Elie Parish Church in Fife, Scotland, features several notable stained glass windows that contribute to its historical and aesthetic significance. They are eclectic in style with beautiful memorial windows and some fine examples of artworks by John Blyth and Edward Burne-Jones.
There are two memorial windows dedicated to two members of the Aitken family. The son died during the 1st World War, but the circumstances are unknown for his father. The other set of memorial windows are for the Russell family. Memorial windows are of considerable cultural, artistic, and historical significance. These windows serve not only as enduring tributes to individuals or groups who have passed, but also as powerful expressions of remembrance, faith, and community identity. Through the medium of stained glass, an art form rich in symbolism and craftsmanship, they preserve memory in a luminous, visual narrative that transcends generations.
The artistry of the windows reflects both the aesthetic values and the technical skills of the time in which they were created, often incorporating intricate iconography, religious motifs, and personal elements specific to those being memorialised. These features provide insight into the social and spiritual values of the community, as well as the historical context surrounding their commissioning. This is particularly noticeable on the Aitken windows where portraits of the deceased have been painted in the stained glass windows. In the window dedicated to the father, John Aitken stands on Jesus’s left, but in the background. In the other window for his son, it is the same arrangement with John Aitken (son) placed next to Jesus, at his right in the background. The painting is of high quality and very realistic which requires a high level of skill to achieve.
Both the Aitken windows and the North gallery windows show the same craftmanship, and come from the former Wood Memorial Church.
The other memorial windows flanking the pulpit were donated towards the end of the 19th century. They are original to the church and are more traditional in style with intricate borders, filled with foliage motifs reflecting medieval influences. They also include inscriptions with the dedications in Gothic lettering in the design to honour the deceased.
Also relocated from the former Wood Memorial Church, are the 2 Burne-Jones windows representing two of the four evangelists. We do not know what happened to the two other windows depicting John and Mark. The windows have been resized to make them wider for their new location, with the addition of a blue and light pink stippled glass border, similar to the border used in the Aitken windows and North Gallery window. These additions have been sympathetically done and do not stand out.
The Burne-Jones windows hold exceptional artistic, cultural, and spiritual significance. Created by one of the foremost figures of the Pre-Raphaelite and Arts and Crafts movements, and depicting the Evangelists with expressive details, the windows reflect Burne-Jones's deep engagement with medieval artistic traditions and his commitment to restoring a sense of sacred narrative to religious art. The figures are profoundly contemplative. As original works by Burne-Jones, often executed in collaboration with William Morris & Co., we can see his influence in the flowery background, typical of Morris tapestries and wallpapers. These windows also represent an important chapter in the history of British stained glass design.
Finally, in 1983, a new window was added opposite the organ by John Blyth (1915-99). We could assume that he did the relocation. This window contrasts with the rest of the stained glass collection due to the vivid, balanced colour palettes the artist used. It depicts Christ with a Scottish landscape in the background and thistles, the country's emblem, at his feet. Therefore, it combines modernity and tradition with iconographic details, drawing from both religious tradition and local heritage. Blyth contributed to a renaissance of stained glass in Scotland, alongside other artists like Douglas Strachan and Oscar Paterson. While he was a prolific regional artist, John Blyth is less widely known on the international stage than some of his contemporaries, which makes his surviving windows especially important locally and regionally. It is important to highlight that some of the glass used in this window is no longer available, making this window even more precious and valuable.
