All Saints' Church, Southampton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids All Saints' Church |
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All Saints' Church with neighbouring shops (and East Street in between) in 1852
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| Former names | All Hallows' Church |
| General information | |
| Status | Destroyed |
| Type | Church |
| Location | Southampton City Centre |
| Address | High Street, Southampton |
| Coordinates | 50°54′07″N 1°24′15″W / 50.90182°N 1.40409°W |
| Construction started | Spring 1792 |
| Completed | 1795 |
| Destroyed | 30 November / 1 December 1940 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Willey Reveley |
All Saints' Church was an important church building in Southampton City Centre. It stood on the corner of High Street and East Street. This was not far from the Bargate, a famous old city gate.
The first church on this spot was called All Hallows. It was built a very long time ago, in the Middle Ages. King Henry II gave the land for it to the monks of St. Denys Priory. Over time, the old church became very run down. So, in the 1790s, a new church was built. It was then renamed All Saints.
The old All Hallows church was taken down in 1791. The new All Saints building was finished in 1795. To pay for it, special laws were passed. These laws allowed the church to collect money from local properties. The new church kept the underground burial chambers, called catacombs, from the old church. A separate graveyard was also created.
Many famous people were connected to All Saints' Church. The famous author Jane Austen often went there when she lived in Southampton. The painter Sir John Everett Millais was baptised there. In 1861, a new organ was put in. The church also had a big makeover in 1872. Sadly, All Saints' Church was badly damaged during the Southampton Blitz in World War II. It was later taken down.
The All Saints building was designed by an architect named Willey Reveley. It had a special arched ceiling inside. This ceiling was about 90 feet long and 60 feet wide. What was amazing was that it had no pillars to hold it up! The front of the church looked like an ancient Greek building. It had four tall columns and a triangular top part, called a pediment.
The catacombs under the church were where many people were buried. These included a high-ranking government official and two important Royal Navy officers. In 1944, the remains of all 403 people were moved. They were reburied together in a special grave elsewhere in Southampton.
Contents
History of All Saints' Church
Early Days: 12th to 17th Century
King Henry II, who ruled England from 1154 to 1189, gave land for the first church. This church was called All Hallows' Church. It was given to the monks of St. Denys Priory. The church was located near the Bargate in Southampton. It had a main hall, a side aisle, and a tower.
Church records for the parish started in 1653. In 1662, some people were asked to leave All Hallows' Church. They went on to start other churches in Southampton. One of these people was the church's leader, Nathaniel Robinson. The church had five bells. But three of them were stolen one night in 1682. They were never found, even though a reward was offered.
Building the New Church: 18th Century
By 1791, the old All Hallows church was falling apart. A special law, called an Act of Parliament, was passed. This law allowed the old church to be taken down and a new one built. It also allowed land to be bought for a new churchyard. The old building was described as "very old and falling apart." It was demolished in 1791.
Work on the new church, All Saints, began in the spring of 1792. The first stone was laid on August 3rd that year. Some nearby houses were also taken down to make space for the new church.
| All Saints Church, Southampton Act 1791 | |
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| Act of Parliament | |
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| Long title | An Act for taking down and re-building the Parish Church of All Saints, within the Town and County of the Town of Southampton, and for purchasing Land for the Purpose of a Church Yard for the Use of the said Parish. |
| Citation | 31 Geo. 3. c. 71 |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 13 May 1791 |
The new church was designed by Willey Reveley. He was a student of a famous architect, Sir William Chambers. Reveley felt he wasn't paid enough for his work. A Cambridge University expert said All Saints' was "probably his most important building." However, one history book from 1861 called the building "wholly without interest."
The first stone was laid by Thomas Dunckerley, a leader of the Freemasons. The poet laureate, Henry James Pye, also attended. He wrote a poem for the event. The Mayor of Southampton was there too.
The first law to raise money wasn't enough. So, another law was passed in 1793. This allowed the church to borrow more money. The new building was finished in 1795. The old church's underground burial chambers, called catacombs, were kept. They even went under part of High Street. A separate graveyard was also made. It was located south of East Street.
The first leader of the new church was Richard Mant. He gave a sermon when the church opened. His son, also named Richard, was born in Southampton in 1776. He later became a bishop. Another law was passed in 1797. This allowed more money to be raised for the church.
19th Century Changes
In the early 1800s, the famous writer Jane Austen lived nearby. She often went to All Saints' Church. She wrote in her letters about going to church. The painter Sir John Everett Millais, born in 1829, was baptised there. By 1843, the church's graveyard was full. It was closed around 1885.
The church had one bell, made in 1828. In 1858, the church leader's house was sold. A new one was bought in a different area. A new organ was put in the church in 1861. It was a large organ with many different sounds. In July 1872, the church had a big renovation. The old plaster ceiling was replaced with a new wooden one. This made the ceiling 25 tons lighter! The work cost £1,900.
20th and 21st Centuries
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In 1914, the graveyard was officially closed for burials. The headstones were removed. In the 1930s, the site became a children's playground. Later, it became a multi-storey car park.
During Second World War, the church was badly damaged. German bombs hit it in December 1940. It was too damaged to be fixed. In August 1944, the human remains in the catacombs were moved. They were taken to Hollybrook Cemetery in Southampton. There, they were reburied in one large grave. The remains of 403 people were moved. Some were still well preserved in their coffins.
The church ruins were later taken down. Shops and a multi-storey car park were built there instead. The church's old records were saved from the fire after the bombing. Even though they were burned and damaged, they have been fixed.
Architecture of All Saints' Church
Outside Appearance
The front of the church was about 60 feet wide. It had four tall columns, each about 4 feet wide and 36 feet high. These columns had special tops called Grecian pilasters. They held up a triangular top part, called a pediment. The spaces between the columns had wide arches. The entrance doors were below these arches.
The building also had staircases on each side. These were lit by round-topped windows. The south side of the church, facing East Street, had two rows of eight windows. The north side had no windows because it was next to other buildings.
On the east side of the roof, there was a small dome, called a cupola. On top of this dome was a large concrete pineapple. Pineapples were a symbol of welcome in Southampton. This idea may have come from the Caribbean. The pineapple survived the bombing. It has been shown at special events, like Black History Month.
Inside the Church
Inside the church, the main hall had a large arched ceiling. It was not held up by any pillars. This ceiling stretched across the whole church, about 90 feet long and 60 feet wide.
People Buried in the Catacombs
The local newspaper said that a Chancellor of the Exchequer from the time of King Charles II was buried in the catacombs. However, it did not say which one. Rear-Admiral Philip De Carteret was also buried there. He was a famous Royal Navy officer and explorer. He sailed around the world twice. Another naval officer, Captain Sir Thomas Carew, was buried in the catacombs on May 2, 1840.
