File:Saint Mary Magdalene, Ickleton, Cambridgshire. 1929 - 49034014901.jpg

English: Crucifixion with St. Mary Magdalene and St. Etheldreda by Margaret Edith Aldrich Rope.

Right Hand Light: Saint Etheldreda, Patroness of the diocese and Abbess of the Monastery which she founded at Ely. She is clothed in the black habit and veil of the Benedictine Order. In the right hand is her Crozier and she holds a model of Ely Cathedral in her left. Over her habit she has a cloak of blue lined ermine, and on her head a crown to show her royal rank (daughter of Anna, King of East Anglia and afterwards a Queen). Five springs of water are seen on the ground at her feet. They are said to be still in the meadow in which she was baptised by St. Felix. The small scene behind her is of her flight from a convent pursued by her husband and his armed followers after he had given his permission for her to retire there. She and her two handmaids took refuge on a hill and the sea came out of its natural channel and surrounded the hill. For seven days the tide protected them, the king meanwhile growing tired went away. After that, St. Etheldreda and her handmaids proceeded on their journey to Ely. The circle at the bottom of the light shows an incident of the same journey. Tired with the journey the queen lay down by the wayside to rest and sleep. When she awoke, her pilgrim’s staff (which she had fixed by her side in the ground) had budded and was bearing leaves. Afterwards she built a church on this site in honour of the Blessed Virgin. Over the large figure of the Saint are the Arms of the diocese and above (in the small circles) are the emblems. A saucer with a crown is in the middle circle; it is the emblem of Saint Etheldreda. To the left is the raven of Saint Benedict, and to the right the book of his Rule; these, because she was a Benedictine.

The two stained glass artists named Margaret Rope were first cousins, granddaughters of George Rope of Grove Farm, Blaxhall, Suffolk (1814-1912) and his wife Anne (née Pope) (29/3/1821-1/10/1882). Neither married: both were baptised Anglicans but died Roman Catholics.

The younger Margaret was the 5th child of Arthur Mingay Rope (himself George and Anne's 5th child: 1850-1945) and Agnes Maud (née Aldrich: 1855-1943). She was born on 29th July 1891 and christened Margaret Edith at St Margaret's Church, Leiston, Suffolk on 25th August. She died in March 1988.

Born into a farming family at Leiston on the Suffolk coast, Margaret Edith Rope found herself among artistic relatives at Leiston and Blaxhall, Suffolk: her uncle, George Thomas Rope, landscape painter and Royal Academician; her aunt Ellen Mary, sculptor; sister Dorothy, also a sculptor. In the family, her nickname was "Tor", for tortoise. She was later to use a tortoise to sign some of her windows.

She was first educated by an aunt and later at Wimbledon High School, Chelsea School of Art and LCC Central School of Arts & Crafts (where she specialised in stained glass under Karl Parsons & Alfred J. Drury).