St Olave's, Southwark
Encyclopedia
St Olave's Church, Southwark was a church in Southwark
, England which is believed to be mentioned in the Domesday Book
. It became redundant in 1926 and was demolished. It is now the location of St Olaf House, which houses part of the London Bridge Hospital
.
. He is said to have tied his long-boats to the bridge supports and rowing away pulled it down.
were dedicated to him. It is likely that it is St Olave’s which is the ‘church’ / ecclesiam mentioned in the Southwark Domesday entry and that it seemed to have royal patronage before the Conquest. The church’s probable beginning is as a Godwin private chapel. Godwin was ‘Earl of Wessex’ from at least 1018 and his Southwark interest was probably contemporary to this. He may well have known Olav personally from this period, so the dedication was quite apposite.
The Domesday entry for Southwark has the following three statements relating to Bishop Odo’s interests:
Bishop Odo, William the Conqueror’s half-brother who seems to have succeeded to the Godwin interest, had attempted to let out the church but he should have sought the king’s authority to do so. The earliest priests of the church were named Adelold (Athelwold) and then Ralph before 1086. The church is first mentioned by name in 1096 in relation to its priest ‘Peter de St Olavo’ being party to a land transaction involving Bermondsey Priory.
. Although situated next to the old London Bridge, its parish took in the north-east end of the High Street and stretched out along to the east and to the south was limited by Bermondsey
parish.
The Norman stone church, replacing the Saxon structure which may only have been of timber, was so close to the river, that when a terrible flood affected the Thames in 1327, it was reported that the tides had damaged the church walls and had washed away bodies from the churchyard.
which in turn was severely damaged in the major 1843 Tooley Street
fire.
Henry Gauntlett
was the organist from 1827 - 1846.
The site became the head office of the Hay’s Wharf company. This Art Deco
building still stands, called ‘St Olaf’s House’, on lower Tooley Street; it has an attractive and informative decoration on its façade about the church and its patron.
for boys (renamed St Olave's and St Saviour's Grammar School in 1896), and from 1902 its foundation fund also applied to St Saviour's and St Olave's Church of England School
for girls. A separate St Olave's Foundation Fund still supports local youth's educational and vocational aspirations through grants.
The St Olave's United Charities parochial foundation, based in nearby Druid Street, is one of the best endowed of the Southwark parish charities providing for local poor and elderly. The endowment was supplemented until the mid-1990s by a 'parish rate' over the area.
Southwark
Southwark is a district of south London, England, and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Southwark. Situated east of Charing Cross, it forms one of the oldest parts of London and fronts the River Thames to the north...
, England which is believed to be mentioned in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
. It became redundant in 1926 and was demolished. It is now the location of St Olaf House, which houses part of the London Bridge Hospital
London Bridge Hospital
The London Bridge Hospital is a private hospital on the south bank of the River Thames in London.-History:The hospital opened in 1986 following redevelopment of Chamberlain's Wharf. Architects Llewelyn Davies Weeks, Consulting Engineers Oscar Faber, Main Contractor Bovis Construction...
.
Patron Saint
Olav Haraldsson, an early King of Norway, attempted to convert his people to Christianity and was martyred for his trouble in 1030. Before this, in 1014, he was a prince and an ‘ally’ (ie mercenary) of King Æthelræd II ‘the Unready’ fighting the Danes. They were occupying London BridgeLondon Bridge
London Bridge is a bridge over the River Thames, connecting the City of London and Southwark, in central London. Situated between Cannon Street Railway Bridge and Tower Bridge, it forms the western end of the Pool of London...
. He is said to have tied his long-boats to the bridge supports and rowing away pulled it down.
Domesday Book
Whatever the veracity of these exploits he became a popular saint in England. Five other churches in the City of LondonCity 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...
were dedicated to him. It is likely that it is St Olave’s which is the ‘church’ / ecclesiam mentioned in the Southwark Domesday entry and that it seemed to have royal patronage before the Conquest. The church’s probable beginning is as a Godwin private chapel. Godwin was ‘Earl of Wessex’ from at least 1018 and his Southwark interest was probably contemporary to this. He may well have known Olav personally from this period, so the dedication was quite apposite.
The Domesday entry for Southwark has the following three statements relating to Bishop Odo’s interests:
- Qui ecclesiam habebat de rege tenebat. ‘[He] who had the church held [it] from the king’. This statement is suspiciously vague as to who ‘had’ the church and just which ‘king’ is being referred to. The royal connection was probably that of Godwin’s eldest son who succeeded to his Earldom, Harold II, the last Anglo-Saxon king of England.
- Episcopus autem dedit aecclesiam & fluctum primum Adeloldo deinde Radulfo pro excambio unius domus. ‘The bishop gave the church & the tidal-stream at first to Adelold, then to Ralph in exchange for a house’. The ‘tidal stream’ is likely to have been the later ‘Watergate’ the small dock next to St Olave’s which was probably its endowment; this dock was progressively filled in from south-end to shore, effectively disappearing by 1747, although a ‘stairs’/ landing place survived well into the next century. However, there is no confirmation in Domesday that Odo had any legal interest in the church at all, for neither of the terms for ownership i.e. ‘has’/ habet or ‘holds’/ tenet are used.
- This gives special weight to the third statement: Vicecomes quoque negat se preceptum uel sigillum regis de hac re unquam percepisse. ‘The sheriff also denies that he had ever received the king’s precept or seal concerning this matter’. This confirms the ‘king’s’ interest in the church and calls into question Odo’s action.
Bishop Odo, William the Conqueror’s half-brother who seems to have succeeded to the Godwin interest, had attempted to let out the church but he should have sought the king’s authority to do so. The earliest priests of the church were named Adelold (Athelwold) and then Ralph before 1086. The church is first mentioned by name in 1096 in relation to its priest ‘Peter de St Olavo’ being party to a land transaction involving Bermondsey Priory.
Early Medieval Period
Sometime between 1090 and 1121 the Warennes (successors to Odo) had given the church and neighbouring property to Lewes PrioryLewes Priory
The Priory of St Pancras was the first Cluniac house in England and had one of the largest monastic churches in the country. It was set within an extensive walled and gated precinct laid out in a commanding location fronting the tidal shore-line at the head of the Ouse valley to the south of Lewes...
. Although situated next to the old London Bridge, its parish took in the north-east end of the High Street and stretched out along to the east and to the south was limited by Bermondsey
Bermondsey
Bermondsey is an area in London on the south bank of the river Thames, and is part of the London Borough of Southwark. To the west lies Southwark, to the east Rotherhithe, and to the south, Walworth and Peckham.-Toponomy:...
parish.
The Norman stone church, replacing the Saxon structure which may only have been of timber, was so close to the river, that when a terrible flood affected the Thames in 1327, it was reported that the tides had damaged the church walls and had washed away bodies from the churchyard.
Stuart and Georgian Era
The Norman building partially collapsed through a combination of age, neglect and river subsidence in 1736. This was replaced, by 1740, with a structure designed by Henry FlitcroftHenry Flitcroft
Henry Flitcroft was a major English architect in the second generation of Palladianism. He came from a simple background: his father was a labourer in the gardens at Hampton Court and he began as a joiner by trade. Working as a carpenter at Burlington House, he fell from a scaffold and broke his leg...
which in turn was severely damaged in the major 1843 Tooley Street
Tooley Street
Tooley Street is a road in South London connecting London Bridge to St Saviour's Dock; it runs past Tower Bridge on the Southwark side of the River Thames, and forms part of the A200 road. - St Olave :...
fire.
Henry Gauntlett
Henry Gauntlett
Henry John Gauntlett was an English organist and songwriter known in British music circles for his authorship of a large number of hymns and other pieces for the organ....
was the organist from 1827 - 1846.
Depopulation of Parish, Redundancy and Demolition of the Church
The church was restored. It was, therefore, very much a docklands church but as the industrial expansion of the area led to population decline so too did the parish. In 1926 the church was declared redundant and the nave was demolished, leaving a forlorn tower, removed in 1928.The site became the head office of the Hay’s Wharf company. This Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
building still stands, called ‘St Olaf’s House’, on lower Tooley Street; it has an attractive and informative decoration on its façade about the church and its patron.
Legacy
The parish church was the originator of St Olave's Grammar SchoolSt Olave's Grammar School
St Olave's and St Saviour's Grammar School is a super-selective boys' secondary school in Orpington, Greater London, England. The school is consistently one of the top achieving state schools in the UK and it was The Sunday Times State School of the Year in 2008...
for boys (renamed St Olave's and St Saviour's Grammar School in 1896), and from 1902 its foundation fund also applied to St Saviour's and St Olave's Church of England School
St Saviour's and St Olave's Church of England School
St Saviour's and St Olave's Church of England School is a comprehensive secondary school for girls. It is a voluntary aided Church of England school in the Anglican Diocese of Southwark and is affiliated to the Woodard Schools group....
for girls. A separate St Olave's Foundation Fund still supports local youth's educational and vocational aspirations through grants.
The St Olave's United Charities parochial foundation, based in nearby Druid Street, is one of the best endowed of the Southwark parish charities providing for local poor and elderly. The endowment was supplemented until the mid-1990s by a 'parish rate' over the area.