Near St Matthias’s head is part of a scroll with some Latin text on it. Originally, the whole scroll would have been visible, encircling his head. The text, ‘and everlasting life, amen’, was the saint’s contribution to the Apostles’ Creed, which contains the fundamental tenets of Christian belief. At Pentecost, after Christ’s Ascension into heaven, the Apostles began to preach the good news of his Resurrection. In the Middle Ages people believed that on that day the Holy Spirit inspired them to write the Creed, each Apostle contributing one of its 12 articles.

Christ had called the Twelve Apostles during his life on earth. Judas, who betrayed him, was one of them. After the Ascension, St Peter called the remaining Apostles together to choose a replacement. Tradition has it that Matthias was the one chosen. He preached throughout Judea and it was in this region that he was executed (martyred). It was believed that he was beheaded with an axe, and this is the symbol (attribute) that was used in the Middle Ages to identify him.

The windows at Fairford Church were created by English glass painters and by Netherlandish artists working in England. Since the time of Henry VI (reigned 1422-61 and 1470–1), stained-glass workers in England had petitioned the crown in an attempt to prevent foreign craftsmen from infringing on their profession. Their attempts were largely unsuccessful, but the king did prohibit the importation of completed windows. Foreigners therefore had to set up their workshops in England, and probably had to rely on Englishmen for their workforce.