[Name of the father of David (1 Sam. xvi. 12).] A genealogical tree representing the genealogy of Christ, from ‘the root of Jesse’ (cf. Isa. xi. 1); used in churches in the Middle Ages as a decoration for a wall, window, vestment, etc., or in the form of a large branched candlestick. Also attrib. Obs. exc. Hist.
1463. Bury Wills (Camden), 39. The Jesse set vndir our lady with the virgenys afore hire.
1549. Churchw. Acc. Ely (Nichols, 1797), 137. A coope of white silke with jessy rooles and prophetes.
1706. Phillips, Jesse,… In old Records a large Brass Candlestick, branched out into several Sconces, such as are us’d in Churches. This useful Devise was first call’d Arbor Jessæ, and Stirps Jessæ, from its resemblance to the Genealogical Tree of Jesse.
1836–45. Gloss. Archit. (ed. 4), 217. It was … wrought into a branched candlestick,… called a Jesse,… in the year 1097 Hugo de Flori, abbot of St. Augustine’s, Canterbury, bought for the choir of his church a candlestick of this kind—‘Candelabrum magnum in choro æreum quod Jesse vocatur in partibus emit transmarinis.’
1848. Rickman, Archit., p. xxxviii. The Jesse window, Dorchester, Oxfordshire [is] a very rich and fine example.
1899. Q. Rev., Jan., 169. Interesting chapters on Jesse windows and Story windows.
