St. Mary Somerset
Encyclopedia
St. Mary Somerset was a church in the City of London
first recorded in the twelfth century. Destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666, it was one of the 51 churches rebuilt by the office of Sir Christopher Wren. The tower is located in Upper Thames Street, the body of the church being demolished in 1871.
According to John Stow
, in 1370, the Brabant
weaver community was ordered by the Mayor to meet in the churchyard of St Mary Somerset for the purpose of hiring serving men, following disputes with the Flemish
weavers. The latter were ordered to meet a safe distance away in the churchyard of St Laurence Pountney
.
After the Fire, the parish was combined with that of St Mary Mounthaw
, which was not rebuilt. Building of the new church began in 1686 (one of the last 5 of the 51 to commence) and stopped in 1688 owing to the financial uncertainty associated with the Glorious Revolution
. Rebuilding recommenced the next year and the church was finished in 1694, at a cost of £6579.
The parish was very poor, and it was one of only two churches (the other being St. Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe
) for which Wren provided funds for the furnishings from the Coal Tax. The rebuilt church was smaller than its predecessor, as a strip of land was taken by the City to widen what was then Thames Street.
Bishop Gilbert Ironside
, Chancellor of Oxford University, who defied James II in upholding the rights of Fellows, was buried here in 1701. His remains, and black marble tombstone, were removed to Hereford Cathedral
in 1867.
Late in the eighteenth century, the church had a reputation as Low Church, as Malcolm in London Redivivum (1803) stated ‘When I mention that the late well-known Methodist Mr Gunn was a preacher in it on certain days, the trampled and dirty state of the church will not be wondered at.’
In 1805, the communion plate was stolen and never recovered.
The second half of the 19th century saw a movement of population from the City of London to suburbs in Middlesex
, Kent
, Essex
and Surrey
. This left many of the city churches with tiny congregations, while many of the newly built suburbs had no churches. The Union of Benefices Act 1860
was passed by Parliament, permitting the demolition of City churches and the sale of land to build churches in the suburbs. The last service at St Mary Somerset was held on February 1, 1867, with about 70 people attending. The parish was then combined with that of St Nicholas Cole Abbey, and the church demolished in 1871.
At the instigation of the architect, Ewan Christian
, the church tower was preserved. The proceeds of the sale were used to build St Mary Hoxton, which also received the church furnishings and the bell.
Before the Second World War, the church tower was used as a woman’s rest room. The tower now stands on a traffic island surrounded by a small landscaped garden.
described the interior as "a mere room with low whitewashed walls". Two columns supported a gallery on the West, from which was suspended a Royal coat of arms
The tower projected from the southwest. It is 120 feet high and faced with Portland stone
. Lines of windows, alternately circular and round headed, run up each side, with grotesque masks and cherub
s serving as keystones.
The unique feature of the tower are the eight Baroque
pinnacles. The four on each corner have pannelled bases and scrolls, surmounted by vases. Between each of these are 20 foot obelisks, with ball finials. The style strongly suggests that they are the design of Nicholas Hawksmoor
. They create the optical illusion of changing heights when viewed from different vantage points.
The pinnacles were taken down after the Second World War, due to bomb damage in the London Blitz, but restored by the City Corporation in 1956. The remains of the church were designated a Grade I listed building on 4 January 1950.
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...
first recorded in the twelfth century. Destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666, it was one of the 51 churches rebuilt by the office of Sir Christopher Wren. The tower is located in Upper Thames Street, the body of the church being demolished in 1871.
History
Pre-Fire London had 14 churches named after the Virgin Mary, six of which were rebuilt after the Fire. The derivation of “Somerset” is uncertain. It has been linked to Ralph de Somery, who is mentioned in records at the same time. It is also linked to Summer’s Hithe, a small haven on the Thames, the banks of which would have been closer in medieval times. The church was first mentioned in a deed during the reign of Richard I.According to John Stow
John Stow
John Stow was an English historian and antiquarian.-Early life:The son of Thomas Stow, a tallow-chandler, he was born about 1525 in London, in the parish of St Michael, Cornhill. His father's whole rent for his house and garden was only 6s. 6d. a year, and Stow in his youth fetched milk every...
, in 1370, the Brabant
Duchy of Brabant
The Duchy of Brabant was a historical region in the Low Countries. Its territory consisted essentially of the three modern-day Belgian provinces of Flemish Brabant, Walloon Brabant and Antwerp, the Brussels-Capital Region and most of the present-day Dutch province of North Brabant.The Flag of...
weaver community was ordered by the Mayor to meet in the churchyard of St Mary Somerset for the purpose of hiring serving men, following disputes with the Flemish
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
weavers. The latter were ordered to meet a safe distance away in the churchyard of St Laurence Pountney
St Laurence Pountney
St Laurence Pountney was a former church in the City of London.The Mortality Bill for the year 1665, published by the Parish Clerk’s Company, shows 97 parishes within the City of London. By September 6 the city lay in ruins, 86 churches having been destroyed...
.
After the Fire, the parish was combined with that of St Mary Mounthaw
St Mary Mounthaw
A former church in the City of London.The Mortality Bill for the year 1665, published by the Parish Clerk’s Company, shows 97 parishes within the City of London. By September 6 the city lay in ruins, 86 churches having been destroyed. In 1670 a Rebuilding Act was passed and a committee set up...
, which was not rebuilt. Building of the new church began in 1686 (one of the last 5 of the 51 to commence) and stopped in 1688 owing to the financial uncertainty associated with the Glorious Revolution
Glorious Revolution
The Glorious Revolution, also called the Revolution of 1688, is the overthrow of King James II of England by a union of English Parliamentarians with the Dutch stadtholder William III of Orange-Nassau...
. Rebuilding recommenced the next year and the church was finished in 1694, at a cost of £6579.
The parish was very poor, and it was one of only two churches (the other being St. Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe
St. Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe
St. Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe is a Church of England church located on Queen Victoria Street, London in the City of London, near Blackfriars station.-History:...
) for which Wren provided funds for the furnishings from the Coal Tax. The rebuilt church was smaller than its predecessor, as a strip of land was taken by the City to widen what was then Thames Street.
Bishop Gilbert Ironside
Gilbert Ironside the younger
Gilbert Ironside the younger was an English churchman and academic, Warden of Wadham College, Oxford from 1667, Bishop of Bristol and Bishop of Hereford.-Life:...
, Chancellor of Oxford University, who defied James II in upholding the rights of Fellows, was buried here in 1701. His remains, and black marble tombstone, were removed to Hereford Cathedral
Hereford Cathedral
The current Hereford Cathedral, located at Hereford in England, dates from 1079. Its most famous treasure is Mappa Mundi, a mediæval map of the world dating from the 13th century. The cathedral is a Grade I listed building.-Origins:...
in 1867.
Late in the eighteenth century, the church had a reputation as Low Church, as Malcolm in London Redivivum (1803) stated ‘When I mention that the late well-known Methodist Mr Gunn was a preacher in it on certain days, the trampled and dirty state of the church will not be wondered at.’
In 1805, the communion plate was stolen and never recovered.
The second half of the 19th century saw a movement of population from the City of London to suburbs in Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
and 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...
. This left many of the city churches with tiny congregations, while many of the newly built suburbs had no churches. The Union of Benefices Act 1860
Union of Benefices Act 1860
The Union of Benefices Act was a necessary piece of legislation to reduce the number of parish churches in the City of London as the residential population declined in the second half of the 19th century.Churches affected were...
was passed by Parliament, permitting the demolition of City churches and the sale of land to build churches in the suburbs. The last service at St Mary Somerset was held on February 1, 1867, with about 70 people attending. The parish was then combined with that of St Nicholas Cole Abbey, and the church demolished in 1871.
At the instigation of the architect, Ewan Christian
Ewan Christian
Ewan Christian was a British architect. He is most notable for the restoration of Carlisle Cathedral, the alterations to Christ Church, Spitalfields in 1866, and the extension to the National Gallery that created the National Portrait Gallery. He was architect to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners...
, the church tower was preserved. The proceeds of the sale were used to build St Mary Hoxton, which also received the church furnishings and the bell.
Before the Second World War, the church tower was used as a woman’s rest room. The tower now stands on a traffic island surrounded by a small landscaped garden.
The building
The Wren church was an aisleless nave with a flat roof. George GodwinGeorge Godwin
George Godwin FRS was an influential architect, journalist, and editor of The Builder magazine.He was one of nine children of the architect George Godwin senior and trained at his father's architectural practice in Kensington where he set up in business with his brother Henry Godwin .Encouraged...
described the interior as "a mere room with low whitewashed walls". Two columns supported a gallery on the West, from which was suspended a Royal coat of arms
The tower projected from the southwest. It is 120 feet high and faced with Portland stone
Portland 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...
. Lines of windows, alternately circular and round headed, run up each side, with grotesque masks and cherub
Cherub
A cherub is a type of spiritual being mentioned in the Hebrew Bible and cited later on in the Christian biblical canons, usually associated with the presence of God...
s serving as keystones.
The unique feature of the tower are the eight Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
pinnacles. The four on each corner have pannelled bases and scrolls, surmounted by vases. Between each of these are 20 foot obelisks, with ball finials. The style strongly suggests that they are the design of Nicholas Hawksmoor
Nicholas Hawksmoor
Nicholas Hawksmoor was a British architect born in Nottinghamshire, probably in East Drayton.-Life:Hawksmoor was born in Nottinghamshire in 1661, into a yeoman farming family, almost certainly in East Drayton, Nottinghamshire. On his death he was to leave property at nearby Ragnall, Dunham and a...
. They create the optical illusion of changing heights when viewed from different vantage points.
The pinnacles were taken down after the Second World War, due to bomb damage in the London Blitz, but restored by the City Corporation in 1956. The remains of the church were designated a Grade I listed building on 4 January 1950.
See also
- List of Christopher Wren churches in London
- List of churches rebuilt after the Great Fire but since demolished
- St Michael Queenhithe