Stained glass window dedicated to Mary Anning

Inside St Michael’s Parish Church in Lyme Regis is a stained-glass window dedicated to the pioneering fossil hunter Mary Anning. 

The window, illustrating acts of mercy from Matthew 25:35–40, was installed in February 1850 by the Vicar of St Michael’s, the Reverend Frederick Parry Hodges. It was funded through contributions from geologists who had known Mary Anning.

The Gothic inscription dedicates the window to Mary Anning, who died on 9 March 1847, honouring her important role in advancing the science of geology, as well as her kindness, generosity, and integrity.

The memorial celebrates not only Mary’s scientific achievements but also her compassion and charity towards the poorer residents of Lyme Regis, among whom she had been raised.