Wednesday 10 July 2013

Charlotte Vindin's stained glass window at Richmond - Trove Tuesday

St. Peter’s Church of England, Richmond contains a number of exquisite examples of stained glass windows. One (according to an article in the Windsor & Richmond Gazette is in memory of Charlotte Vindin: 

"The subject of that in the south wall is Dorcas. 'This woman was full of good works,' Acts 9:34. It is    inscribed: 'To the Glory of God and in loving memory of Charlotte, the; wife of Frank J. Vindin and the youngest daughter of the late Rev. F. R. Kemp, of Port Macquarie." 

Charlotte Vindin's stained glass window in St. Peter's. Photo M. Nichols, 1988.


Charlotte Vindin was married to Francis ‘Frank’ J. Vindin. Charlotte gave birth to five children, sadly only one surviving infancy. According to her obituary Charlotte died 26 October 1897, aged only 33 years. She had given birth to a daughter Marie, a short time prior to her death. Marie died on the 15 November 1898 aged only one year.

Vindin was the manager of the Australian Joint Stock (AJS) Bank in Richmond. The Bank opened in Richmond in 1888 and according to the Windsor & Richmond Gazette 27 October 1900. At the time the article was published he was departing Richmond due to a promotion and taking up a new position in elswehere. The article states that:

 …during that time has taken a very prominent and keen interest in every movement that has had for its object the welfare of the town and district. He has filled every honorary office in connection with the Richmond School of Arts, being first a committee man, then auditor, vice-president, and for some time was president, from which position he resigned. He is a member of the H. D. A. Association's Council, and was an active and regular attendant at the Society's meetings; he has been elected auditor of the Richmond Borough Council (unopposed) for years; has been an energetic worker in the cause of the different churches, and a benefactor in St. Peter’s Church of England in which he has had placed a magnificent stained glass window, in memory of his late wife. Mr Vindin has also been an unobtrusive donor of pecuniary and other help to the poor of the town and district. He was treasurer to the recent successful Benevolent Society's ball, and has always been a most successful collector on behalf of the Hawkesbury Benevolent Society. We believe that Mr Vindin's sojourn among the people of Richmond has on the whole been pleasant, and that he will carry away many happy memories of people and places. But there is one very sad memory by which he will always remember Richmond— and in making this passing reference to it we have no desire to obtrude ourselves upon sacred things or the silent sorrows of one who sustained a sore affliction and an irreparable loss while with us. That Mr Vindin and his little daughter will have all the good things that this world affords, that they will live in the enjoyment of peace, happiness, and health, is the sincere wish of every soul in the Hawkesbury. 

Frank remarried in 1901, in the Lithgow district, to Isabella Wyatt. Unfortunately less than twelve months after the move south, he became ill and despite having a number of operations, he passed away on 28 August 1901 aged 39 in Albury. His informative obituary appeared in Windsor & Richmond Gazette 7 September 1901.  Both Charlotte and Frank, along with four of their children are buried at St. Peter’s Church of England Cemetery, Richmond.

2 comments:

  1. A sad story. I wonder what happened to the little girl and if she knew about the love her father obviously had for her mother - demonstrated by this window.

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    1. It appears that their only surviving child was Maud Kemp Vindin born 1895. NSWBDM shows she married in 1916 to Jack Irwin Dent Sanderson, registered Chatswood. Ryerson records Jack died in 1971 at Walgett Hospital whilst Maud died aged 88 in the Dubbo Nursing Home.

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