This memorial window for Hugh Stowell can be found in St. Mary de Ballaugh (New Church) on Station Road in Ballaugh.
This window is one of most ornate stained-glass windows in the Church. It is the third window from the front of the church on the south side of the nave. The dedication is in a panel at the foot of the window and runs across the full width of the window.
The dedication is shown below:
“THIS WINDOW IS ERECTED TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN LOVING
MEMORY OF HUGH STOWELL FIRST RECTOR OF THIS CHURCH
CALLED HOME OCTOBER 14 AD 1835 FROM THE
DUST THE PROPHET CRIETH PREPARE TO MEET THY GOD” The main decoration on this window is a depiction of Jesus as the ‘Good Shepherd’, in long flowing robes wearing sandals holding a lamb under his right arm and a shepherd’s crook in his left hand. There is another lamb at his feet. Below this scene is the following biblical quote:
“I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD
AND KNOW MY SHEEP” John 10:14 (King James Version)
Underneath the quote is a floral design of white flowers on a light-blue background.
Rowley Hill D.D. (1768 - 1835) From an obituary in the Manx Sun newspaper on Friday the 16th day of October 1835:
“
DEATH OF THE REV. HUGH STOWELL
RECTOR OF BALLAUGH ¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬-----------------------------
Died, on Wednesday morning last, in the 68th
year of his age, the Rev. HUGH STOWELL, Rector
of Ballaugh. We could scarcely record a death
which would excite a feeling of more general re-
gret than Mr. Stowell’s. In him the Church of
Man lost one of its brightest ornaments, and
Society one of its most valuable members.
From a very early period of life he was distin-
guished for his piety, and as he advanced in years
that piety assumed a more sublime and exalted
character. It is difficult to speak of such a minis-
ter without appearing to use the language of pa-
negyric; but it may with truth be affirmed, that
all who knew him loved and revered him, and
those who knew him best, loved and revered him
most. In him there were combined talents of the
highest order, with the loveliest humility. There
was scarcely a public institution of a religious or
benevolent nature formed in this Island within the
last thirty years, that he was not in some degree
instrumental in either establishing or premoting.
Religion ever found him its warm and zealous
friend – Charity its feeling and powerful advocate;
but his piety was as unostentatious as it was deep.
In a long course of years consecrated to the ser-
vice of the ministry, he laboured with unremitting
exertions for the spiritual benefit of those who
were committed to his pastoral charge. He loved
and lived the Bible. What is of the utmost
importance in the ministerial character, he taught
his flock by his example, no less than by the doc-
trines he preached, - the path to a happy immortal-
ality. His death-bed, we understand from some
who witnessed it, exhibited a most instructive
scene: he then abundantly experienced the effi-
cacy of the doctrines of the gospel to support and
console the true believer in the near views of
eternity. While language of the deepest self-
abasement again and again proceeded from his
lips, he as often repeated the joyful assurances
which he possessed of the future glory through the
merits and mercy of his Redeemer, and after
delivering the most pathetic and impressive ad-
dresses to all who surrounded his dying bed, he
earnestly exhorted them to attend to the great
concerns of religion in the time of health, and af-
fectionately directing them to the Saviour whom
he himself loved, and in whom he alone trusted
for salvation, he, without a groan or a sigh
breathed his happy spirit into the bosom of his
Saviour and his God.”
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