The shields of some 17th century benefactors to the Abbey, originally in the clerestory windows damaged during World War II, have been restored and placed in this window in the north aisle. It was fitted in 1951 using as much of the recovered original armorial glass as possible.
"The Smyth family, substantial Bristol merchants, purchased the estate of Ashton Court, a few miles outside the city in Somerset, in 1565.
The Smyth family of Long Ashton originated at Aylburton in the Forest of Dean, but rose to wealth and the possession of a large landed estate through trade from the port of Bristol during the first half of the sixteenth century. Matthew Smyth (d. 1526) and his brother Thomas Smyth (d. 1542) came to Bristol from Aylburton c.1500 and worked as ‘hoopers’, or the makers of bands for casks. They also engaged in trade, exporting small quantities of cloth and importing wine and fish. Both prospered, and by the time of his death Thomas had purchased land at Shirehampton near Bristol, as well as property within the town. It was the elder brother, Matthew, who began to lay the foundations of the family's fortune. He married Alice John, daughter and heir of a Bristol merchant, Lewis John, and soon prospered as a merchant himself. After Matthew Smyth's death in 1526 his widow, Alice, continued to trade profitably on her own account, purchasing wool and yarn, exporting cloth to France and Spain, and importing wine, oil, iron, woad, and alum. Their only son, John Smyth (d. 1556), achieved outstanding success as a merchant and thus completed the rise of the family to the position of landed gentry. He traded in woollen cloth, purchased in Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, and Somerset, lead from the Mendip hills, hides, leather, timber, and wheat. Numerous cargoes were exported to France and Spain in his own ship, The Trinity, which returned with wine, iron, woad, alum, and oil. He served as sheriff of Bristol during 1532–3 and as mayor in 1547–8 and 1554–5.He invested in extensive lands in north Somerset and south Gloucestershire, among them many former possessions of local monasteries and chantries. By far the most important of these investments was in 1545 when he bought an estate at Long Ashton, near Bristol, from Sir Thomas Arundell for £920. This included the large manor house at Ashton Court with its deer park and much of the surrounding land. He evidently regarded himself primarily as a Bristol merchant, and continued until his death to live in his merchant's house in Small Street rather than the manor house at Ashton Court. He had two sons, Hugh Smyth (1530–1580) and Matthew Smyth (1533–1583). Hugh had no male heir and all his property passed to his brother, Matthew, who was still in practice as a barrister. Matthew had married Jane, daughter of Thomas Tewther of Ludlow, and they had one son, Sir Hugh Smyth (1575–1627). The family moved to Ashton Court and Matthew threw himself with enthusiasm into the work of running the estate. In 1603 he was one of those gentlemen who were knighted by James VI and I on his progress from Scotland to London, and in 1605 he was chosen to accompany the earl of Hertford on an embassy to the archduke of Austria. He continued the policy of buying land and purchased the Great House, which had been built on the site of the former Carmelite friary in central Bristol, where the family lived for part of each year. He and his wife had five daughters and one son, Thomas Smyth (1609–1642). Smyth and his wife, Florence, had three daughters and two sons, Sir Hugh Smyth first baronet (1632–1680), and Thomas, who was born soon after his father's death. His mother then married an Irish soldier of fortune, Colonel Thomas Pigott, in 1647 and lived until 1676. Hugh rapidly became a JP, deputy lieutenant of Somerset, colonel of the militia, and member of parliament for Somerset. In 1661 he was created a baronet, the first member of the family to achieve this honour. He and Ann had three sons and three daughters. Smyth died on 28 July 1680 at the age of forty-eight. He was buried in the family vault at Long Ashton. His eldest son, Sir John Smyth (1659–1726), succeeded to the estates and the baronetcy, and the family continued to live at Ashton Court until 1946. Soon afterwards the estates were dispersed and the contents of the house were sold at auction. In 1959 the house and parkland were acquired by Bristol City Council."
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