St Mary Aldermary
Encyclopedia
Ashlar-faced outside and Gothic
throughout, St Mary Aldermary is an Anglican church in Bow Lane in the City of London. The church was badly damaged in the Great Fire of London in 1666, and rebuilt by Sir Christopher Wren
.
From the 16th Century, Stow mentioned various dignitaries buried in the early church, in his 1598 Survey of London. These include Richard Chaucer, vintner, a relative of the poet Geoffrey Chaucer.
In 1510, Sir Henry Keeble financed the building of a new church. The tower was unfinished when he died in 1518. In 1629, two legacies enabled it to be completed. The church was said to have been among the largest and finest of the City's churches. The parish registers date from 1558. They are now deposited in the Guildhall Library. John Milton
married his third wife, Elizabeth Minshull in this church in 1663.
St Mary Aldermary was greatly damaged in London's Great Fire of 1666
although parts of its walls and tower survived. It was mostly rebuilt by Sir Christopher Wren
in a Gothic style. The money to rebuild the church was donated in 1679 by Anne Rogers, niece of the Somerset squire Henry Rogers. The church opened in 1682.
According to Pevsner
, it is "the chief surviving monument of the 17th century Gothic revival in the City
and -- with Warwick
-- the most important late 17th century Gothic church in England
."
St Mary Aldermary was damaged by German bombs in the London Blitz during the Second World War. All the windows were shattered and some plaster fell from the vaulting but the building itself remained intact.
The church has been repaired and restored many times over the years. The latest interior restoration was finished in April 2005, with special attention paid to the plaster ceilings and the memorials on the north wall. A service was held on April 21, 2005 to celebrate the restoration, presided over by Richard Chartres
, the Bishop of London
. As of April, 2005, the priest in charge of the church was Father John Mothersole.
The church was designated a Grade I listed building on 4 January 1950.
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
throughout, St Mary Aldermary is an Anglican church in Bow Lane in the City of London. The church was badly damaged in the Great Fire of London in 1666, and rebuilt by 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...
.
History
There has been a church on this site for over 900 years and its name is usually taken to mean that it is the oldest of the City churches dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The early benefactors of the Church were believed to be the Benedictine Monks of Christ Church Canterbury, so it is likely that the Church was founded and sponsored by Benedictine Monastics. However, little evidence for this has survived and was probably destroyed in the Great Fire.From the 16th Century, Stow mentioned various dignitaries buried in the early church, in his 1598 Survey of London. These include Richard Chaucer, vintner, a relative of the poet Geoffrey Chaucer.
In 1510, Sir Henry Keeble financed the building of a new church. The tower was unfinished when he died in 1518. In 1629, two legacies enabled it to be completed. The church was said to have been among the largest and finest of the City's churches. The parish registers date from 1558. They are now deposited in the Guildhall Library. John Milton
John Milton
John Milton was an English poet, polemicist, a scholarly man of letters, and a civil servant for the Commonwealth of England under Oliver Cromwell...
married his third wife, Elizabeth Minshull in this church in 1663.
St Mary Aldermary was greatly damaged in London's Great Fire of 1666
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...
although parts of its walls and tower survived. It was mostly rebuilt by 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 a Gothic style. The money to rebuild the church was donated in 1679 by Anne Rogers, niece of the Somerset squire Henry Rogers. The church opened in 1682.
According to Pevsner
Pevsner
Pevsner is a surname, and may refer to:* Antoine Pevsner , a Russian sculptor* Sir Nikolaus Pevsner , a German-born British scholar of the history of architecture;** ....
, it is "the chief surviving monument of the 17th century Gothic revival in the City
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...
and -- with Warwick
Warwick
Warwick is the county town of Warwickshire, England. The town lies upon the River Avon, south of Coventry and just west of Leamington Spa and Whitnash with which it is conjoined. As of the 2001 United Kingdom census, it had a population of 23,350...
-- the most important late 17th century Gothic church in 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...
."
St Mary Aldermary was damaged by German bombs in the London Blitz during the Second World War. All the windows were shattered and some plaster fell from the vaulting but the building itself remained intact.
The church has been repaired and restored many times over the years. The latest interior restoration was finished in April 2005, with special attention paid to the plaster ceilings and the memorials on the north wall. A service was held on April 21, 2005 to celebrate the restoration, presided over by Richard Chartres
Richard Chartres
Richard John Carew Chartres KCVO FSA is the current Bishop of London, a position he has held since 1995. Before this appointment, he was Bishop of Stepney and Gresham Professor of Divinity .-Early life:...
, 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...
. As of April, 2005, the priest in charge of the church was Father John Mothersole.
The church was designated a Grade I listed building on 4 January 1950.
Contemporary History
From January 2010, the Bishop of London invited the Moot Community to make their home at the Church. Moot is a new monastic community of the Church of England, which has a rhythm of life and spiritual practices and classified by what is known as an Acknowledged Religious Community. The Bishop and Archdeacon of London invited Moot to once again bring life to this ancient and important Church through a ministry of hospitality and mission. The Church has a historical connection with religious communities since its foundation, and so it is fitting that this new monastic community follows the same vocation and ancient stream of traditional monasticism. In time, the Church will include a cafe and hospitality area, an area for the arts, and spaces for prayer, contemplation and spirituality. Outside the church there is a growing small market Mon-Fri of different food options. The Churches activity has expanded to daily prayer, regular worship services, meditation, discussion groups and also sorts of new initiatives that seek to honour the past and forge a future for this important place.See also
- List of churches and cathedrals of London
- List of Christopher Wren churches in London