John Thornton (glass painter)

Thornton was made a freeman of York in 1410, but was known to be back living in the St John's Bridges area of Coventry (now known as Burges)[2] by 1413.

[1] It has been suggested, though without any strong evidence, that Thornton was the son of a "John Coventre", a glazier in the royal glass-painting workshops at Westminster in 1351 and 1352, who later assisted in setting up windows at Windsor Castle for Edward III of England.

The products of his workshop can be recognised by their favouring of white glass and yellow stain set against blue and ruby "seaweed"-patterned backgrounds, and by the very distinctive modelling of faces.

[5] According to the contract, much of the work was to be executed by his own hand, though specifically only to "pourtray [...] the histories, images, and other things to be painted on the [window]"; evidently some of the glazing would be carried out by apprentices or workmen.

[8] He is also thought to have produced the windows from the chapel at Hampton Court, Herefordshire, which are now dispersed in various collections, and seven panels in the Church of St. Mary Magdalene, Newark-on-Trent.