This beautiful stained glass window can be found in the Old West Kirk, Esplanade, Greenock.
Entitled “Faith” and designed by the famed Pre-Raphaelite artist Sir Edward Burne-Jones produced by Morris & Co. It was placed in the church in 1867 shortly after the building was fully renovated after lying disused for about twenty years.
The window is a memorial to the Ballantine family of Greenock. The wording reads:-
”Erected by James Ballantine Merchant Greenock and Janet
Haddow his wife in memory of their children—Robert, died 1853 aged 6 years; Janet Niven, died 1858 aged 19; Jeanie Carmichael, wife of T. B. Rowan Merchant Greenock died 1860 aged 24; James
died 1863 aged 21.”
The window shows a beautiful female figure depicting faith with a book under her left arm and holding a cup in her right hand. She is surrounded by a background of vines, foliage and fruit. Among the greenery at her feet are five beautiful red flowers, probably representing the children of the family who died young and are mentioned in the wording beneath.
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James Ballantine (1801-1883), a merchant from Girvan married
Janet Haddow (1809-1908) in 1831 in Greenock.
The family lived at Houston Street in Greenock.
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| Photo source - Greenock Burns Club |
James and Janet Ballentine had other children –
Thomas Ballantine (1833-1872), distiller involved in the
family business in the town married Margaret Doctor Crockatt in 1859.
John Haddow Ballantine (1837-1890) carried on the family’s
distilling business in Greenock. In 1866
he married Marion Russell, daughter of Captain Alexander Russell.
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| Photo source - Greenock Burns Club |
A surviving daughter, Henrietta Haddow Ballantine (1854-1953) married Lewis Macfarlane (1849-1825) from Lochgoilhead. She and her family lived with her parents at Houston Street in Greenock. After her parents’ death they returned to Lochgoilhead.
James Ballantine came to Greenock from Irvine in about 1824 in connection with the Greenock Distillery Company which started about that time on the corner of Tobago Street and Inverkip Street. (Check out distillery's position on 1857 OS map here.) The premises, once a brewery, covered three acres of ground. (You can read an interesting description of the premises here.) He took active part in local affairs and was a member of the town council and JP. He died at Bridge of Allan in 1882 and was survived by his wife Janet, son John Haddow Ballantine, daughter Henrietta and many grandchildren.
The children of sons Thomas and John Haddow continued the Ballantine involvement in the distillery business in Greenock for many years and were also involved in sugar refining.
There is a very similar stained glass window depicting Faith in All Saints Church, Sculthorpe which you can view here.
