St George's Cathedral: stained glass window (Angela Burdett Coutts)

By Lesley on 13 July 2020

St George's Cathedral: stained glass window (Angela Burdett Coutts)

One of the stained glass windows inside St George's Cathedral

Looking at the bottom row, the lady in the purple dress, one row in on the right hand side has earned her place in this magnificent window for her financial contributions to the Anglican Church.

Angela Burdett-Coutts (1814-1906) became one of the wealthiest women in England when she inherited her grandfather's fortune, following the death of her step-grandmother.

Her grandfather, Thomas Coutts, established Coutts Bank (today the 8th oldest bank in the world), and it was his second wife, Harriet Mellon who felt that his wealth should stay within the family and left everything to Angela (granddaughter of his first wife), under three conditions:

  • 50% share in the bank must be held in Trust
  • Heir must keep the name Coutts
  • Heir is not permitted to marry a foreigner

When Angela was 67, she shocked society by marrying William Bartlett (USA), and forfeited 3/5 of her income to her sister.

Angela donated a significant part of her fortune to the Anglican Church and schools

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