Frederick Leach and his workmen painted the ceiling decoration in Jesus College Chapel for George Frederick Bodley under the direction of William Morris between 1866 and 1869. The central pattern of squares with College symbols was designed by Philip Webb and Morris designed the frieze of scroll-bearing angels. The work was not without its difficulties and the College was frequently concerned about the delays and not entirely happy about Morris’ use of Leach: ‘some astonishment is felt at the employment of a Cambridge workman in the execution of a work which was intrusted to Mr Morris’,but Bodley replied that ‘Morris finds Leach a very capable and able executant. The design and the exact shades of the colours are all done according to the directions given to him. Nothing of that kind is left to him. He is doing it quite as well as Morris’ men would.’ Nevertheless, the Fellows of Jesus would no longer employ Morris after this which led to Bodley asking Charles Eamer Kempe to design the remaining stained glass required.

See also

Michael Hall, George Frederick Bodley and the Later Gothic Revival in Britain and America (Yale University Press, 2015)