Chelsea Old Church
Encyclopedia
Chelsea Old Church is on the north bank of the River Thames
(Chelsea Embankment
) near Albert Bridge
in Chelsea
, London
, England
. It is the church for a parish in the Diocese of London
, part of the Church of England
. It is located on the corner of Old Church Street
and Cheyne Walk
. Inside, there is seating for 400 people. There is a memorial plaque to the author Henry James
(1843–1916) who lived nearby on Cheyne Walk. It is now a Grade I listed building. To the west of the church is a small public garden containing a sculpture by Jacob Epstein
.
The Reverend Canon David Reindorp
is the current vicar of Chelsea Old Church.
with chapels to the north and south (c.1325) and a nave
and tower built in 1670.
The chapels were private property. The one to the north was called the Lawrence Chapel and was owned by Chelsea's Lord of the Manor
. The chapel to the south was rebuilt in 1528 as Sir Thomas More
's private chapel. The date can be found on one of the capitals of the pillars leading to the chancel, which were reputedly designed by Holbein. There is a statue by Leslie Cubitt Bevis of More outside the church, facing the river.
There is a 1669 memorial to Lady Jane Cheyne. It was designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini
but executed by an apprentice.
Chelsea Old Church is the only London church to have chained books. They are the gift of Hans Sloane
and consist of the so-called "Vinegar Bible" of 1717, two volumes of Foxe's Book of Martyrs
(1684 edition), a prayer book (1723) and Homilies (1683).
The church appears in several paintings by James McNeill Whistler
and J.M.W. Turner, in all cases little more than a white dot; the church was painted white in the 19th century. For example, the church was depicted in the background of Whistler's Nocturne: Blue and Gold - Old Battersea Bridge
, painted c.1872–5.
The church suffered severe bombing during the Blitz
of the Second World War in 1941, with the More Chapel least affected. Services were held in the adjoining hospital for nine years. In 1950 the More Chapel was reopened, followed by the chancel and Lawrence Chapel in May 1954 after restoration by the architect Walter Godfrey
. In May 1958, the entire church reconsecrated by the Bishop of London
, in the presence of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. The Church has been restored in its entirety on its old foundations. It looks quite different from the way it did before World War II, as it is now clad in red brick, whereas it was previously a white building. The brickwork was necessary because so much was destroyed. Some of the tombs inside have been reconstructed, almost like jigsaw puzzles.
In 1978, Jack Leslau wrote an article in The Ricardian suggesting that one of the Princes in the Tower
survived, namely Edward V of England
, and is buried in Chelsea Old Church. His evidence depends on a complicated interpretation of a painting by Hans Holbein the Younger
. Jack Leslau's website expands on this thesis, but no major academic institution endorses the thesis.
In the year 2000, the Museum of London Archaeological Services carried out an archaeological dig at the cemetery http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/English/Collections/Onlineresources/CHB/Database/Post-medieval+cemeteries/Chelsea.htm .
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
(Chelsea Embankment
Chelsea Embankment
Chelsea Embankment is part of the Thames Embankment, a road and walkway along the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England.The western end of Chelsea Embankment, including a stretch of Cheyne Walk, is in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea; the eastern end, including...
) near Albert Bridge
Albert Bridge, London
Albert Bridge is a Grade II* listed road bridge over the River Thames in West London, connecting Chelsea on the north bank to Battersea on the south bank...
in Chelsea
Chelsea, London
Chelsea is an area of West London, England, bounded to the south by the River Thames, where its frontage runs from Chelsea Bridge along the Chelsea Embankment, Cheyne Walk, Lots Road and Chelsea Harbour. Its eastern boundary was once defined by the River Westbourne, which is now in a pipe above...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is the church for a parish in the Diocese of London
Diocese of London
The Anglican Diocese of London forms part of the Province of Canterbury in England.Historically the diocese covered a large area north of the Thames and bordered the dioceses of Norwich and Lincoln to the north and west. The present diocese covers and 17 London boroughs, covering most of Greater...
, part of the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
. It is located on the corner of Old Church Street
Old Church Street
Old Church Street is a street in London, England in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.It runs from Chelsea Embankment to Fulham Road, crossing Kings Road. The section to the north of Kings Road is sometimes called Upper Old Church Street. At the Chelsea Embankment end is Chelsea Old...
and Cheyne Walk
Cheyne Walk
Cheyne Walk , is a historic street in Chelsea, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It takes its name from William Lord Cheyne who owned the manor of Chelsea until 1712. Most of the houses were built in the early 18th century. Before the construction in the 19th century of the busy...
. Inside, there is seating for 400 people. There is a memorial plaque to the author Henry James
Henry James
Henry James, OM was an American-born writer, regarded as one of the key figures of 19th-century literary realism. He was the son of Henry James, Sr., a clergyman, and the brother of philosopher and psychologist William James and diarist Alice James....
(1843–1916) who lived nearby on Cheyne Walk. It is now a Grade I listed building. To the west of the church is a small public garden containing a sculpture by Jacob Epstein
Jacob Epstein
Sir Jacob Epstein KBE was an American-born British sculptor who helped pioneer modern sculpture. He was born in the United States, and moved to Europe in 1902, becoming a British citizen in 1911. He often produced controversial works which challenged taboos on what was appropriate subject matter...
.
The Reverend Canon David Reindorp
David Reindorp
David Reindorp is the current incumbent of Chelsea Old Church in London . Reindorp has also become a noted public speaker....
is the current vicar of Chelsea Old Church.
History
Chelsea Old Church dates from 1157. Formerly it was the parish church of Chelsea when it was a village, before it was engulfed by London. The building originally consisted of a 13th century chancelChancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
with chapels to the north and south (c.1325) and a nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
and tower built in 1670.
The chapels were private property. The one to the north was called the Lawrence Chapel and was owned by Chelsea's Lord of the Manor
Lord of the Manor
The Lordship of a Manor is recognised today in England and Wales as a form of property and one of three elements of a manor that may exist separately or be combined and may be held in moieties...
. The chapel to the south was rebuilt in 1528 as Sir Thomas More
Thomas More
Sir Thomas More , also known by Catholics as Saint Thomas More, was an English lawyer, social philosopher, author, statesman and noted Renaissance humanist. He was an important councillor to Henry VIII of England and, for three years toward the end of his life, Lord Chancellor...
's private chapel. The date can be found on one of the capitals of the pillars leading to the chancel, which were reputedly designed by Holbein. There is a statue by Leslie Cubitt Bevis of More outside the church, facing the river.
There is a 1669 memorial to Lady Jane Cheyne. It was designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini
Gian Lorenzo Bernini
Gian Lorenzo Bernini was an Italian artist who worked principally in Rome. He was the leading sculptor of his age and also a prominent architect...
but executed by an apprentice.
Chelsea Old Church is the only London church to have chained books. They are the gift of Hans Sloane
Hans Sloane
Sir Hans Sloane, 1st Baronet, PRS was an Ulster-Scot physician and collector, notable for bequeathing his collection to the British nation which became the foundation of the British Museum...
and consist of the so-called "Vinegar Bible" of 1717, two volumes of Foxe's Book of Martyrs
Foxe's Book of Martyrs
The Book of Martyrs, by John Foxe, more accurately Acts and Monuments, is an account from a Protestant point of view of Christian church history and martyrology...
(1684 edition), a prayer book (1723) and Homilies (1683).
The church appears in several paintings by James McNeill Whistler
James McNeill Whistler
James Abbott McNeill Whistler was an American-born, British-based artist. Averse to sentimentality and moral allusion in painting, he was a leading proponent of the credo "art for art's sake". His famous signature for his paintings was in the shape of a stylized butterfly possessing a long stinger...
and J.M.W. Turner, in all cases little more than a white dot; the church was painted white in the 19th century. For example, the church was depicted in the background of Whistler's Nocturne: Blue and Gold - Old Battersea Bridge
Nocturne: Blue and Gold - Old Battersea Bridge
Nocturne: Blue and Gold – Old Battersea Bridge is a painting by the American-born British artist James McNeill Whistler, now held in the collections of Tate Britain. It was painted around 1872–5....
, painted c.1872–5.
The church suffered severe bombing during the Blitz
The Blitz
The Blitz was the sustained strategic bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941, during the Second World War. The city of London was bombed by the Luftwaffe for 76 consecutive nights and many towns and cities across the country followed...
of the Second World War in 1941, with the More Chapel least affected. Services were held in the adjoining hospital for nine years. In 1950 the More Chapel was reopened, followed by the chancel and Lawrence Chapel in May 1954 after restoration by the architect Walter Godfrey
Walter Godfrey
Walter Hindes Godfrey CBE, FSA, FRIBA , was an English architect, antiquary, and architectural and topographical historian. He was also a landscape architect and designer, and an accomplished draftsman and illustrator...
. In May 1958, the entire church reconsecrated by the Bishop of London
Bishop of London
The Bishop of London is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of London in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers 458 km² of 17 boroughs of Greater London north of the River Thames and a small part of the County of Surrey...
, in the presence of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. The Church has been restored in its entirety on its old foundations. It looks quite different from the way it did before World War II, as it is now clad in red brick, whereas it was previously a white building. The brickwork was necessary because so much was destroyed. Some of the tombs inside have been reconstructed, almost like jigsaw puzzles.
In 1978, Jack Leslau wrote an article in The Ricardian suggesting that one of the Princes in the Tower
Princes in the Tower
The Princes in the Tower is a term which refers to Edward V of England and Richard of Shrewsbury, 1st Duke of York. The two brothers were the only sons of Edward IV of England and Elizabeth Woodville alive at the time of their father's death...
survived, namely Edward V of England
Edward V of England
Edward V was King of England from 9 April 1483 until his deposition two months later. His reign was dominated by the influence of his uncle Richard, Duke of Gloucester, who succeeded him as Richard III...
, and is buried in Chelsea Old Church. His evidence depends on a complicated interpretation of a painting by Hans Holbein the Younger
Hans Holbein the Younger
Hans Holbein the Younger was a German artist and printmaker who worked in a Northern Renaissance style. He is best known as one of the greatest portraitists of the 16th century. He also produced religious art, satire and Reformation propaganda, and made a significant contribution to the history...
. Jack Leslau's website expands on this thesis, but no major academic institution endorses the thesis.
In the year 2000, the Museum of London Archaeological Services carried out an archaeological dig at the cemetery http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/English/Collections/Onlineresources/CHB/Database/Post-medieval+cemeteries/Chelsea.htm .