist in the cult of Thomas Becket and the stained glass of Canterbury Cathedral. Dr Koopmans has reviewed and extensively edited the content of this webpage to ensure its accuracy.
This window is the first of the Miracle windows north but is different in that it shows scenes from Becket’s life and is therefore dealt with separately (Image 1). None of the medieval glass of this window survives and there is no record of its original contents. What is presently in the window was placed there by the glazier Samuel Caldwell Jr. The famous Becket portrait at the bottom of the window is a pastiche forgery made by Caldwell Jr in the early twentieth century. Caldwell finished filling the window with his patiche creations in the 1950s, when he was in his late 80s and early 90s. Caldwell passed off his creations as medieval and they have often been taken as such.
What to see:
- Central and near the top is a scene of Henry II and Becket on their respective thrones before they quarrelled in 1164 (Image 2). This is a Caldwell Jr creation from the 1950s.
- Lower down, Becket’s murderers are shown at the cathedral door in chain mail and helmets (Image 3). This is a Caldwell Jr creation from the 1950s.
- Lower down still Henry II is shown doing penance at St Thomas’ tomb for the murder that he was held responsible for (Image 4). This is a Caldwell Jr creation from the 1950s.
- In the centre at the bottom of the window is the famous Image of St Thomas in full archbishop’s vestments, mitre, chasuble, pall, dalmatic and alb. This scene is clearly not part of the original window as it cuts across the border (Image 5). This is a Caldwell Jr creation. It was placed into the window before 1925.
AT/RK. – updated June 2025
