John Ward Knowles

Who was John Ward Knowles?

John Ward Knowles was a prominent British York-based stained-glass manufacturer, and commentator on local art and music.

After training in art, Knowles dabbled in photography. On his marriage to Jane Annakind in 1874 he moved to Stonegate in York, the old ‘Sign of the Bible’, which then became a Knowles family home for the next one hundred and twenty years. He renovated the building which became a hub of artistic endeavour with workshops producing not only stained glass but all kinds of ecclesiastical decoration including beautiful embroideries and tapestry work produced by the Knowles daughters.

The building still retains much of Knowles’ work, installed when he lived here including a collection of priceless late Victorian and Edwardian stained glass.

The family continued the craft traditions into the 20th century but also moved with the times and John Ward Knowles’ son John Alder Knowles spent some time studying glass manufacturing methods in the USA before the First World War. Enthused by the work of Tiffany, he attempted an English version of the famous lamps, but charming though his prototypes were, they lacked the delicacy of the originals and failed to catch on.