St Andrew, Holborn
Encyclopedia
St Andrew, Holborn is a Church of England
church on the northwestern edge of the City of London
, on Holborn
within the Ward of Farringdon Without.
. However, the first written record of the church itself is dated as 951 (DCCCCLI) in a charter of Westminster Abbey
, referring to it as the "old wooden church", on top of the hill above the river Fleet
. The Charter's authenticity has been called into question because the date is not within the reign of the King Edgar of England
who is granting it. It may be that this is simply a scribal error and that the date should be '959' (DCCCCLIX). A 'Master Gladwin', i.e. a priest, held it after the Norman Conquest and he assigned it to St Paul's Cathedral
, but with the proviso that the advowson be granted at 12 pence a year to the Cluniac Order's, St Saviour's foundation of what was to become Bermondsey Abbey
. This assignment dates between 1086 and 1089. In about 1200 a deed was witnessed by James, the Parson, Roger, his chaplain, Andrew, the Deacon and also Alexander his clerk. In 1280 one Simon de Gardino bequeathed funds towards the building of a belfry, it is assumed this would be stone and that there were due to be bells to be cast for it.
In the Early Middle Ages
the church is referred to as St Andrew Holburnestrate and later simply as St Andrew de Holeburn.
In 1348, John Thavie, a local armourer, “left a considerable Estate towards the support of the fabric forever”, a legacy which survived the English Reformation
, was invested carefully through the centuries, and still provides for the church's current upkeep. In the 15th century, the wooden church was replaced by a medieval stone one.
, saved by a last minute change in wind direction, but was already in a bad state of repair and so was rebuilt by Christopher Wren
anyway. In what is his largest parish church, he rebuilt from the foundations (creating the present crypt) and gave the existing medieval stone tower (the only medieval part to survive) a marble cladding. Its rector from 1713 to 1724 was Henry Sacheverell
.
Thomas Coram, founder of the Foundlings’ Hospital (first set up in a house in Hatton Garden
) is buried here, his remains were translated from his foundation in the 1960s. The organ casing (an organ played by Handel
), the pulpit and the font is also from the Foundlings’ Hospital Chapel's Bloomsbury site.
The church of St George the Martyr Holborn
was built between 1703 and 1706, as a chapel of ease for the parish — becoming a parish church in its own right, in 1723.
In 1808, writer William Hazlitt
married Sarah Stoddart, with Charles Lamb as his best man, and Mary Lamb
as a bridesmaid
. The twelve-year old Benjamin Disraeli, future Prime Minister
was received into the Christian Church, in 1817.
It was on this church's steps in 1827 that William Marsden
found a woman dying, inspiring him to set up the Royal Free Hospital
in Greville Street for the poor and destitute, which later moved to Gray’s Inn Road and is now in Hampstead.
In the mid 19th Century, the Holborn Valley Improvement Scheme bought up the church's North Churchyard (with many of the bodies re-interred in the crypt) and in the City of London Cemetery in Ilford
(the latter also being the destination for the bodies from the crypt when it was cleared in 2002–2003) to make way for the Holborn Viaduct
, linking Holborn with Newgate
, which was opened by Queen Victoria in 1869.
As part of this improvement scheme the Church received compensation to replace its assets and the Gothic architect Samuel Sanders Teulon
was commissioned to built a new Rectory and Court House on the South side of the church — this now operates as the offices for the Foundation, the associated Charities and the Archdeaconry of Hackney, as well as the Rectory and the Conference Rooms. Teulon incorporated into the Court Room, the building's main room, a 17th Century fireplace. This was from the 'Quest Room' for the 'below Bars' part of the parish i.e. that lying outside the City boundary sited as part of a block of buildings in the middle of the main street. This block was removed as part of the Holborn Viaduct improvements and explains why Holborn is so wide at this point.
In Charles Dickens
's Oliver Twist
Bill Sykes looks up at this church's tower (an episode referenced by Iris Murdoch
in Under the Net
, though from where her character stands such a view is almost impossible).
bombs, leaving only the exterior walls and tower. However, instead of demolition which sometimes occurred in similar cases, it was decided after a long delay that it would be restored “stone for stone and brick for brick” to Wren's original designs.
The church re-opened in 1961 as a non-parochial
Guild Church
intended for serving the local working rather than resident community which had declined as had the City's population as a whole.
In January 2005 a new large icon
was installed, made for the site by the Monastic Family Fraternity of Jesus in Vallechiara http://www.fraternitadigesu.org/eng/val.htm. The church runs a selection of recitals and lectures, as well as weekly services and evening concerts.
The church was designated a Grade I listed building on 4 January 1950.
In August 2010, St Andrew Holborn's Icon Cross became motorised, allowing the large icon of Jesus on the Cross to be raised and lowered for services.
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 the northwestern edge 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...
, on Holborn
Holborn
Holborn is an area of Central London. Holborn is also the name of the area's principal east-west street, running as High Holborn from St Giles's High Street to Gray's Inn Road and then on to Holborn Viaduct...
within the Ward of Farringdon Without.
Roman and medieval
Roman pottery was found on the site during 2001/02 excavations in the cryptCrypt
In architecture, a crypt is a stone chamber or vault beneath the floor of a burial vault possibly containing sarcophagi, coffins or relics....
. However, the first written record of the church itself is dated as 951 (DCCCCLI) in a charter of Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
, referring to it as the "old wooden church", on top of the hill above the river Fleet
River Fleet
The River Fleet is the largest of London's subterranean rivers. Its two headwaters are two streams on Hampstead Heath; each is now dammed into a series of ponds made in the 18th century, the Hampstead Ponds and the Highgate Ponds. At the south edge of Hampstead Heath these two streams flow...
. The Charter's authenticity has been called into question because the date is not within the reign of the King Edgar of England
Edgar of England
Edgar the Peaceful, or Edgar I , also called the Peaceable, was a king of England . Edgar was the younger son of Edmund I of England.-Accession:...
who is granting it. It may be that this is simply a scribal error and that the date should be '959' (DCCCCLIX). A 'Master Gladwin', i.e. a priest, held it after the Norman Conquest and he assigned it to St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...
, but with the proviso that the advowson be granted at 12 pence a year to the Cluniac Order's, St Saviour's foundation of what was to become 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...
. This assignment dates between 1086 and 1089. In about 1200 a deed was witnessed by James, the Parson, Roger, his chaplain, Andrew, the Deacon and also Alexander his clerk. In 1280 one Simon de Gardino bequeathed funds towards the building of a belfry, it is assumed this would be stone and that there were due to be bells to be cast for it.
In the Early Middle Ages
Early Middle Ages
The Early Middle Ages was the period of European history lasting from the 5th century to approximately 1000. The Early Middle Ages followed the decline of the Western Roman Empire and preceded the High Middle Ages...
the church is referred to as St Andrew Holburnestrate and later simply as St Andrew de Holeburn.
In 1348, John Thavie, a local armourer, “left a considerable Estate towards the support of the fabric forever”, a legacy which survived the English Reformation
English Reformation
The English Reformation was the series of events in 16th-century England by which the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church....
, was invested carefully through the centuries, and still provides for the church's current upkeep. In the 15th century, the wooden church was replaced by a medieval stone one.
16th to 18th century
The medieval St Andrew’s survived the 1666 Great Fire of LondonGreat 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...
, saved by a last minute change in wind direction, but was already in a bad state of repair and so was rebuilt by 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...
anyway. In what is his largest parish church, he rebuilt from the foundations (creating the present crypt) and gave the existing medieval stone tower (the only medieval part to survive) a marble cladding. Its rector from 1713 to 1724 was Henry Sacheverell
Henry Sacheverell
Henry Sacheverell was an English High Church clergyman and politician.-Early life:The son of Joshua Sacheverell, rector of St Peter's, Marlborough,...
.
Thomas Coram, founder of the Foundlings’ Hospital (first set up in a house in Hatton Garden
Hatton Garden
Hatton Garden is a street and area near Holborn in London, England. It is most famous for being London’s jewellery quarter and centre of the UK diamond trade, but the area is also now home to a diverse range of media and creative businesses....
) is buried here, his remains were translated from his foundation in the 1960s. The organ casing (an organ played by Handel
HANDEL
HANDEL was the code-name for the UK's National Attack Warning System in the Cold War. It consisted of a small console consisting of two microphones, lights and gauges. The reason behind this was to provide a back-up if anything failed....
), the pulpit and the font is also from the Foundlings’ Hospital Chapel's Bloomsbury site.
The church of St George the Martyr Holborn
St George the Martyr Holborn
St George the Martyr Holborn is an Anglican church located at the south end of Queen Square, Holborn, London Borough of Camden. It is dedicated to Saint George, and is so-called to distinguish it from the later nearby church of St...
was built between 1703 and 1706, as a chapel of ease for the parish — becoming a parish church in its own right, in 1723.
19th century
William Hazlitt
William Hazlitt was an English writer, remembered for his humanistic essays and literary criticism, and as a grammarian and philosopher. He is now considered one of the great critics and essayists of the English language, placed in the company of Samuel Johnson and George Orwell. Yet his work is...
married Sarah Stoddart, with Charles Lamb as his best man, and Mary Lamb
Mary Lamb
Mary Ann Lamb , was an English writer, the sister and collaborator of Charles Lamb.-Biography:She was born on 3 December 1764. In 1796, Mary, who had suffered a breakdown from the strain of caring for her family, killed her mother with a kitchen knife, and from then on had to be kept under constant...
as a bridesmaid
Bridesmaid
The bridesmaids are members of the bride's wedding party in a wedding. A bridesmaid is typically a young woman, and often a close friend or sister. She attends to the bride on the day of a wedding or marriage ceremony...
. The twelve-year old Benjamin Disraeli, future Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
was received into the Christian Church, in 1817.
It was on this church's steps in 1827 that William Marsden
William Marsden (surgeon)
William Marsden was an English surgeon whose main achievements are the founding of two presently well-known hospitals, the Royal Free Hospital and the Royal Marsden Hospital ....
found a woman dying, inspiring him to set up the Royal Free Hospital
Royal Free Hospital
The Royal Free Hospital is a major teaching hospital in Hampstead, London, England and part of the Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust....
in Greville Street for the poor and destitute, which later moved to Gray’s Inn Road and is now in Hampstead.
In the mid 19th Century, the Holborn Valley Improvement Scheme bought up the church's North Churchyard (with many of the bodies re-interred in the crypt) and in the City of London Cemetery in Ilford
Ilford
Ilford is a large cosmopolitan town in East London, England and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Redbridge. It is located northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. It forms a significant commercial and retail...
(the latter also being the destination for the bodies from the crypt when it was cleared in 2002–2003) to make way for the Holborn Viaduct
Holborn Viaduct
Holborn Viaduct is a bridge in London and the name of the street which crosses it . It links Holborn, via Holborn Circus, with Newgate Street in the City of London, passing over Farringdon Street and the now subterranean River Fleet.It was built between 1863 and 1869, at a cost of over two million...
, linking Holborn with Newgate
Newgate
Newgate at the west end of Newgate Street was one of the historic seven gates of London Wall round the City of London and one of the six which date back to Roman times. From it a Roman road led west to Silchester...
, which was opened by Queen Victoria in 1869.
As part of this improvement scheme the Church received compensation to replace its assets and the Gothic architect Samuel Sanders Teulon
Samuel Sanders Teulon
Samuel Sanders Teulon was a notable 19th century English Gothic Revival architect.-Family:Teulon was born in Greenwich in south-east London, the son of a cabinet-maker from a French Huguenot family. His younger brother William Milford Teulon also became an architect...
was commissioned to built a new Rectory and Court House on the South side of the church — this now operates as the offices for the Foundation, the associated Charities and the Archdeaconry of Hackney, as well as the Rectory and the Conference Rooms. Teulon incorporated into the Court Room, the building's main room, a 17th Century fireplace. This was from the 'Quest Room' for the 'below Bars' part of the parish i.e. that lying outside the City boundary sited as part of a block of buildings in the middle of the main street. This block was removed as part of the Holborn Viaduct improvements and explains why Holborn is so wide at this point.
In Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
's Oliver Twist
Oliver Twist
Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress is the second novel by English author Charles Dickens, published by Richard Bentley in 1838. The story is about an orphan Oliver Twist, who endures a miserable existence in a workhouse and then is placed with an undertaker. He escapes and travels to...
Bill Sykes looks up at this church's tower (an episode referenced by Iris Murdoch
Iris Murdoch
Dame Iris Murdoch DBE was an Irish-born British author and philosopher, best known for her novels about political and social questions of good and evil, sexual relationships, morality, and the power of the unconscious...
in Under the Net
Under the Net
Under the Net was the first novel of Iris Murdoch, published in 1954. Set in London, it is the story of a struggling young writer, Jake Donaghue. Its mixture of the philosophical and the picaresque has made it one of Murdoch's most popular....
, though from where her character stands such a view is almost impossible).
20th century to present
During the London Blitz, on the night of May 7, 1941, the church was bombed and gutted by GermanNazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
bombs, leaving only the exterior walls and tower. However, instead of demolition which sometimes occurred in similar cases, it was decided after a long delay that it would be restored “stone for stone and brick for brick” to Wren's original designs.
The church re-opened in 1961 as a non-parochial
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
Guild Church
Guild
A guild is an association of craftsmen in a particular trade. The earliest types of guild were formed as confraternities of workers. They were organized in a manner something between a trade union, a cartel, and a secret society...
intended for serving the local working rather than resident community which had declined as had the City's population as a whole.
In January 2005 a new large icon
Icon
An icon is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, from Eastern Christianity and in certain Eastern Catholic churches...
was installed, made for the site by the Monastic Family Fraternity of Jesus in Vallechiara http://www.fraternitadigesu.org/eng/val.htm. The church runs a selection of recitals and lectures, as well as weekly services and evening concerts.
The church was designated a Grade I listed building on 4 January 1950.
In August 2010, St Andrew Holborn's Icon Cross became motorised, allowing the large icon of Jesus on the Cross to be raised and lowered for services.
Organists
- Daniel PurcellDaniel PurcellDaniel Purcell was an English composer, the younger brother of Henry Purcell.As a teenager, Daniel Purcell joined the choir of the Chapel Royal, and in his mid-twenties he became organist of Magdalen College, Oxford. He began to compose while at Oxford, but in 1695 he moved to London to compose...
1713-1717 (younger brother of the composer HenryHenry PurcellHenry Purcell – 21 November 1695), was an English organist and Baroque composer of secular and sacred music. Although Purcell incorporated Italian and French stylistic elements into his compositions, his legacy was a uniquely English form of Baroque music...
) - Maurice GreeneMaurice Greene (composer)Maurice Greene was an English composer and organist.- Biography :Born in London, the son of a clergyman, Greene became a choirboy at St Paul's Cathedral under Jeremiah Clarke and Charles King...
1717-1718 - John Isham 1718-1726
- John StanleyJohn Stanley (composer)Charles John Stanley was an English composer and organist.-Biography:Stanley, who was blind from an early age, studied music with Maurice Greene and held a number of organist appointments in London, such as St Andrew's, Holborn from 1726...
1726–1786 (organist at St Andrew's from the age of 14, replaced Handel as a governor of the Foundling Hospital after Handel’s death (thus continuing the tradition of performing the Messiah for the Hospital) and died near the church in Hatton Garden) - James Evance 1786-1811
- John Grosvenor 1811-1814
- J. Reynolds ca. 1828-1867
- James Higgs 1867-1896
- Harold Phillips 1896-1903
- F.G.M. Ogbourne 1903-1925
- W. Glanville Hopkins 1925-1942 (formerly organist of St Giles-without-CripplegateSt Giles-without-CripplegateSt Giles-without-Cripplegate is a Church of England church in the City of London, located within the modern Barbican complex. When built it stood without the city wall, near the Cripplegate. The church is dedicated to St Giles, patron saint of beggars and cripples...
, afterwards organist of St Mary AbbotsSt Mary AbbotsSt Mary Abbots is an historic church located on Kensington High Street , London at a prominent intersection with Kensington Church Street. The present church was built in 1872 by the architect Sir George Gilbert Scott in neo-Gothic Early English style. It was the latest in a succession of churches...
, Kensington) - Ida Maude Hopkins 1942-
See also
- List of churches and cathedrals of London
- List of Christopher Wren churches in London