Painted and stained roundel depicting the Arms of McDonnell. Designed by John Lisle, Kempe Studios. England, c.1910.

Painted and stained roundel depicting the Arms of McDonnell

Given by the Kempe Trust

Each roundel displays the family arms of various branches of the Tower family (Walter Tower) and that of his wife, Marion (née McDonnell. Marion’s father was chief of the Clan Glengarry. Further family genealogical information can be found in AAD/2019/1/2/6.

The roundels were to be hung from small hooks in front of the leaded windows of Old Place, Charles Eamer Kempe’s home which the Towers inherited after his death in 1907. Walter Tower was Kempe’s cousin. It appears that Walter Tower, after taking possession of Old Place and taking over the Kempe stained glass studio, commissioned John Lisle, the Kempe studio’s chief draughtsman, to make a set of heraldic roundels. Lisle had executed other heraldic designs and was considered to be expert in this area.

Old Place was sold in 1926 and it is believed that the stained glass was removed at that time, remaining in the possession of descendants of Walter Tower until their sale by auction at Ian Marr’s Rare Books in Liskeard, Cornwall.

C.155-2021