A workforce of scientists and researchers have solved the four-year-old thriller of the shards of stained glass anonymously returned to Dunfermline Abbey in Fife.
The shards had been delivered to the Abbey Church in November 2020 and addressed to “Bob Brewse”.
They had been wrapped in a replica of the Fife and Kinross Additional newspaper, dated 12 February 2005. Additionally included was a typed be aware, which learn: “Hi there there, I’m returning some stained glass that I discovered over 20 years in the past. It was in a small pile under the scaffold that was erected by the Abbey, close to footpath dealing with west. I wrapped it up in paper to guard it however by no means had the possibility to return it. Not sure if was new glass getting into or outdated popping out. I felt a bit responsible taking it and hope it can get used. Regards, CEEPS”.
It’s believed that “Bob Brewse” is a reference to the famend king of Scotland, Robert the Bruce, who’s buried on the church.
For years nobody knew any greater than “CEEPS” in regards to the shards, nevertheless a workforce consisting of a Professor of Historical past, a scientist and a PhD pupil, lastly unravelled the thriller.
Michael Penman, Professor of Historical past on the College of Stirling, examined church data for references to break to the stained-glass home windows within the church or to repairs.
He was assisted by Dr Kennedy of the Institute for Sustainable Constructing Design at Heriot-Watt College, who used scientific evaluation to search out the components used within the glass, which in flip dated them to a interval between 1870 and 1940.
The ultimate items of the puzzle had been solved by Ms Kelly, a PhD pupil from the Glasgow College of Artwork.
Inspecting the items, she decided that they depicted an angel and an individual carrying a noble’s gown. By visiting the church itself, Ms Kelly was capable of see that the Margaret Window was in locations made from an ever so barely in another way colored glass and materials.
The thriller had been solved.
The Margaret Window depicts the wedding of Queen Margaret and King Malcolm Canmore and was initially put in in 1932.
Ms Kelly stated, “Once I started my PhD at Heriot-Watt College in October 2024, I by no means imagined I’d encounter a thriller linked to Dunfermline Abbey.
“By way of this collaboration of science, historical past, and visible evaluation, we decided that each one the fragments originated from the primary lancet window, the place two areas of harm had led to repairs and alternative.”
Intriguingly, there may be one remaining thriller but to be solved: who’s CEEPS?!
