St Lawrence's Church, Whitchurch facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Lawrence's, Whitchurch
St Lawrence's in 2022
Location	Whitchurch Lane
Country	United Kingdom
Denomination	Church of England
Website	http://www.little-stanmore.org/
Architecture
Style	Baroque
Years built	reconstructed 1716
Administration
Archdeaconry	Northolt
Diocese	London
Province	Canterbury

St. Lawrence, Whitchurch is a historic Church of England church located in Little Stanmore, which is part of the London Borough of Harrow, England. This amazing building is considered very important, so it has a special "Grade I listed" status. This means it's one of the most important historic buildings in England. The church still has a stone tower from around 1360. However, most of the church was rebuilt in the 1700s in a fancy style called Baroque.

A Rich History: How the Church Was Built

The original church, which was much older, was rebuilt by an architect named John James. He worked for a very rich person, James Brydges. Brydges later became the first Duke of Chandos. He started rebuilding the church and his large nearby home, called Cannons, around 1714. This was when he became the ninth Baron Chandos.

Brydges liked to change his architects. In 1715, James Gibbs took over from John James for the house. Gibbs might have also helped finish the church. The church was ready to open again in 1716.

Brydges later built a private chapel inside his home. But he still cared a lot about St. Lawrence's Church. He even had a special area, or gallery, in the church just for himself and his guests. He also had the right to choose the church's vicar. He picked John Theophilus Desaguliers, who was a smart engineer and his personal chaplain.

What Does the Church Look Like Inside?

A look inside Whit-Church around 1840

The inside of St. Lawrence's Church is very decorated and special. It looks more like churches you might see in Europe than typical English churches. This style is known as Continental Baroque.

Amazing Art and Decoration

A talented artist named Louis Laguerre and other painters worked on the decorations. They painted both the church and Brydges's big house, Cannons.

The Chandos Mausoleum: A Special Burial Place

Towards the end of his life, James Brydges lost a lot of his money. But in 1735, he had a special burial place built. It's called a mausoleum, and it was designed by James Gibbs. This mausoleum was added to the east side of the church. Many members of the Brydges family are buried here. This includes the first Duke of Chandos and his grandson, James Brydges, 3rd Duke of Chandos.

Inside the mausoleum, there is a beautiful monument. It was made by Grinling Gibbons in 1717. This monument honors the first duke and his first two wives. Before the mausoleum was built, this monument was actually inside the main church.

Just like the church, the mausoleum has amazing wall paintings. These were done by an artist named Gaetano Brunetti.

The Organ and the Famous Handel

Handel, a very famous composer, worked for James Brydges in 1717 and 1718. He was the "composer-in-residence" at Cannons. This means he lived there and wrote music for Brydges. During this time, Handel wrote many pieces, including the Chandos Anthems. These were songs based on texts from the psalms for use in church services.

It is believed that the Chandos Anthems were first performed right here at St. Lawrence's Church.

A plaque at St Lawrence's Church

At the east end of the church, you'll find the organ. This organ is very old and important, recognized by the British Institute of Organ Studies. People believe that Handel himself played this organ. Over the years, the organ was updated. But in 1994, a company called Goetze and Gwynn rebuilt it. They specialize in organs from before the Victorian era. They used parts of the original 1716 organ as a guide.

Today, the organ is used for church services and also for special music concerts. Recordings of Handel's organ concertos have even been made using this organ.

Another composer, William Carter, was the organist at St. Lawrence's Church from 1850 to 1854.

See also

• Canons Park
• Handel at Cannons