Mystery of century-old stained glass, sent in anonymous package to abbey, solved

Independent

21-03-2025

A mystery surrounding stained-glass window fragments anonymously returned to a historic Scottish abbey has been solved.
In November 2020, a box containing 49 shards arrived at the Abbey Church, part of 950-year-old Dunfermline Abbey.
The box was addressed to the fictitious 'Bob Brewse'.
The package, opened by Reverend Dr MaryAnn Rennie, held the fragments wrapped in a copy of the Fife and Kinross Extra newspaper, dated February 12, 2005.
A typewritten note was also inside, sent from an anonymous person who identified themselves only as 'CEEPS'.
They explained that they had discovered the glass near scaffolding two decades prior and felt remorse for taking it.
'I wrapped it up in paper to protect it but never had the chance to return it,' they wrote.
'Unsure if was new glass going in or old coming out.
'I felt a bit guilty taking it and hope it will get used. Regards, CEEPS.'
The discovery baffled the abbey's minister and congregation, who were unable to match the fragments to any of the church's 10 intact stained-glass windows.
However, experts have now identified the origin of the mysterious pieces, saying they were originally part of the church's Margaret Window.
The window was designed by Alexander Strachan and is nearly a century old, dating from 1932.
It shows the marriage of Queen Margaret and King Malcolm Canmore, which took place around 1070.
Dr Rennie turned to Professor Michael Penman, Professor of History at the University of Stirling, for help in 2023, after appeals for information on social media proved fruitless.
Professor Penman looked at old Kirk Session records dating back to the early 1980s to work out when damage was caused to stained glass windows at the Abbey Church or when repairs were made.
He also enlisted the help of his friend, scientist Dr Craig Kennedy of the Institute for Sustainable Building Design at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh.
Dr Kennedy tested the shards and fragments using the university's electron microscopy facility and x-ray fluorescence to identify the elements present, which in turn revealed the colour of the glass and where it came from.
The ingredients used to make the glass – lead, potassium, arsenic and sulphur – meant Dr Kennedy was able to determine that it was made between the 1870s and the 1930s.
Vivienne Kelly, a PhD student supervised by Dr Kennedy and an expert stained-glass conservator who specialises in 19th and 20th century glass, was also involved.
The Glasgow School of Art graduate focused on studying four large pieces to identify the imagery.
She determined that they depicted an angel's wing, the knotwork hem of a noble's robe, the hair of an angel and a thistle motif that was repeatedly used in a window design.
Ms Kelly visited the Abbey Church, built in 1821 in the Fife town, and eventually worked out that the stained-glass pieces were originally part of the Margaret Window in the south transept.
She could see where the glass had been replaced as the colour and texture of the material used was slightly different to the original pieces.
Dr Rennie said: 'We are delighted that the mystery of where this glass originally came from has finally been unravelled.
'We still have no idea who CEEPS is and why they decided to return it to the abbey when they did, but we are grateful.'
Ms Kelly said her 'best guess' is the Margaret Window was struck and damaged by a scaffolding pole during refurbishment work in the late 1990s.
She added: 'But unless CEEPS comes forward, the full circumstances behind the disappearance and reappearance of the glass will remain an intriguing part of the abbey's history.'
Meanwhile, the name 'Bob Brewse' is understood to be a playful reference to King Robert the Bruce, whose remains are interred in the church.
The Abbey Church is facing a repair bill of about £4 million to ensure it remains wind and watertight and a further £4 million to upgrade its facilities, and has launched a fundraising appeal.
The stained glass pieces will be on display at an exhibition examining the role of the church in the local community and its history, which runs at Dunfermline Carnegie Library and Galleries from March 22 to April 6.