1871: All Saints Hobart 1871, John Page memorial window

Artist/Studio: William Wailes, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England.
Year: 1871.
Location: South Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
Building: All Saints Anglican Church, Macquarie Street.
Memorial: John Page 1808 – 1869.
Donor: His widow, Mary Ann (nee Wood 1807-1896).
Photos date: 11th August 2012, R.J. Brown.

All Saints Anglican Church in Macquarie Street South Hobart has an excellent collection of historic stained glass windows. In the past, many of them have been incorrectly attributed to the North Melbourne firm of Ferguson & Urie. There are Ferguson & Urie windows represented along the liturgical north side of the church, known as the Kennerley aisle, but those in the chancel and along the liturgical south wall are by the English firm of the famous English firm of William Wailes. At the liturgical east end, the large triple light depicting the “Corporal Works of Mercy” is an excellent example from the English firm of Charles Clutterbuck.

Circa September 1871 the church was adorned by a two-light memorial window to the memory of John Page which was created by the English firm of William Wailes.

“MEMORIAL WINDOW.- The pretty little church of All Saints, Macquarie street, has had its stained glass windows, perhaps hitherto, the finest in the colony, increased by the addition of a memorial window, which has been placed on the south side of the church. The window was obtained from the well known firm of Messrs Wailes, of Newcastle, England, and both the design and execution are highly creditable to their taste as church decorators, the centre figures on each half of the window represent respectively St. James and St. John the Baptist. The borders are beautifully illuminated, the colours being remarkably brilliant, while the window as a whole harmonises well with those already erected. The window bears the following inscription at the foot:- “In memory of John Page, Esq, of Lemon Springs, who died 12^th September , 1865 [sic] [1]. Erected by his widow.” [2] – Mercury, Hobart 11 Sep 1871

Note: The memorial text on the window has an error, “Lemon Springs” is spelled “Leman Springs”.

John Page 1808 – 1869

John Page was born 5^th September 1808, the son of George Page (1772-1865) of Bermondsey, and his wife Sarah House (1778-1854). His father George, a Waterloo veteran, had arrived in Hobart Town in January 1822 from England aboard the “Tiger” and settled at Bagdad 37km north of Hobart. John arrived with his mother and siblings, Samuel & Louisa, A year later aboard the “Belinda” in 1823. [3]

By 1833 John and his father George were running the Bath Inn at Lemon Springs south of Oatlands, whilst his brother Samuel ran the Oatlands Hotel from 1839. In November 1843 John transferred the Publican’s Licence[4] to his father George and then concentrated his efforts on farming pursuits near Lemon Springs. His brother Samuel later became a highly successful coach proprietor around 1848 until circa 1873 when the railway had been established.

“…The original Bath Inn was located at the Lemon Springs homestead some two kilometers away where John Page held the license in 1833. When the new road opened in 1843, John Page built a new Bath Inn of fine stonework and a fanlight above the front entrance. In 1863 the name was changed to the Coach and Horses Hotel and was owned by Denis Bacon, a celebrated stonemason. The old newspaper cutting advertising the Coach and Hoses Hotel still shows J Page as the Proprietor…” [5].

John married Mary Ann Wood (1807-1896) at Oatlands on the 14^th of January 1841 and they had seven children. In their later years, he and Mary resided at 186 Macquarie-street South Hobart, opposite the All Saints Anglican Church, where his memorial window was erected.

Amongst the curious events in John’s life was that as a Juror in the July 1851 case against the criminal George Muckie who was indicted for the wilful murder of Thomas Gilbert at Swansea. The prisoner was found guilty and “He was sentenced to death, without mercy, and his body ordered to be given over for dissection.” [6]

On the 12^th of September 1869 [7], John died suddenly[8] at his home opposite All Saints Church. An inquest was held the following day at the Wheatsheaf Inn where Dr. Smart gave his opinion that he had died of a serious “apoplexy” [9] (a stroke). His funeral was held at the St James Anglican Church at Jericho near Lemon Springs on the 16^th of September 1869 [10].

The memorial text on his stained glass window at All Saints reads:

“IN MEMORY OF JOHN PAGE ESQ OF LEMAN [sic] SPRINGS WHO DIED 12th SEPTEMBER 1869 [sic]. ERECTED BY HIS WIDOW”