Trena Mary Cox (1895–1980) was an English stained glass artist.
St Etheldreda, a work by Trena Cox in St Stephen, Prenton, Birkenhead
She was born Emma Trina Cox on 3 March 1895, in the Lower Bebington Urban District (i.e. not Bebbington), on the Wirral Peninsula and grew up around Birkenhead.[1] She trained at the Laird School of Art. In 1924 she moved to Chester and set up her studio in Victoria Road Chester, Cheshire, either adjacent to, or within, the Kaleyard works of Williams, Gamon & Co., with whom she remained associated until the Second World War.[note 1] In about 1945, Trena Cox moved to 96 Watergate Street, Chester,[note 2] which remained her home and, at least later, her studio, until she retired in 1972 (at the age of 77) and died, on 11 February 1980[1][2] (not in 1977, as frequently quoted). Most of her works are in churches in the old counties of Cheshire and Lancashire.[1] She was a fellow of the British Society of Master Glass Painters.[3] The authors of the Buildings of England series comment that "her windows are usually small, her figures modest, often with small-scale detail in the quarries" (small pieces of square or diamond-shaped glass set diagonally).[4]
Until the publication of Jones (2012),[1] there was very little coherent information available about the life of Trena Cox and errors in some earlier references, concerning, for example, the year of her death, have unfortunately been perpetuated by later authors.
^Cox's first known stained glass window is in the Chester College (now University) chapel and was installed in October 1924 (Minutes of the Joint Committee, Chester Training College, 15 October 1924). This window has Trena Cox's monogram on it, yet the window was contracted to Williams, Gamon & Co. (The Collegian, Vol 38, No 1, 1925).
^Cox exhibited several times in the Walker Gallery Autumn Exhibitions in Liverpool. In the exhibition catalogue for the 1923 Autumn Exhibition, her home address is given as her parents' address in Birkenhead, as it also is for her 1924 exhibit at the Royal Academy in London. However, in the 1924 Walker Gallery Autumn Exhibition catalogue her address is given as being in Chester. Trena Cox moved to 96 Watergate Street at some time around the Second World War. During the years up to and including 1939, electoral registers confirm that she was living at other addresses in Chester. However, by the time of the first electoral register after the war, in May 1945, she had moved to 96 Watergate St. However, she apparently continued using the Victoria Road studio alongside or within the Williams, Gamon & Co. works during the war and until at least 1946, with evidence including, for example, the Kelly's Directory of Cheshire, 1939 (p. 94, p. 584), the Kelly's Chester Directory of 1940 (p. 112) and Chester Area telephone directories in January – February 1945 and March 1946. This suggests that she may not have used her new home as a studio immediately. By the time of the January 1947 telephone directory, however, the only telephone number for Trena Cox is at the Watergate Street address, suggesting a break from the Victoria Road studio.
Hartwell, Clare; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2009) [1969], Lancashire: North, The Buildings of England, New Haven and London: Yale University Press, ISBN978-0-300-12667-9
Jones, Peter (2012), Trena Cox: Emergence of a stained glass artist, Historic Churches, vol. 19, Cathedral Communications Limited, pp. 11–14, ISBN978-190091562-5
Newman, John; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2006), Shropshire, The Buildings of England, New Haven and London: Yale University Press, ISBN0-300-12083-4
Pollard, Richard; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2006), Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West, The Buildings of England, New Haven and London: Yale University Press, ISBN0-300-10910-5
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Trena Cox.
May 11, 2023
trena, trena, mary, 1895, 1980, english, stained, glass, artist, etheldreda, work, stephen, prenton, birkenhead, born, emma, trina, march, 1895, lower, bebington, urban, district, bebbington, wirral, peninsula, grew, around, birkenhead, trained, laird, school,. Trena Mary Cox 1895 1980 was an English stained glass artist St Etheldreda a work by Trena Cox in St Stephen Prenton Birkenhead She was born Emma Trina Cox on 3 March 1895 in the Lower Bebington Urban District i e not Bebbington on the Wirral Peninsula and grew up around Birkenhead 1 She trained at the Laird School of Art In 1924 she moved to Chester and set up her studio in Victoria Road Chester Cheshire either adjacent to or within the Kaleyard works of Williams Gamon amp Co with whom she remained associated until the Second World War note 1 In about 1945 Trena Cox moved to 96 Watergate Street Chester note 2 which remained her home and at least later her studio until she retired in 1972 at the age of 77 and died on 11 February 1980 1 2 not in 1977 as frequently quoted Most of her works are in churches in the old counties of Cheshire and Lancashire 1 She was a fellow of the British Society of Master Glass Painters 3 The authors of the Buildings of England series comment that her windows are usually small her figures modest often with small scale detail in the quarries small pieces of square or diamond shaped glass set diagonally 4 Until the publication of Jones 2012 1 there was very little coherent information available about the life of Trena Cox and errors in some earlier references concerning for example the year of her death have unfortunately been perpetuated by later authors Selected works EditBuilding Location Date Subject notes and referencesChester College Chapel Chester Cheshire53 11 56 N 2 53 48 W 53 1989 N 2 8966 W 53 1989 2 8966 Chester College Chapel 1923 1933 1962 A number of windows in the chapel and in its corridor 5 Cloister Chester Cathedral Chester Cheshire53 11 31 N 2 53 26 W 53 1919 N 2 8905 W 53 1919 2 8905 Chester Cathedral 1925 27 Eight figures in the southwest corner of the cloister 6 Slype Chester Cathedral Chester Cheshire53 11 31 N 2 53 26 W 53 1919 N 2 8905 W 53 1919 2 8905 Chester Cathedral 1927 Saint Christopher 7 8 Church of St Mary and All Saints Whalley Lancashire53 49 27 N 2 24 15 W 53 8241 N 2 4041 W 53 8241 2 4041 Church of St Mary and All Saints Whalley 1928 East window in the north chapel depicting Saint George Saint Nicholas and King Arthur 9 10 Trevor Church Trevor Wrexham Wales52 58 20 N 3 06 23 W 52 9723 N 3 1065 W 52 9723 3 1065 Trevor Church 1930 Crucifixion 11 12 St Stephen s Church Prenton Birkenhead Merseyside53 22 09 N 3 02 29 W 53 3691 N 3 0415 W 53 3691 3 0415 St Stephen s Church Prenton 1932 Several small windows 13 14 St Michael s Church Blundellsands Merseyside53 29 41 N 3 02 36 W 53 4946 N 3 0433 W 53 4946 3 0433 St Michael s Church Blundellsands 1932 1933 Annunciation Saint Christopher 15 16 Church of the Resurrection and All Saints Caldy Wirral Merseyside53 21 30 N 3 09 51 W 53 3584 N 3 1641 W 53 3584 3 1641 Church of the Resurrection and All Saints Caldy 1933 1946 Saint George Saint Werburgh Saint Bridget and Saint Martin 17 18 St Michael s Church Huyton Merseyside53 24 50 N 2 50 24 W 53 4140 N 2 8400 W 53 4140 2 8400 St Michael s Church Huyton 1933 Simeon with Jesus Mary sitting at Jesus feet 19 20 St Bartholomew s Church Thurstaston Wirral Merseyside53 20 55 N 3 07 56 W 53 3485 N 3 1321 W 53 3485 3 1321 St Bartholomew s Church Thurstaston 1934 1951 Two windows 21 St Werburgh s Church Chester Cheshire53 11 28 N 2 52 57 W 53 1911 N 2 8824 W 53 1911 2 8824 St Werburgh s Church Chester 1936 A set of eight small windows in the narthex 22 23 Holy Trinity Church Lower Beeding West Sussex51 02 00 N 0 15 40 W 51 0332 N 0 2610 W 51 0332 0 2610 Holy Trinity Church Lower Beeding 1936 Good Shepherd 24 25 26 St Michael s Church Shotwick Cheshire53 14 20 N 2 59 42 W 53 2388 N 2 9951 W 53 2388 2 9951 St Michael s Church Shotwick 1938 Saint Michael 27 Chapel of St Mary de Castro Chester Castle Chester Cheshire53 11 07 N 2 53 30 W 53 1854 N 2 8918 W 53 1854 2 8918 Chapel of St Mary de Castro Chester Castle 1939 A small version of the Mother and Child 28 29 St Matthew s Church Stretton Cheshire53 20 25 N 2 34 18 W 53 3404 N 2 5717 W 53 3404 2 5717 St Matthew s Church Stretton 1939 West window 30 Holy Trinity Church Bickerton Cheshire53 04 37 N 2 43 58 W 53 0769 N 2 7327 W 53 0769 2 7327 Holy Trinity Church Bickerton c 1940 31 Christ Church Crowton Cheshire53 15 59 N 2 37 52 W 53 2664 N 2 6312 W 53 2664 2 6312 Christ Church Crowton 1946 Mother and Child 32 St Oswald s Church Bidston Birkenhead Merseyside53 24 09 N 3 04 02 W 53 4024 N 3 0671 W 53 4024 3 0671 St Oswald s Church Bidston 1947 Epiphany 33 34 St Ambrose Church Widnes Cheshire53 22 21 N 2 42 44 W 53 3725 N 2 7123 W 53 3725 2 7123 St Ambrose Church Widnes 1947 A window given by German prisoners of war depicting Saint Boniface 35 St Matthew s Church Buckley Flintshire Wales53 10 28 N 3 04 21 W 53 1745 N 3 0726 W 53 1745 3 0726 St Matthew s Church Buckley 1948 Christ in Glory as a Child in the south wall of the south aisle 36 St Lawrence s Church Stoak Cheshire53 15 12 N 2 51 55 W 53 2534 N 2 8654 W 53 2534 2 8654 St Lawrence s Church Stoak 1948 Saint Christopher and Saint George moved here from Christ Church Chester in 1997 37 38 St James Church Leyland Lancashire53 41 24 N 2 43 57 W 53 6900 N 2 7325 W 53 6900 2 7325 St James Church Leyland 1949 Saint Michael Saint George 39 40 41 St John the Evangelist s Church Norley Cheshire53 14 59 N 2 39 28 W 53 2496 N 2 6579 W 53 2496 2 6579 St John the Evangelist s Church Norley 1949 The west window of the north aisle 32 42 Emmanuel Church Buckley Flintshire Wales53 10 04 N 3 05 18 W 53 1678 N 3 0882 W 53 1678 3 0882 Emmanuel Church Buckley 1950 1962 Scenes from the birth and early life of Christ on the south wall 43 44 All Saints Church Bubwith East Yorkshire53 49 01 N 0 55 14 W 53 8170 N 0 9206 W 53 8170 0 9206 All Saints Church Bubwith 1951 Te Deum 45 Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham Walsingham Norfolk52 53 41 N 0 52 33 E 52 8947 N 0 8758 E 52 8947 0 8758 Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham 1955 Annunciation 46 St Aiden s Church Wheatley Hills Doncaster South Yorkshire53 32 11 N 1 05 56 W 53 5364 N 1 0990 W 53 5364 1 0990 St Aiden s Church Wheatley Hills 1957 Vision of St John on Patmos 47 Shrewsbury Cathedral Shrewsbury Shropshire52 42 19 N 2 45 14 W 52 7053 N 2 7540 W 52 7053 2 7540 St John the Evangelist s Church Norley 1960 A window with armorial items in the porch 48 All Saints Church Daresbury Cheshire53 20 26 N 2 37 52 W 53 3406 N 2 6312 W 53 3406 2 6312 All Saints Church Daresbury c 1960 Two windows 49 St John the Baptist s Church Chester Cheshire53 11 20 N 2 53 08 W 53 1890 N 2 8856 W 53 1890 2 8856 St John the Baptist s Church Chester 1969 Aethelred and the Hind in the narthex 50 51 St Mary Magdalen s Church Tallern Green Wrexham Wales52 59 31 N 2 49 38 W 52 9920 N 2 8273 W 52 9920 2 8273 St Mary Magdalen s Church Tallern Green 1970 An Angel Greets the Three Women at the Empty Tomb in the south wall of the nave 52 Wrexham Cathedral Wrexham Wales53 02 50 N 2 59 56 W 53 0473 N 2 9989 W 53 0473 2 9989 Wrexham Cathedral 1970 Saint Michael and angels on the east wall of the south transept 53 The Priory and Parish Church of Saint Mary Beddgelert Beddgelert Gwynedd Wales53 00 40 N 4 06 06 W 53 0111 N 4 1017 W 53 0111 4 1017 Priory Church of St Mary Beddgelert Undated Virgin and Child and David on the north wall of the nave 54 St Peter s Church Chester Cheshire53 11 25 N 2 53 30 W 53 1904 N 2 8918 W 53 1904 2 8918 St Peter s Church Chester Undated On the west side of the church 55 St Chad s Church Farndon Cheshire53 05 02 N 2 52 39 W 53 0840 N 2 8774 W 53 0840 2 8774 St Chad s Church Farndon Undated Three windows 56 St James Church Ince Cheshire53 16 53 N 2 49 36 W 53 2813 N 2 8266 W 53 2813 2 8266 St James Church Ince Undated Saint Francis and Saint Werburgh 57 St Michael and All Angels Church Little Leigh Cheshire53 16 44 N 2 34 42 W 53 2790 N 2 5783 W 53 2790 2 5783 St Michael and All Angels Church Little Leigh Undated 58 St Stephen s Church Moulton Cheshire53 13 22 N 2 31 00 W 53 2227 N 2 5168 W 53 2227 2 5168 St Stephen s Church Moulton Undated Two west windows and two in the north aisle 59 Holy Trinity Church Northwich Cheshire53 15 28 N 2 31 08 W 53 2577 N 2 5188 W 53 2577 2 5188 Holy Trinity Church Northwich Undated Christmas scenes 60 St Trillo s Chapel Rhos on Sea Conwy Wales53 18 52 N 3 44 26 W 53 3144 N 3 7406 W 53 3144 3 7406 St Trillo s Chapel Rhos on Sea Undated Saint Elian in the south wall 61 Holy Cross Church Woodchurch Birkenhead Merseyside53 22 21 N 3 05 21 W 53 3725 N 3 0892 W 53 3725 3 0892 Holy Cross Church Woodchurch Undated A window in the north aisle 62 Notes Edit Cox s first known stained glass window is in the Chester College now University chapel and was installed in October 1924 Minutes of the Joint Committee Chester Training College 15 October 1924 This window has Trena Cox s monogram on it yet the window was contracted to Williams Gamon amp Co The Collegian Vol 38 No 1 1925 Cox exhibited several times in the Walker Gallery Autumn Exhibitions in Liverpool In the exhibition catalogue for the 1923 Autumn Exhibition her home address is given as her parents address in Birkenhead as it also is for her 1924 exhibit at the Royal Academy in London However in the 1924 Walker Gallery Autumn Exhibition catalogue her address is given as being in Chester Trena Cox moved to 96 Watergate Street at some time around the Second World War During the years up to and including 1939 electoral registers confirm that she was living at other addresses in Chester However by the time of the first electoral register after the war in May 1945 she had moved to 96 Watergate St However she apparently continued using the Victoria Road studio alongside or within the Williams Gamon amp Co works during the war and until at least 1946 with evidence including for example the Kelly s Directory of Cheshire 1939 p 94 p 584 the Kelly s Chester Directory of 1940 p 112 and Chester Area telephone directories in January February 1945 and March 1946 This suggests that she may not have used her new home as a studio immediately By the time of the January 1947 telephone directory however the only telephone number for Trena Cox is at the Watergate Street address suggesting a break from the Victoria Road studio References EditCitations a b c d Jones 2012 pp 11 14 GRO 1980 Jan Mar Chester v 35 p 0290 Architects and Artists C Sussex Parish Churches archived from the original on 5 March 2012 retrieved 9 December 2011 Hartwell et al 2011 p 72 Hartwell et al 2011 p 277 Hartwell et al 2011 p 233 Hartwell et al 2011 p 234 Saint Christopher Yahoo 20 September 2008 retrieved 9 December 2011 Hartwell amp Pevsner 2009 p 687 King Arthur amp St George Yahoo 6 June 2008 retrieved 9 December 2011 Crucifixion 1930 by Trena Cox Yahoo 10 September 2011 retrieved 9 December 2011 Detail of a Trena Cox stained glass window Yahoo 10 September 2011 retrieved 9 December 2011 Hartwell et al 2011 p 158 St Etheldreda Yahoo 4 October 2008 retrieved 9 December 2011 Annunciation Yahoo 14 March 2009 retrieved 9 December 2011 St Christopher Yahoo 14 March 2009 retrieved 9 December 2011 Hartwell et al 2011 p 199 SS George Werburgh Bridget amp Martin Yahoo September 2006 retrieved 9 December 2011 Simeon with Jesus Yahoo 14 March 2009 retrieved 9 December 2011 Mary sitting at Jesus feet Yahoo 14 March 2009 retrieved 9 December 2011 Hartwell et al 2011 p 637 Hartwell et al 2011 p 244 St Christopher Yahoo 20 September 2008 retrieved 9 December 2011 The Good Shepherd a stained glass window by Trena Cox Yahoo 30 July 2011 retrieved 9 December 2011 Detail of a Trena Cox stained glass window Yahoo 30 July 2011 retrieved 9 December 2011 A Nativity vignette by Trena Cox Yahoo 30 July 2011 retrieved 9 December 2011 St Michael Yahoo 24 August 2005 retrieved 9 December 2011 Hartwell et al 2011 p 247 Mary amp the baby Jesus Yahoo 10 September 2011 retrieved 9 December 2011 Pollard amp Pevsner 2006 p 629 Hartwell et al 2011 p 130 a b Stained Glass Windows at Christ Church Crowton and St John s Norley United Benefice of Norley Crowton and Kingsley retrieved 9 December 2011 Hartwell et al 2011 p 152 Adoration of the Magi Yahoo 4 October 2008 retrieved 9 December 2011 Pollard amp Pevsner 2006 pp 656 657 Christ in Glory as a Child University of Wales retrieved 9 December 2011 Hartwell et al 2011 p 591 St Christopher amp St George Yahoo 10 September 2011 retrieved 9 December 2011 Hartwell amp Pevsner 2009 p 422 St Michael amp St George Yahoo 21 July 2009 retrieved 9 December 2011 Tracery of a Trena Cox window Yahoo 21 July 2009 retrieved 9 December 2011 Hartwell et al 2011 p 510 Scenes from the Birth of Christ University of Wales retrieved 9 December 2011 Scenes from the Early Life of Christ University of Wales retrieved 9 December 2011 Te Deum window Yahoo 27 August 2009 retrieved 9 December 2011 Cobb Fr Peter Stained Glass in the Shrine Church Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham retrieved 9 December 2011 The vision of St John Yahoo 27 August 2009 retrieved 9 December 2011 Newman amp Pevsner 2006 p 533 Hartwell et al 2011 p 325 Hartwell et al 2011 p 239 King Ethelred amp the White Hynde Yahoo 9 April 2011 retrieved 9 December 2011 An Angel Greets the Three Women at the Empty Tomb University of Wales retrieved 9 December 2011 St Michael University of Wales retrieved 9 December 2011 Virgin and Child with St David University of Wales retrieved 9 December 2011 Hartwell et al 2011 p 243 Hartwell et al 2011 p 359 St James the Great Ince Church of England retrieved 9 December 2011 Hartwell et al 2011 p 432 Hartwell et al 2011 p 490 Hartwell et al 2011 p 513 St Elian University of Wales retrieved 9 December 2011 Hartwell et al 2011 p 684 Sources Hartwell Clare Hyde Matthew Hubbard Edward Pevsner Nikolaus 2011 1971 Cheshire The Buildings of England New Haven and London Yale University Press ISBN 978 0 300 17043 6 Hartwell Clare Pevsner Nikolaus 2009 1969 Lancashire North The Buildings of England New Haven and London Yale University Press ISBN 978 0 300 12667 9 Jones Peter 2012 Trena Cox Emergence of a stained glass artist Historic Churches vol 19 Cathedral Communications Limited pp 11 14 ISBN 978 190091562 5 Newman John Pevsner Nikolaus 2006 Shropshire The Buildings of England New Haven and London Yale University Press ISBN 0 300 12083 4 Pollard Richard Pevsner Nikolaus 2006 Lancashire Liverpool and the South West The Buildings of England New Haven and London Yale University Press ISBN 0 300 10910 5 Wikimedia Commons has media related to Trena Cox Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Trena Cox amp oldid 1144024119, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
