St Thomas Church
Encyclopedia
St Thomas Church, Southwark
, London
, England
. The first church was part of the original St. Thomas' Hospital which was located to the area around the present St Thomas Street, from the infirmary at St Mary Overie priory (see Southwark Cathedral) in 1212. The hospital was therefore also an Augustinian house. The hospital/ conventual precinct became a parish no later than 1496. It was named after Thomas Becket
whose cult pilgrimage began at London Bridge for Canterbury. The church was renamed St Thomas the Apostle
following the abolition of the Becket cult in 1538 during the Reformation
.
The present church was built by the Hospital Governors to designs by Thomas Cartwright
in 1703. It had a garret that was called the Herb Garret in 1821. In the same year, the Old Operating Theatre
was built in the Herb Garret.
Its use as a church became redundant in 1899 and the parish merged with St Saviour's, which became Southwark Cathedral
in 1905; St Thomas' then was used as the Chapter House
for the cathedral. In the late 20th century it was used as office space by the Chapter Group, an insurance company. The building was undermined by the Jubilee Line
workings and repairs have still not been effected (2003) because a dispute between the Jubilee Line and the lease holders.
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...
, 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...
, 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...
. The first church was part of the original St. Thomas' Hospital which was located to the area around the present St Thomas Street, from the infirmary at St Mary Overie priory (see Southwark Cathedral) in 1212. The hospital was therefore also an Augustinian house. The hospital/ conventual precinct became a parish no later than 1496. It was named after Thomas Becket
Thomas Becket
Thomas Becket was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his murder in 1170. He is venerated as a saint and martyr by both the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion...
whose cult pilgrimage began at London Bridge for Canterbury. The church was renamed St Thomas the Apostle
St Thomas the Apostle
St Thomas the Apostle 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...
following the abolition of the Becket cult in 1538 during the 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....
.
The present church was built by the Hospital Governors to designs by Thomas Cartwright
Thomas Cartwright (architect)
Thomas Cartwright was a 17th century English architect. Cartwright was the architect employed by Sir Robert Clayton, president of the St Thomas' Hospital, to rebuild and the hospital and nearby St Thomas Church on the south bank of the River Thames opposite the Houses of Parliament in London...
in 1703. It had a garret that was called the Herb Garret in 1821. In the same year, the Old Operating Theatre
Old Operating Theatre
The Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret is a museum of surgical history and one of the oldest surviving operating theatres. It is located in the garret of St Thomas's Church, Southwark, on the original site of St Thomas' Hospital....
was built in the Herb Garret.
Its use as a church became redundant in 1899 and the parish merged with St Saviour's, which became Southwark Cathedral
Southwark Cathedral
Southwark Cathedral or The Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Saviour and St Mary Overie, Southwark, London, lies on the south bank of the River Thames close to London Bridge....
in 1905; St Thomas' then was used as the Chapter House
Chapter house
A chapter house or chapterhouse is a building or room attached to a cathedral or collegiate church in which meetings are held. They can also be found in medieval monasteries....
for the cathedral. In the late 20th century it was used as office space by the Chapter Group, an insurance company. The building was undermined by the Jubilee Line
Jubilee Line
The Jubilee line is a line on the London Underground , in the United Kingdom. It was built in two major sections—initially to Charing Cross, in central London, and later extended, in 1999, to Stratford, in east London. The later stations are larger and have special safety features, both aspects...
workings and repairs have still not been effected (2003) because a dispute between the Jubilee Line and the lease holders.