In 1899, 25 years after the Church had been rebuilt, the first of several upgrades presented to the Church by the Townsend Family was completed – the introduction of the first pair of stained glass windows. The Townsend family had also helped significantly when the church was built. This initiative coincided with the extension of the Churchyard, which was supported by the Duke of Buccleuch, and to dedicate the two notable gifts, and to consecrate the new burial ground, the Bishop of the Diocese visited the parish for the first time since the opening of the new church.
The first of the two new windows was dedicated to Henry and Ann Townsend (nee Worth), the parents of the noted Worth Townsend sisters (often seen noted as the “Misses Townsend”, along with their two brothers John Hands Townsend and William Henry Worth Townsend – detail of the family tree can be found on the family biography page via this link. The second window was dedicated to the two eldest Worth Townsend sisters who had passed away earlier – Charlotte (1839-1888) and Frances Ann (1838-1893).
The Rugby Advertiser of 20th May 1899 reported on the event in some detail.
