Charles Norris OSB (1909–2004) was a Benedictine monk and dalle de verre stained glass artist who created works for Roman Catholic churches in the UK.

Life and work

Dom Charles Norris (1909-2004) was a

Benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...

monk and glass artist He was born Louis Charles Norris and he studied at the

Royal College of Art The Royal College of Art (RCA) is a public university, public research university in London, United Kingdom, with campuses in South Kensington, Battersea and White City, London, White City. It is the only entirely postgraduate art and design uni ...

in the 1920s. He entered

Buckfast Abbey Buckfast Abbey forms part of an active Benedictine monastery at Buckfast, near Buckfastleigh, Devon, England. Buckfast first became home to an abbey in 1018. The first Benedictine abbey was followed by a Congregation of Savigny, Savignac, later ...

in 1930 as the age of 21 and began to work as a stained glass artist in 1933. He supervised a team of monks to rebuild the abbey, including the east window in dalle de verre in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel. Pierre Fourmaintraux is said to have brought the dalle de verre technique to Britain before joining

James Powell and Sons The firm of James Powell and Sons, also known as Whitefriars Glass, were London-based English glassmakers, leadlighters and stained-glass window manufacturers. As Whitefriars Glass, the company existed from the 18th century, but became well kno ...

(later Whitefriars Glass Studio) in 1956. He trained Dom Charles Norris in the technique, with Norris becoming one of the most prolific British proponents. Norris's design of the east window is mentioned in the List Entry Summary for Buckfast Abbey on the

Historic England Historic England (officially the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England) is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. It is tasked with prot ...

site. In addition to his work in the workshops of Buckfast Abbey, Dom Charles Norris also had an association with the workshop at

Prinknash Abbey Prinknash Abbey (pronounced locally variously as "Prinidge/Prinnish") (International Phonetic Alphabet, IPA: ) is a Catholic Church in England and Wales, Roman Catholic monastery in the Vale of Gloucester in the Diocese of Clifton, near the vill ...

and with Aylesford Priory in Kent. Dom Charles Norris completed windows for a large number of churches including those at Perranporth Our Lady's, Lillington and Our Lady of Fatima church, Harlow, Essex.Churches in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Plymouth: An Architectural and Historical Review for English Heritage and the Diocese of Plymouth, The Architectural History Practice Limited, 2009 Vitro buckfast

Works

Buckfast Abbey

*Painted the lantern tower ceiling in egg-tempera (1939). *Designed the marble pavement in the choir (1949). *Laid the floor in the Lady Chapel (1958). *Stained glass window at Buckfast Abbey (1965). *East window in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel (1968).

Work on listed buildings

Many of the listings of notable 20th century churches include references to the importance of Dom Charles Norris's work. He collaborated on several listed churches with notable 20th century architect

Gerard Goalen Gerard Thomas Goalen (16 December 1918 – 2 January 1999) was a British architect who specialised in church architecture and was influenced by continental models and the Liturgical Movement. He was one of the most important architects of the C ...

and artist Steven Sykes. St Gregory the Great, South Ruislip - Grade II listed Designed by Gerard Goalen in 1965. Church of Our Lady Lillington - Grade II listed A Roman Catholic church, built in 1963, by Henry Fedeski ARIBA, with extensive dalle-de-verre glass by Dom Charles Norris OSB of Buckfast Abbey, and mosaic by Steven Sykes. Although designed by Norris, the glass itself was made at Prinknash Abbey. Our Lady of Fatima Church, Harlow - Grade II* listed A Roman Catholic church designed 1953-4 by Gerard Goalen and built 1958–60. Marychurch, Hatfield - Grade II listed A Roman Catholic church designed in 1970 by George Mathers. Historic England cites the glasswork as one of the reasons for the church's listing. The Parish Church of St John The Evangelist, Exmouth - Grade II listed This church was reordered in 1964 and at that time a dalle-de-verre screen by Dom Charles Norris was added. Historic England highlights the screen in its listing noting how Dom Charles Norris's work in this material "became well-known and influential". Church of the Holy Redeemer, St Wulstan and St Eadburga, Pershore - Grade II listed A Roman Catholic church designed by Scottish architect Hugh Bankart ARIBA, FRIBA in 1958–59, which includes a three-light dalle-de-verre west window by Dom Charles Norris. Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St Simon Stock, Aylesford - Grade II* listed The Roman Catholic Shrine was designed by

Adrian Gilbert Scott Adrian Gilbert Scott CBE (6 August 1882 – 23 April 1963) was an English ecclesiastical architect. Early life Scott was the grandson of Sir Gilbert Scott (George Gilbert Scott), son of George Gilbert Scott, Jr. (founder of Watts & Company ...

. It contains works by a large number of notable artists including (in the Relic Chapel) "four pairs of semi-abstract dalle de verre windows made by Dom Charles Norris from Kossowski's designs". Norris also contributed the windows in the exedra chapels. Church of St Bernadette, Belfast - Grade B+ listed A fan-shaped Roman Catholic church capable of seating over 1000 people which was designed by Brian Gregory and opened in 1967. It contains many works of modern art, most notably a nine-foot-high Crucifixion sculpture by

Elisabeth Frink Dame Elisabeth Jean Frink (14 November 1930 – 18 April 1993) was an English sculptor and printmaker. Her ''Times'' obituary noted the three essential themes in her work as "the nature of Man; the 'horseness' of horses; and the divine in ...

. Dom Charles Norris' dalle-de-verre windows form the whole of the curved façade of the building.

Other churches

Norris created works in dalle de verre and stained glass for Roman Catholic churches around the UK including:

St Paul the Apostle Paul, also named Saul of Tarsus, commonly known as Paul the Apostle and Saint Paul, was a Apostles in the New Testament, Christian apostle ( AD) who spread the Ministry of Jesus, teachings of Jesus in the Christianity in the 1st century, first ...

(Tintagel, Cornwall), Church of St Winefride (Welshpool, Powys), Church of the Good Shepherd (Nottingham), St Mary (Barnstaple), Our Lady of Victories (Callington), Christ the King (Perranporth, Cornwall), Our Lady Star of the Sea (St Agnes, Cornwall), St Joseph (Shaw), St Margaret Mary (Plymstock), St Joseph (Accrington), Good Shepherd (New Addington), St Philip and St James (Herne Hill), Holy Rood (Swindon), St Theresa of Lisieux (Lexden), St Vincent de Paul (Rochdale), St Joseph (Blackburn), St Hugh of Lincoln (Manchester), English Martyrs (Sparkhill, Birmingham), Our Lady of Light (Long Crenden), St Bernadine of Siena (Buckingham), St Boniface (Crediton), St Joseph (Wroughton), Holy Redeemer, Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception (St Elmo's Road, London SE16), Our Lady of the Portal and St Piran (Truro), St Mary Immaculate (Falmouth), St Joseph (Weston Super Mare), Sacred Heart and St Ia (St Ives), St Mary (Alton), Christ the King (Milnthorpe), St Patrick (Jersey), Sacred Heart (Westbury-on-Trym), Christ the King (Burwash), Saint Bernard (Knott End).

Books

* ''Buckfast Abbey'', Burleigh (date?) * ''Buckfast Abbey A Pictorial Survey'', Buckfast Abbey Publications (1938) * ''Buckfast Abbey Works of Art'', Curwen Press (date?)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Norris, Charles 1909 births 2004 deaths Alumni of the Royal College of Art English stained glass artists and manufacturers British Benedictines