1902 West window dedicated to Queen Victoria; stained glass of Hereford Cathedral

The West window in Hereford Cathedral is a glorious dedication to Queen Victoria, “Erected to the Glory of God and in memory of Queen Victoria by the women of Hereford Diocese, May 13th, 1902”

The rows of figures depicted from top to bottom, left to right are:

• St Mary, God, St Ethelbert Herefordensis (The Cathedrals patron saints) 
• The different levels of angels = Troni, Seraphim, Domcines (?), Virtutes, Principati, Botestates, Angeli 
• Arch Angels Gabriel, Michael, Raphael 
• Saints Bertha, Augustus(?), Brigida, Eduardus Confessor, Frides (?), (?), Ida Centre - Queen Victoria in her youthful aspect 
• Bottom row – Saints of Great Britain and Ireland = Saints Patricus, Etheldreda, Georgius, Andreas, Margareta Scotia, David 

The west front of Hereford Cathedral fell down in 1786 and James Wyatt was called in to repair the damage, though the repair was not well received. Thus, there was a more sympathetic reconstruction of the West wing between 1902 and 1908, by John Oldrid Scott (1841–1913) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Oldrid_Scott.

The window was commissioned in this period by the women Hereford and made by Clayton & Bell 1902.

Clayton and Bell was one of the most prolific and proficient workshops of English stained glass during the latter half of the 19th century. Their windows are found throughout the United Kingdom, in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Clayton and Bell’s commercial success was due to the high demand for stained glass windows, their use of the best quality glass available, the excellence of their designs and their employment of efficient factory methods of production. They collaborated with many of the most prominent Gothic Revival architects. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clayton_and_Bell.

Another famous stained glass designer and manufacturer, Charles Eamer Kempe, had initially trained in their studios and his own later workshop was responsible for the stained glass window of the South Transept in Hereford Cathedral.

Also see Hereford Cathedral: Stained glass (ISBN 978-0-7117-4491-2)

Eight stained glass windows in Hereford Cathedral are described individually and in detail in separate articles, links below 

• Fragments of 14th century medieval and modern glass. 
• 1852 East Window, Lady Chapel, 
• 1864 North Transept. 
• 1895 South Transept.
• 1902 West Window. 
• 1910 Frances Leigh window. 
• 1920 King Charles I tableau window 
• 2007 Audley Chapel – Traherne Windows.