St. Mary Magdalen Old Fish Street
Encyclopedia
St. Mary Magdalen Old Fish Street was a church in Castle Baynard ward
of the City of London
, England, located on the corner of Old Fish Street and Old Change, on land now covered by post-War development. Recorded since the 12th century, the church was destroyed in the Great Fire of London
of 1666, then rebuilt by the office of Sir Christopher Wren. The rebuilt church suffered damage to its roof from a fire in an adjacent warehouse in 1886. It was not repaired and finally demolished in 1893.
, rather than the Virgin Mary. Old Fish Street formerly ran from the Thames towards St. Paul’s Cathedral and was the location of a fish market since medieval times. The street was incorporated into Knightrider Street in 1872.
The earliest surviving reference to the church is in a document of 1181, as “St Mary Magdalen”. Other medieval records refer to the church as “St. Marie Magdal in Piscaria apud sanctum Paulum”, "St. Marie Magdal parish at the Fishmarket”, "St. Marie Magdalen Eldefisshestrete" and “St. Mary Magdalen at Lamberdyshel”.
Among the memorials in the pre-Fire church was a brass plaque of 1586, commemorating the merchant and benefactor, Thomas Berrie. The plaque survived the Great Fire and may now be seen in St Martin, Ludgate
. In part it reads:
St Martin, Ludgate
also has the bread shelves from St. Mary Magdalen Old Fish Street.
On Easter Day, 1653, John Evelyn recorded in his Diary
that he and his family received Holy Communion at St. Mary Magdalen’s. This was during the Protectorate when Anglican services were banned.
The church was destroyed in the Great Fire in 1666 and the parish combined with that of St. Gregory-by-St. Paul’s, which was not rebuilt. Building of the new church began in 1683, with new foundations for the north wall and tower, but incorporating some of the old walls elsewhere. The work was completed in 1687 at a total cost of £4315.
Between 1824 and 1842, the rector of St. Mary Magdalen’s was the Reverend Richard Harris Barham
, author of The Ingoldsby Legends
. He was buried in the church in 1845.
On the morning of Thursday, 2 December 1886, a fire broke out in a warehouse in what by this time was called Knightrider Street and spread to the church’s roof, causing substantial damage. Although the church was insured and repairable, the event took place during a period in which several undamaged churches in the City of London were being demolished under the Union of Benefices Act 1860. The opportunity was taken to pull down St. Mary Magdalen’s and combine the parish with that of St Martin, Ludgate
, which received some of the furnishings from the demolished church.
The site previously occupied by St. Mary Magdalen’s was built over after the Second World War, and is now covered by Old Change Square.
The parish still retains a clerkship which is now in the gift of St. Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe and is currently held by Oliver Hylton, a past chairman of the Castle Baynard Ward Club.
. Underneath, the material was stone rubble. There were four large roundheaded windows on the south, and three similar windows on the east, each window flanked by pilasters capped by volutes. Entry to the church was through a door under the western window on the south front. The roof was balustraded.
The tower was erected next to the north western wall of the church and stood 86 ft. high. This had a stone spire, consisting of an octagonal pyramid of five steps on which sat an open octagonal lantern from which emerged a concave steeple. The finial was in the form an urn, in allusion to St. Mary Magdalen’s pot of balm. The inspiration for the spire’s design was the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus .
.
Castle Baynard
Castle Baynard is one of the 25 wards of the City of London, the historic core of the English capital. It covers an irregular shaped area, somewhat akin to a tuning fork bounded on the east by the wards of Queenhithe and Bread Street, the River Thames to the south and Farringdon Without to the...
of the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
, England, located on the corner of Old Fish Street and Old Change, on land now covered by post-War development. Recorded since the 12th century, the church was destroyed in the Great Fire of London
Great Fire of London
The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through the central parts of the English city of London, from Sunday, 2 September to Wednesday, 5 September 1666. The fire gutted the medieval City of London inside the old Roman City Wall...
of 1666, then rebuilt by the office of Sir Christopher Wren. The rebuilt church suffered damage to its roof from a fire in an adjacent warehouse in 1886. It was not repaired and finally demolished in 1893.
History
St. Mary Magdalen Old Fish Street was the only one of the 8 churches in the post-Fire City of London, called “St. Mary” dedicated to the penitent Mary MagdaleneMary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene was one of Jesus' most celebrated disciples, and the most important woman disciple in the movement of Jesus. Jesus cleansed her of "seven demons", conventionally interpreted as referring to complex illnesses...
, rather than the Virgin Mary. Old Fish Street formerly ran from the Thames towards St. Paul’s Cathedral and was the location of a fish market since medieval times. The street was incorporated into Knightrider Street in 1872.
The earliest surviving reference to the church is in a document of 1181, as “St Mary Magdalen”. Other medieval records refer to the church as “St. Marie Magdal in Piscaria apud sanctum Paulum”, "St. Marie Magdal parish at the Fishmarket”, "St. Marie Magdalen Eldefisshestrete" and “St. Mary Magdalen at Lamberdyshel”.
Among the memorials in the pre-Fire church was a brass plaque of 1586, commemorating the merchant and benefactor, Thomas Berrie. The plaque survived the Great Fire and may now be seen in St Martin, Ludgate
St Martin, Ludgate
St Martin, Ludgate is an Anglican church on Ludgate Hill in the ward of Farringdon, in the City of London. St Martin Ludgate, also called St Martin within Ludgate, was rebuilt in 1677-84 by Sir Christopher Wren.-History:...
. In part it reads:
- How smale soever the gift shall be/Thanke God for him who gave it thee/xii penie loves to xii poore foulkes/
- Geve everie saboth day for aye
St Martin, Ludgate
St Martin, Ludgate
St Martin, Ludgate is an Anglican church on Ludgate Hill in the ward of Farringdon, in the City of London. St Martin Ludgate, also called St Martin within Ludgate, was rebuilt in 1677-84 by Sir Christopher Wren.-History:...
also has the bread shelves from St. Mary Magdalen Old Fish Street.
On Easter Day, 1653, John Evelyn recorded in his Diary
John Evelyn's Diary
The Diary of John Evelyn, a gentlemanly Royalist and virtuoso of the seventeenth century, was first published in 1818 under the title Memoirs Illustrative of the Life and Writings of John Evelyn, in an edition by William Bray. Bray was assisted by William Upcott, who had access to the Evelyn family...
that he and his family received Holy Communion at St. Mary Magdalen’s. This was during the Protectorate when Anglican services were banned.
The church was destroyed in the Great Fire in 1666 and the parish combined with that of St. Gregory-by-St. Paul’s, which was not rebuilt. Building of the new church began in 1683, with new foundations for the north wall and tower, but incorporating some of the old walls elsewhere. The work was completed in 1687 at a total cost of £4315.
Between 1824 and 1842, the rector of St. Mary Magdalen’s was the Reverend Richard Harris Barham
Richard Harris Barham
Richard Harris Barham was an English cleric of the Church of England, novelist, and humorous poet. He was known better by his nom de plume Thomas Ingoldsby.-Life:Richard Harris Barham was born in Canterbury...
, author of The Ingoldsby Legends
The Ingoldsby Legends
The Ingoldsby Legends is a collection of myths, legends, ghost stories and poetry written supposedly by Thomas Ingoldsby of Tappington Manor, actually a pen-name of an English clergyman named Richard Harris Barham....
. He was buried in the church in 1845.
On the morning of Thursday, 2 December 1886, a fire broke out in a warehouse in what by this time was called Knightrider Street and spread to the church’s roof, causing substantial damage. Although the church was insured and repairable, the event took place during a period in which several undamaged churches in the City of London were being demolished under the Union of Benefices Act 1860. The opportunity was taken to pull down St. Mary Magdalen’s and combine the parish with that of St Martin, Ludgate
St Martin, Ludgate
St Martin, Ludgate is an Anglican church on Ludgate Hill in the ward of Farringdon, in the City of London. St Martin Ludgate, also called St Martin within Ludgate, was rebuilt in 1677-84 by Sir Christopher Wren.-History:...
, which received some of the furnishings from the demolished church.
The site previously occupied by St. Mary Magdalen’s was built over after the Second World War, and is now covered by Old Change Square.
The parish still retains a clerkship which is now in the gift of St. Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe and is currently held by Oliver Hylton, a past chairman of the Castle Baynard Ward Club.
Architecture
The plan for St. Mary Magdalen’s was roughly rectangular, with the north wall tapering slightly towards the east. The two street frontages – to the east on Old Fish Street and to the south on Old Change – were faced with Portland stonePortland stone
Portland stone is a limestone from the Tithonian stage of the Jurassic period quarried on the Isle of Portland, Dorset. The quarries consist of beds of white-grey limestone separated by chert beds. It has been used extensively as a building stone throughout the British Isles, notably in major...
. Underneath, the material was stone rubble. There were four large roundheaded windows on the south, and three similar windows on the east, each window flanked by pilasters capped by volutes. Entry to the church was through a door under the western window on the south front. The roof was balustraded.
The tower was erected next to the north western wall of the church and stood 86 ft. high. This had a stone spire, consisting of an octagonal pyramid of five steps on which sat an open octagonal lantern from which emerged a concave steeple. The finial was in the form an urn, in allusion to St. Mary Magdalen’s pot of balm. The inspiration for the spire’s design was the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus .
Organ
Organ by Samuel Green was installed in 1786. It was rebuilt in 1857 by Gray and DavisonGray and Davison
Gray & Davison was a large-scale manufacturer of church and cathedral pipe organs, based in London. The company was active between 1841–1973 and had its heyday between 1905–1930....
.
Organists
- Mary Hudson 1785-1801
- William Adams ????-1834
- Frederick Michelmore 1834
- Carolina Townsend 1834-1855
- J.S. Carter 1865
- E. Smyth 1881
- Douglas Stewart
See also
- List of Christopher Wren churches in London
- List of churches rebuilt after the Great Fire but since demolished