In 1924 a memorial window to Capt. Robert Falcon Scott, who led the unsuccessful attempt to reach the South Pole in 1912, was unveiled at Emmanuel Parish Church, Exeter.
The unveiling was carried out by his second in command Capt. Edward Evans D.S.O., R.N. who said it was fitting that the window should be placed in a Devon church because Capt. Scott was born and bred in Devonshire and loved and was proud of his county.
The window was erected by an anonymous donor. It includes a portrait of Capt Scott and a picture of the grave at One Tone Depot, on the Ross ice barrier, where Capt. Scott and his companions Dr . E.A. Wilson, chief of the scientific staff, and Lieutenant H.R. Bowers are buried. The inscription reads: "In memoriam Captain R.F. Scott KCB, CVO, RN Who gave his life in the cause of science and for the glory of his country’s name.” The tracery of the window features a ‘sun dog’, a phenomenon typical in the Polar Regions when the ice crystals in the atmosphere refract the sunlight.
The maker of the window was L & M Pownall of Falmouth, Cornwall. Leonard Augustus Pownall was a painter and stained glass artist who regularly exhibited paintings, drawings and stained glass designs between 1897 and 1913. He was Lecturer on Drawing and Painting and Perspective at Kings College, London. He moved to Falmouth about 1909/1911.
The window was damaged by a bomb in 1942 and restored in 1948. The bomb also damaged the roof and the building was unusable until it was repaired in March 1943.
In 2013 Emmanuel Parish Church and two others in the parish faced huge bills for essential repair. It was also apparent that the parish was over provided with churches so the decision was made to close Emmanuel Church. The church shut its doors for the last time on Sunday 05 October 2014. In 2018 the window was removed from the building and taken to the Stained Glass Repository. But it wasn’t on the racks for long.
In 2019 Alex Partridge, Collections Coordinator of the Polar Museum at the Scott Polar Research Institute in Cambridge was advised of the window’s relocation and contacted the Stained Glass Repository with a proposal to re-house the window at the Polar Museum.
It will be displayed in a purpose built lightbox in the 1998 rotunda extension of the Polar Library, which is open to the public. At the time of writing (October 2021) we are waiting for a confirmed installation date.
A brief history of Emmanuel Parish Church.
The original Emmanuel Church was an iron structure constructed in 1887 at a cost of £279 10s on land donated by Sir Redvers Buller, on the corner of Okehampton Road and Western Road. However, it was obvious that the ‘tin church’ would not be adequate for long. A nationwide competition for a new design was held and by 1895 fundraising had begun. The design eventually chosen was in the Perpendicular style by Harold Brakespear, A.R.I.B.A. of Corsham, Wilts. The foundation stone was laid by Gen Sir Redvers Buller on 12 October 1897 on the same plot as the iron church.
The new church was built by N Pratt & Sons of Clyst St Mary and cost £7 088.00. The exterior was of grey Babbacombe limestone with a tiled roof. Inside the walls were lined with red stone and the windows are in Bath stone.
The church was opened on St Andrew’s Day, 30th November 1899, dedicated by the Bishop of Exeter. A separate service of consecration was given on 2nd October 1900, when the Archbishop of Canterbury was invited to preach. Originally opened as a District Church, it became a Parish Church on 29th April 1910 when the Rev. C.H. Williams was appointed the first vicar.
As well as the previously described wartime damage, during the floods of October and December, 1960, the flooring and furnishings were badly damaged. Tthe need for repairs became evermore urgent and the solution was to close the church eventually in 2014.
The church was sold and has been restored and converted to residential use by the heritage building firm Barley Manor Properties. The BBC’s Countryfile programme has featured the restored building now known as Emmanuel Court.
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