St James's Church, Piccadilly facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St James's Church, Piccadilly |
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The church in 201151°30′31″N 0°8′12″W / 51.50861°N 0.13667°W
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| Location | Piccadilly, London |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Liberal |
| History | |
| Dedication | James the Great |
| Dedicated | 13 July 1684 |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Architect(s) | Christopher Wren |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Diocese of London |
St James's Church, Piccadilly is a famous Anglican church in the heart of London, England. It's also known as St James's Church, Westminster or St James-in-the-Fields. Sir Christopher Wren, a very famous architect, designed and built this church.
The church is made of red brick with special Portland stone details. Inside, you'll see galleries on three sides. These are held up by square pillars. The main part of the church, called the nave, has a rounded ceiling. This ceiling is supported by fancy Corinthian columns. The beautiful carved marble font (where baptisms happen) and the limewood reredos (a screen behind the altar) are amazing artworks. They were both created by Grinling Gibbons, a well-known carver. In 1902, an outdoor pulpit was added to the church's north wall. It was designed by Temple Moore and carved by Laurence Arthur Turner. It was damaged during World War II but was later fixed.
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History of St James's Church
In 1662, Henry Jermyn, 1st Earl of St Albans, received land to build homes on the edge of London. He set aside space for a church and churchyard. Christopher Wren became the architect in 1672. The church was officially opened on July 13, 1684. This was done by Henry Compton, who was the Bishop of London. In 1685, the area around the church became its own parish, called St James.
The church was badly damaged during the London Blitz on October 14, 1940. This was during World War II. After the war, Sir Albert Richardson helped restore the church. Special builders, Rattee and Kett, worked on it. The restoration was finished in 1954. The old spire, which was covered in lead, was replaced. A much lighter copy made of fibreglass was put in its place. The inside of the church, with its pews and lights, still looks much like Richardson designed it.
A garden called Southwood Garden was created in the churchyard. Viscount Southwood made it after World War II. It's a garden of remembrance to honor the brave people of London. Queen Mary opened it in 1946.
St James's Church Today
Like many churches in central London, St James's saw fewer people attending in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1980, Donald Reeves became the new rector. The bishop reportedly told him to just keep the church open. During the 1980s and 1990s, more people started coming. The church gained a reputation for being a progressive, liberal, and active church. This continues today.
The people who attend the church prefer to call themselves a "community." Their main focus is the Eucharist, which is a central Christian sacrament. The community has many groups for different interests. These include spiritual explorers and groups for discussion. They also have an LGBT group and many others. The community actively supports important causes. These include the ordination of women in the church. They also support fair treatment for asylum seekers and people living in poverty. They believe in a "radical welcome" for everyone, as taught by the Gospels.
The Organ
The church's west wall features a grand organ case. It is made of carved and gilded oak by Grinling Gibbons. This case originally held an organ built by Renatus Harris in 1691. That organ was first made for a Roman Catholic chapel in Whitehall Palace. In 1852, J. C. Bishop completely rebuilt this organ. He added the choir case that now sits in front of the original Gibbons case. There has been a plan to restore the organ since 1982. This project has not yet been completed. The current idea is to build a new organ inside the old historic case. For now, the case is empty, and an electronic organ is used instead.
Concerts and Music
St James's Church often hosts concerts. Many popular musicians have performed here. These include John Grant, Tokio Myers, and Victoria Canal. Bands like R.E.M. and folk musician Laura Marling have also played. The Indian-American music group Penn Masala and Devin Townsend have also held concerts.
Creative Art Programme
Hauser & Wirth, a modern art gallery, held outdoor sculpture shows. These were in Southwood Garden from 2009 to 2010. The first show featured works by Swiss sculptor Hans Josephsohn.
From December 23, 2013, to January 5, 2014, a protest called "Bethlehem Unwrapped" took place. It was against the Israeli West Bank barrier. The protest included a large art piece. It was a replica of a section of the wall. This installation blocked the view of the church. Church leaders said this was part of the protest's message.
In October 2022, artist Jesse Darling showed a new artwork called Miserere. This piece looked like a choir or congregation. It was installed in the church after Darling spent time working in the bell tower.
In September 2023, new murals by Che Lovelace were revealed. They marked 250 years since the baptism of Ottobah Cugoano. He was an abolitionist who fought against slavery. His baptism happened at St James's in 1773. These murals are the first permanent artwork commissioned by the church. They are also the first in the world to honor Cugoano.
Rectors of St James's
The Rector is the main priest in charge of the church. Here are some of the people who have served as Rector:
- 1685–1692 Thomas Tenison (later became Archbishop of Canterbury)
- 1693–1706 William Wake (later became Archbishop of Canterbury)
- 1709–1729† Samuel Clarke (a famous philosopher)
- 1733–1750 Thomas Secker (later became Archbishop of Canterbury)
- 1914–1918 William Temple (later became Archbishop of Canterbury)
- 2010– Lucy Winkett
† Rector died while still in the role
Other Staff
- Leopold Stokowski was the choirmaster from 1902 to 1905. He later moved to New York for a similar job.
Famous Baptisms at St James's
Many notable people have been baptised at St James's Church:
- Sir Joseph Banks, baptised in 1743.
- William Blake, a famous poet and artist, baptised in 1757.
- Ottobah Cugoano, an important abolitionist, baptised in 1773.
Famous Weddings at St James's
Many interesting weddings have taken place here:
- James Oswald, a Scottish composer, married Mary Ann Melvill in 1744.
- George Bass, an explorer of Australia, married Elizabeth Waterhouse in 1800.
- Samuel Baker, an African explorer, married Florence Barbara Maria von Sass in 1865. He had rescued her when she was younger.
- Robert Graves, a famous author and poet, married Nancy Nicholson in 1918. His best man was George Mallory, the mountaineer.
Notable Burials and Memorials
Many important people have been buried or have memorials at St James's Church.
- John Arbuthnot, a writer, buried in 1735.
- Mary Beale, one of the first professional women artists, buried in 1699.
- James Gillray, a famous caricaturist.
- William Hunter, an anatomist (has a memorial).
- Thomas Sydenham, a famous doctor (1624–89).
- Willem van de Velde, the elder and Willem van de Velde, the younger, both marine painters (have memorials).
- William Blake, the poet and painter, has a memorial here.
- Richard Bright, a doctor known for his research on kidney disease (has a memorial).
St James's Burial Ground in Camden
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| Saint James, Westminster Improvement Act 1789 | |
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| Act of Parliament | |
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| Long title | An Act for providing an additional Burying Ground for the Parish of Saint James, Westminster, and erecting a Chapel adjoining thereto, and also a House for the Residence of a Clergyman to officiate in burying the Dead. |
| Citation | 29 Geo. 3. c. 47 |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 31 July 1789 |
St James's Church also had a separate burial ground in Camden. It was used from 1790 to 1853. This land was obtained through a special law passed in 1789. This law also allowed for a small chapel to be built there. Thomas Hardwick designed this chapel, and it opened in 1791.
When Euston Station expanded, the cemetery fell into disrepair. In 1878, it became St James's Gardens. Only a few gravestones were left around the edges. Part of these gardens was built over around 1887 for more railway expansion. To avoid public upset, the remains found were reburied at St Pancras Cemetery.
The Gardens closed to the public in 2017. This was for the High Speed 2 (HS2) rail project. Between 2018 and 2020, archaeologists working for HS2 found about 40,000 burials. They planned to re-bury these remains after studying them. It was decided the remains would be re-interred at Brookwood Cemetery in Surrey. This cemetery has received relocated remains from London since the 1870s. However, Matthew Flinders' remains were buried in his home village in Lincolnshire. The church hosted an exhibition about the burial ground in spring 2023.
Some famous people buried here include:
- James Christie (1730–1803), a famous auctioneer.
- Matthew Flinders (1774–1814), a naval officer and explorer. His burial was moved in 2019.
- Lord George Gordon (1751–1793), a politician.
- Bill Richmond (1763–1829), a boxer.
See also
