St. Mary's Church, Rotherhithe
Encyclopedia
St Mary's Church, Rotherhithe is the local Church of England
parish church in Rotherhithe
, formerly in Surrey
and now part of south east London
. The parish is now within the diocese of Southwark
and under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Fulham
. The 18th-century church is in St Marychurch Street and is dedicated to Mary, mother of Jesus, and it is particularly proud of its connections with the Pilgrim Fathers. It remains a living and working church, supported by local people and serving a broad community.
bricks were found when the tower was underpinned in 1913, so it is probable that there were even earlier buildings on the site.
The area was eventually served by Catholic priests from Bermondsey Abbey
. Following the break with Rome under Henry VIII
in 1538, the vestments, silver and gold plate and other gifts of the cathedral were sold to provide money to repair the mediaeval church.
Some remains of the mediaeval building can still be seen, for example the stone blocks incorporated into the walls on each side of the organ. In the crypt
, parts of the old church walls of chalk and flint are visible, and some later Tudor
brickwork. A drawing made of this building in 1623 has survived. Although the artist had difficulty representing the perspective of the old church, this drawing is the only remaining evidence of its appearance. A few memorials from the old church have survived.
In 1710, the parishioners of St Mary's petitioned parliament for a grant to rebuild their church 'which standing very low and near the banks of the Thames, is often overflowed, whereby the foundation of the church and tower is rotted and in great danger of falling'. The petition was not successful but the parishioners went on to collect subscriptions and the local craftsmen, of which there were many, turned their hands and feet to church building.
It was rebuilt in 1714–15, to a design by John James, a major architect of his day (and an associate of Sir Christopher Wren). As money was short, the tower (above right) was not finished until 1747, when Lancelot Dowbiggin
, a City joiner and surveyor, completed it, perhaps to his own design, following the general plan of James.
Since then, the external appearance of the church has remained almost unchanged. It is set in a narrow street close to the Thames, surrounded by former warehouses and facing the charity school house which was built in 1703.
In 1760, Birmingham industrialist Matthew Boulton
wed his second wife, Anne, here. The two had journeyed far from home to evade ecclesiastical difficulties; she was his first wife's sister, and the marriage was forbidden by canon law, but not void if no one objected when the banns were read.
In 1838, when the well-known ship Temeraire
was broken up, some of her timbers were used to build a communion table and two bishop's chairs in the Rotherhithe church.
The interior of the church was much altered
in 1876.
Between 1996 and 1999, the bells were restored and re-hung, and essential repairs made to the spire. The bells are regularly rung by members of the Docklands Ringing Centre.
and two bishop's chairs
are made from salvaged timber from the warship HMS Temeraire
. The ship's final journey to the breaker's yard at Deptford
was made famous by Turner
in his evocative painting The Fighting Temeraire
, now in the National Gallery
.
In the church a memorial marks the final resting place of Christopher Jones
, captain of the Mayflower
, which took the Pilgrim Fathers to North America in 1620.
It is also the burial place of Prince Lee Boo of Palau
, a Pacific Island prince.
Nearby are some of London's Nordic churches
and missions to seafarers.
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...
parish church in Rotherhithe
Rotherhithe
Rotherhithe is a residential district in inner southeast London, England and part of the London Borough of Southwark. It is located on a peninsula on the south bank of the Thames, facing Wapping and the Isle of Dogs on the north bank, and is a part of the Docklands area...
, formerly in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
and now part of south east 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...
. The parish is now within the diocese of Southwark
Anglican Diocese of Southwark
The Diocese of Southwark is one of the 44 dioceses of the Church of England, part of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The Diocese forms part of the Province of Canterbury in England. It was formed on May 1, 1905 from part of the Diocese of Rochester...
and under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Fulham
Provincial episcopal visitor
A provincial episcopal visitor is a Church of England bishop assigned to minister to many of the clergy, laity and parishes who do not in conscience accept the ministry of women priests....
. The 18th-century church is in St Marychurch Street and is dedicated to Mary, mother of Jesus, and it is particularly proud of its connections with the Pilgrim Fathers. It remains a living and working church, supported by local people and serving a broad community.
History
There is documentary evidence that a church has existed on this site since at least 1282. However, RomanAncient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
bricks were found when the tower was underpinned in 1913, so it is probable that there were even earlier buildings on the site.
The area was eventually served by Catholic priests from Bermondsey Abbey
Bermondsey Abbey
Bermondsey Abbey was an English Benedictine monastery. Most widely known as an 11th-century foundation, it had a precursor mentioned in the early 8th century, and was centred on what is now Bermondsey Square, the site of Bermondsey Market, Bermondsey in the London Borough of Southwark, southeast...
. Following the break with Rome under Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
in 1538, the vestments, silver and gold plate and other gifts of the cathedral were sold to provide money to repair the mediaeval church.
Some remains of the mediaeval building can still be seen, for example the stone blocks incorporated into the walls on each side of the organ. In the crypt
Crypt
In architecture, a crypt is a stone chamber or vault beneath the floor of a burial vault possibly containing sarcophagi, coffins or relics....
, parts of the old church walls of chalk and flint are visible, and some later Tudor
Tudor style architecture
The Tudor architectural style is the final development of medieval architecture during the Tudor period and even beyond, for conservative college patrons...
brickwork. A drawing made of this building in 1623 has survived. Although the artist had difficulty representing the perspective of the old church, this drawing is the only remaining evidence of its appearance. A few memorials from the old church have survived.
In 1710, the parishioners of St Mary's petitioned parliament for a grant to rebuild their church 'which standing very low and near the banks of the Thames, is often overflowed, whereby the foundation of the church and tower is rotted and in great danger of falling'. The petition was not successful but the parishioners went on to collect subscriptions and the local craftsmen, of which there were many, turned their hands and feet to church building.
It was rebuilt in 1714–15, to a design by John James, a major architect of his day (and an associate of Sir Christopher Wren). As money was short, the tower (above right) was not finished until 1747, when Lancelot Dowbiggin
Lancelot Dowbiggin
Lancelot Dowbiggin was an English architect....
, a City joiner and surveyor, completed it, perhaps to his own design, following the general plan of James.
Since then, the external appearance of the church has remained almost unchanged. It is set in a narrow street close to the Thames, surrounded by former warehouses and facing the charity school house which was built in 1703.
In 1760, Birmingham industrialist Matthew Boulton
Matthew Boulton
Matthew Boulton, FRS was an English manufacturer and business partner of Scottish engineer James Watt. In the final quarter of the 18th century the partnership installed hundreds of Boulton & Watt steam engines, which were a great advance on the state of the art, making possible the...
wed his second wife, Anne, here. The two had journeyed far from home to evade ecclesiastical difficulties; she was his first wife's sister, and the marriage was forbidden by canon law, but not void if no one objected when the banns were read.
In 1838, when the well-known ship Temeraire
HMS Temeraire (1798)
HMS Temeraire was a 98-gun second-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy. Launched in 1798, she served during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, mostly on blockades or convoy escort duties...
was broken up, some of her timbers were used to build a communion table and two bishop's chairs in the Rotherhithe church.
The interior of the church was much altered
Victorian restoration
Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...
in 1876.
Between 1996 and 1999, the bells were restored and re-hung, and essential repairs made to the spire. The bells are regularly rung by members of the Docklands Ringing Centre.
The organ
The organ dates from 1800 by England & Russell, but has had work done in 1829 by Hugh Russell, 1859 by Robson, 1870 and 1882 by Gray & Davison, 1946 by W.J. English, 1959 and 1975 by Noel Mander and finally in 1991 by Martin Goetze & Dominic Gwynn. The specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.The organists
- Michael Topping 1765–1780
- Frederick Topping 1780–1787
- Martha Tibbatts 1787–1814
- Josiah Ferdinand Reddie 1815–1820
- Robert Wilson Nottingham 1820–1851
- Eliza Nottingham 1851–1880
- William Webb 1881–1883
- Mr Dray 1884–1886
- Arthur Charles Chappell Haverson 1886–1891
- Charles W Stephens 1891–1893
- Gordon Black 1893–1894
- Charles William Cobon 1894–1913
- Frederick A Kempster 1913–1915
- Frederick William Brock 1916–1930
- Grace L Knott 1930–1957
- Ethel Stone 1957–1959
- Austin Niland 1959–1961
- Charles S. B. Poupart 1962–1963
- Eric Harding 1963–1966
- Alan Lowson 1967–1968
- Donald F Hammond 1968–1971
- Alan Lowson 1972 —
- Stanley W. F. Hammond (jointly) 1978 —
- ?
Maritime connections
As befits a church near the merchant activity on the river, there are several maritime connections. The communion table in the Lady ChapelLady chapel
A Lady chapel, also called Mary chapel or Marian chapel, is a traditional English term for a chapel inside a cathedral, basilica, or large church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary...
and two bishop's chairs
Cathedra
A cathedra or bishop's throne is the chair or throne of a bishop. It is a symbol of the bishop's teaching authority in the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, and has in some sense remained such in the Anglican Communion and in Lutheran churches...
are made from salvaged timber from the warship HMS Temeraire
HMS Temeraire (1798)
HMS Temeraire was a 98-gun second-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy. Launched in 1798, she served during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, mostly on blockades or convoy escort duties...
. The ship's final journey to the breaker's yard at Deptford
Deptford
Deptford is a district of south London, England, located on the south bank of the River Thames. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne, and from the mid 16th century to the late 19th was home to Deptford Dockyard, the first of the Royal Navy Dockyards.Deptford and the docks are...
was made famous by Turner
J. M. W. Turner
Joseph Mallord William Turner RA was an English Romantic landscape painter, watercolourist and printmaker. Turner was considered a controversial figure in his day, but is now regarded as the artist who elevated landscape painting to an eminence rivalling history painting...
in his evocative painting The Fighting Temeraire
The Fighting Temeraire
The Fighting Temeraire tugged to her last Berth to be broken up, 1838 is an oil painting executed in 1839 by the English artist J. M. W. Turner...
, now in the National Gallery
National Gallery, London
The National Gallery is an art museum on Trafalgar Square, London, United Kingdom. Founded in 1824, it houses a collection of over 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900. The gallery is an exempt charity, and a non-departmental public body of the Department for Culture, Media...
.
In the church a memorial marks the final resting place of Christopher Jones
Christopher Jones (sailor)
Christopher Jones was an English sailor, and master of the Mayflower between at least 1609 and 1622, who captained it on the transatlantic voyage that established the Plymouth Colony settlement. He was not a Plymouth Leader....
, captain of the Mayflower
Mayflower
The Mayflower was the ship that transported the English Separatists, better known as the Pilgrims, from a site near the Mayflower Steps in Plymouth, England, to Plymouth, Massachusetts, , in 1620...
, which took the Pilgrim Fathers to North America in 1620.
It is also the burial place of Prince Lee Boo of Palau
Palau
Palau , officially the Republic of Palau , is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Philippines and south of Tokyo. In 1978, after three decades as being part of the United Nations trusteeship, Palau chose independence instead of becoming part of the Federated States of Micronesia, a...
, a Pacific Island prince.
Nearby are some of London's Nordic churches
Nordic churches in London
There are several long-established Nordic churches in London. All seek to provide Lutheran Christian worship and pastoral care to their respective national communities in their own languages...
and missions to seafarers.