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The Stoning of Stephen : Black Bourton, Oxfordshire (Oxford) Late C.13
Photo:T.Marshall
Stephens story is in Acts 7. Paintings of his martyrdom are not common by any means, but this and the later one at Catfield in Norfolk (link below) have survived. Even in the paintings faded state, enough can be seen of his robes to confirm that he is correctly dressed as a deacon of the church as he kneels facing right in prayer. The legs of a torturer are still just visible to the right, but the other torturer on the left, about to hurl a stone, is fairly clear in his entirety. He has a great bag of stones, all of more or less uniform size and shape as was apparently prescribed, slung around his waist¹. He also has interesting hair - a shock of it standing out around his head, especially on the left. Bad characters in medieval narrative painting often have wild hair - Cains, in a painting of Cain and Abel at nearby Kelmscott and roughly contemporary with this, is similar.
Some other paintings at Black Bourton are in the table below. There are more, including the Coronation of the Virgin, the Adoration of the Magi and the Baptism of Christ all of the same 13th century date.
¹Or, alternatively, holds the stones in the tucked-up lap of his outer garment.
| St. Andrew Martyred, Stoke Dry, Rutland |
St. Anne teaching the Virgin to read-Corby Glen, Lincolnshire |
St. Antony and the Pig, Barton, Cambridgeshire |
St. Barbara : Hessett, Suffolk |
St. Bartholomew : Selling, Kent |
St.Catherine of Alexandria, life of : Castor, Cambs |
St.Catherine of Alexandria : Hardley Street, Norfolk |
| St.Catherine of Alexandria : Old Weston, Northants |
St.Catherine of Alexandria : Pickering, N. Yorks |
St.Catherine of Alexandria, life of : Sporle, Norfolk |
St. Clement : South Leigh, Oxon.
| St. Dunstan holding the Devil by the nose : Barton, Cambs |
St.Edmund : Boxford, Suffolk |
St. Edmund : Lakenheath, Suffolk |
| St. Edmund, Martyrdom of : Bishopsbourne, Kent |
St.Edmund, Martyrdom of : Fritton, Norfolk |
St. Edmund (or St. Walstan) : Gisleham, Norfolk |
St. Edmund, Martyrdom of : Pickering, N.Yorks |
St. Edmund, Martyrdom of : Stoke Dry, Rutland |
St. Edmund, Martyrdom of : Troston, Suffolk |
St. Edmund, Martyrdom of : Weare Giffard, Devon |
| St.Eloi, Broughton, Bucks |
St. Eloi and the possessed horse, Slapton, Northants |
St. Eloi, as bishop & blacksmith, Wensley, N.Yorks |
St.Erasmus, Martyrdom of : Chippenham, Cambs |
St. Etheldreda : Willingham, Cambs |
St.Francis Preaching to the Birds : Wissington, Suffolk
|
St. Francis Receiving the Stigmata, Slapton, Northants |
| St. George & Dragon : Banningham, Norfolk |
St. George & Dragon : Broughton, Bucks |
St. George & Dragon : Earl Stonham, Suffolk |
St. George & Dragon : Fritton, Norfolk |
St. George & Dragon : Hornton, Oxon |
St. George dedicating himself to the Virgin : Astbury, Cheshire |
St. George, with the princess : Little Kimble, Bucks |
| St.Helena, Broughton, Bucks |
St. Hubert, Miracle of : Idsworth, Hants
| St.James the Great : Hales, Norfolk |
Life of St. James, Stoke Orchard, Gloucestershire |
St. James the Great, meeting pilgrims : Wisborough Green, Sussex |
St. John the Baptist, Martyrdom of : Chalfont St. Giles, Bucks |
St. John the Baptist, Martyrdom of : Heydon, Norfolk
|
| St. John the Baptist, Martyrdom of : Idsworth, Hampshire
| St. John the Baptist, Martyrdom of : Old Weston, Northants |
Life of St. John the Baptist : Cerne Abbas, Dorset NEW |
St. John the Evangelist, Selling, Kent |
St. John the Evangelist, Weston Longville, Norfolk |
St. Margaret of Antioch : Old Weston, Northants |
St. Margaret and the dragon : South Newington, Oxfordshire NEW |
| St. Margaret of Antioch Martyred, Stoke Dry, Rutland |
St. Margaret of Antioch, Life of : Charlwood, Surrey |
Life of St. Margaret, Wendens Ambo, Essex |
St. Martin dividing his cloak, Chalgrave, Beds |
St. Martin dividing his cloak, Wareham, Dorset |
St.Nicholas of Myra, life of : Little Horwood, Bucks |
St. Nicholas of Myra, two miracles of : Wissington, Suffolk |
| St.Paul : Black Bourton, Oxon |
St. Paul : Beckley, Oxon |
St. Peter : Beckley, Oxon |
St.Peter : Black Bourton, Oxon |
St. Peter, Martyrdom of : Chacombe, Northants |
St. Roch : Pinvin, Worcs |
St. Sexburga? : Willingham, Cambs |
| St. Stephen, Stoning of: Black Bourton, Oxon |
St. Stephen, Stoning of: Catfield, Norfolk |
St.Swithun (?) enthroned : Old Weston, Northants |
Scenes from the life of St. Swithun : Corhampton, Hampshire NEW |
St. Thomas Becket, blessing, Hauxton, Cambs. |
St. Thomas Becket, Murder of, Marston Magna, Somerset |
St.Thomas Becket, Murder of : South Burlingham, Norfolk |
St. Thomas Becket, Murder of : South Newington, Oxfordshire
| St. Walstan of Bawburgh? or St. Edmund : Gisleham, Norfolk |
St. Zita : Horley, Oxon |
St. Zita : Shorthampton, Oxon |
Unidentified female saint : Heydon |
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