Galyon Hone facts for kids
Galyon Hone (died 1552) was a skilled craftsman from Bruges who made and installed stained glass windows. He was known as a glazier. Galyon Hone worked for Henry VIII of England at Hampton Court Palace and other royal homes. A big part of his job was changing the windows when the king got married again. This meant replacing the symbols and designs (called heraldry and ciphers) of Henry VIII's previous wives with those of his new queen.
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Working for the King
Galyon Hone became a member of the Guild of St Luke in Antwerp in 1492. This was a group for artists and craftsmen.
Later, in England, Galyon Hone became the official "King's glazier." This meant he was the main person in charge of making and fixing glass for the king. He took over this important job from another glazier named Barnard Flower.
Hone created beautiful glass windows for famous places like Eton College and King's College Chapel, Cambridge. We know about some of his designs because three of his original drawings for the King's College windows are still around. These drawings are kept at Bowdoin College in Maine. A design for stained glass is called a "vidimus." The drawings show a style similar to Dirck Vellert, an artist from Antwerp.
Galyon Hone lived in London, first in the parish of St Mary Magdalene and then in Southwark. Many artists and craftsmen from Holland and the Netherlands lived in this area. In 1547, Hone was mentioned in the will of his friend, Cornelis Hayes, who was a goldsmith for the royal court. Hone also helped manage the will of a German painter named Henry Blankstone. Blankstone painted fancy borders and royal symbols in the Long Gallery at Hampton Court Palace.
Hampton Court and Other Palaces
In 1533, Galyon Hone did a lot of work at Hampton Court Palace. This included making special windows with royal symbols. For example, he made:
- Two large windows in the hall with big royal symbols and four animal figures.
- Thirty windows in the hall with the King and Queen's symbols.
- Many badges of the King and Queen.
- Seventy-seven scepters with the King's motto.
- Eleven side windows.
- A new window at the east end of the hall with the Queen's symbols.
Before February 1534, Galyon Hone also supplied windows with royal symbols for Henry VIII's home at Hunsdon House in Hertfordshire. In 1534, he repaired windows at Woking Palace and Westenhanger Castle. At Westenhanger, he made windows for the room of Princess Mary and her ladies.
In 1536, Hone worked on old glass in the chapel at Leeds Castle. By 1541, he was making windows for the presence chamber and watching chamber at Hampton Court. He also provided glass for Henry's palace at The More.
Galyon Hone had a son named Gerrard Hone, who also became a glazier in England.
During repairs at Hampton Court in the 1840s, some stained glass that might have been made by Galyon Hone was found and removed. This glass was later given to the church of St Alban at Earsdon in 1878.
Withcote Chapel Windows
Some of the windows that are still at Withcote Chapel near Oakham may have been made by Galyon Hone. These windows were created for Roger Ratcliffe (who died in 1537) and his wife Catherine. Roger Ratcliffe used to work for Catherine of Aragon, who was Henry VIII's first wife.
The glass at Withcote Chapel includes the symbols of Roger and Catherine, as well as the phoenix symbol of Jane Seymour, who was one of Henry VIII's later wives. Experts believe Galyon Hone made these windows because of their Flemish (Dutch) style, the use of royal symbols, and Ratcliffe's connection to the King's court.
Roger Ratcliffe was an important person in the royal household. He attended a famous meeting called the Field of the Cloth of Gold in 1520. In 1524, he traveled to Scotland with Thomas Magnus to meet the King's sister, Margaret Tudor. Ratcliffe's job was to entertain Margaret's son, the young James V of Scotland. They brought gifts from Henry, including a special cloth and a sword for James. Ratcliffe reported that the young king was very good at dancing, singing, riding, and other "princely acts."
Designs for Cardinal Wolsey
There are also some surviving drawings that seem to be for windows in Cardinal Wolsey's chapel at Hampton Court. These drawings are now kept at the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium. A design for stained glass is called a "vidimus." These drawings might have been sent to Wolsey by an artist from Flanders. The actual glass for these windows was likely made in London.
Galyon Hone later changed these chapel windows to include the symbols of Anne Boleyn and then Jane Seymour. Sadly, these windows were taken down in 1645.
