St. James the Less
After 1938
Painted glass
Church of St. Mary the Virgin
Friston, Eastbourne, England
James's name is given in the upper part of the image. His attribute is properly a fuller's club, but in many of his later images the club looks more like a walking stick, as here. The stick is not a traditional pilgrim's staff, which usually has a gourd hanging from the top.
The inscription at the saint's feet, vires animat virtus, means "virtue animates strength." According to Wikipedia it is a common motto in family coats of arms.
The inscription at the very bottom dedicates the window to the memory of a Mervyn Stutchbury, who died in 1938.
The sailing ship at the top of the window does not seem to relate to St. James. As he was martyred in Jerusalem soon after the crucifixion of Jesus, he did not go on mission like the other Apostles. Nor does the ship relate to Mervyn Stutchbury, who did travel extensively but as a mining consultant.1 Perhaps the reference is to Friston itself, which is within sight of the English Channel.
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Photographed at the cathedral by Richard Stracke, shared under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.