St Mary Abchurch
Encyclopedia
St Mary Abchurch is a Church of England
church on Cannon Street
in the City of London
. Dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, it is first mentioned in 1198-99.
Restored and beautified in 1611, it was destroyed in the Great Fire of London
of 1666, and rebuilt by the office of Sir Christopher Wren
in 1681–86 with a four-storey, 51-foot-high tower, a leaded spire and a red brick exterior with stone dressings. It was originally intended to be much larger, with a structure similar to St. Stephen Walbrook, however for reasons unknown the church was rebuilt to a smaller scale under the supervision of Robert Hooke
.
A bomb hit the church in September 1940 during the London Blitz. The greatest damage was to the dome, and Gibbons' reredos
. Godfrey Allen repaired the church between 1948 and 1953. The dome was repainted by Hoyle and the reredos, smashed to pieces, was painstakingly restored over a period of five years.
The church was designated a Grade I listed building on 4 January 1950.
. His original bill for what he called the 'Olter Pees' was discovered as recently as 1946 in the Guildhall Library.
The gilded 'Pelican in her piety' makes its appearance both on the reredos and in the original copper weathervane made by Robert Bird, which was relocated to sit over the north door after being removed from the spire for health and safety reasons. Also to be seen there are original high box pews on three sides of the church. The church was without an organ until 1822, when public subscription allowed one to be built by J. C. Bishop. This however sustained serious bomb damage and a new organ was manufactured by N. P. Mander in the 1950s, using the 1717 organ casing once belonging to All Hallows Bread Street
.
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...
church on Cannon Street
Cannon Street
Cannon Street is a road in the south of the City of London. It runs roughly parallel with the River Thames, and about 250 metres north of it. It is the site of the ancient London Stone.-Etymology:...
in 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...
. Dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, it is first mentioned in 1198-99.
History
The church dates back to the twelfth century. After the Reformation, Archbishop Parker persuaded Elizabeth I to grant the church to his College, Corpus Christi Cambridge, before St Martin's was demolished and the college has appointed the incumbent ever since.Restored and beautified in 1611, it 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, and rebuilt by the office of Sir Christopher Wren
Christopher Wren
Sir Christopher Wren FRS is one of the most highly acclaimed English architects in history.He used to be accorded responsibility for rebuilding 51 churches in the City of London after the Great Fire in 1666, including his masterpiece, St. Paul's Cathedral, on Ludgate Hill, completed in 1710...
in 1681–86 with a four-storey, 51-foot-high tower, a leaded spire and a red brick exterior with stone dressings. It was originally intended to be much larger, with a structure similar to St. Stephen Walbrook, however for reasons unknown the church was rebuilt to a smaller scale under the supervision of Robert Hooke
Robert Hooke
Robert Hooke FRS was an English natural philosopher, architect and polymath.His adult life comprised three distinct periods: as a scientific inquirer lacking money; achieving great wealth and standing through his reputation for hard work and scrupulous honesty following the great fire of 1666, but...
.
A bomb hit the church in September 1940 during the London Blitz. The greatest damage was to the dome, and Gibbons' reredos
Reredos
thumb|300px|right|An altar and reredos from [[St. Josaphat's Roman Catholic Church|St. Josaphat Catholic Church]] in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]. This would be called a [[retable]] in many other languages and countries....
. Godfrey Allen repaired the church between 1948 and 1953. The dome was repainted by Hoyle and the reredos, smashed to pieces, was painstakingly restored over a period of five years.
The church was designated a Grade I listed building on 4 January 1950.
Interior
The dome springs from four plain brick walls, has no external thrusts and measures over forty feet across. It was not painted until 1708 when the whole church went under repair and beautification. William Snow painted the dome's interior depicting worship in heaven, William Grey made the pulpit, and the door cases, a font cover, rails and Royal Arms are by William Emmett. Its grand altar-piece is by Grinling GibbonsGrinling Gibbons
Grinling Gibbons was an English sculptor and wood carver known for his work in England, including St Paul's Cathedral, Blenheim Palace and Hampton Court Palace. He was born and educated in Holland where his father was a merchant...
. His original bill for what he called the 'Olter Pees' was discovered as recently as 1946 in the Guildhall Library.
The gilded 'Pelican in her piety' makes its appearance both on the reredos and in the original copper weathervane made by Robert Bird, which was relocated to sit over the north door after being removed from the spire for health and safety reasons. Also to be seen there are original high box pews on three sides of the church. The church was without an organ until 1822, when public subscription allowed one to be built by J. C. Bishop. This however sustained serious bomb damage and a new organ was manufactured by N. P. Mander in the 1950s, using the 1717 organ casing once belonging to All Hallows Bread Street
All Hallows Bread Street
All Hallows Bread Street was a church in the Bread Street ward of the City of London on the south side of Watling Street. First mentioned in the 13th century, the church was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666...
.
See also
- List of churches and cathedrals of London
- List of Christopher Wren churches in London
External links
- Services at St Mary Abchurch from Friends of the City Churches
- Description of St Mary Abchurch from Our Past History