St Margaret's Church, Putney facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Margaret's, Putney
Location	Putney, London, England
Denomination	Church of England
Previous denomination	Presbyterian and Baptist
Tradition	Broad Church
Website	www.stmargaretsputney.org
History
Founded	1873
Dedication	St Margaret of Antioch
Dedicated	1912
Administration
Deanery	Wandsworth
Episcopal area	Kingston
Diocese	Southwark

St Margaret's, Putney is a church located in Putney Park Lane, Putney, London, England. It was designed by W. Allen Dixon in 1872. Before it became an Anglican church dedicated to St Margaret, it was first a Baptist chapel and then a Presbyterian chapel. Back then, it was known as Granard Chapel. Today, it is part of the Church of England's Wandsworth Deanery in the Southwark Diocese. St Margaret's is also a member of Churches Together in Putney and Roehampton and is an Inclusive Church. During the colder months, it helps run a homeless shelter once a week with Glass Door. The current vicar (church leader) is The Revd Dr Brutus Green.

The Story of Granard Chapel

For a long time, the main church for Putney was St Mary the Virgin in Wimbledon, which was about four miles away. By 1302, a smaller church, St Mary the Virgin, Putney, was built closer to the river. It became its own parish in 1658. In the 1800s, many new churches were built in the area, like Holy Trinity, Roehampton (1842), St John's (1859), and All Saints’ (1874).

Between 1871 and 1911, Putney's population grew a lot, from 9,000 to 25,000 people. This meant another church was needed. In 1872, an architect named W. Allen Dixon worked for Colonel Alexander Croll. They made changes to Granard Park and built a new church on its land. This church, finished in 1873, was originally a Baptist chapel. Colonel Croll built it to remember his mother.

In 1879, the chapel was given to the Presbyterians. A young minister named Reverend Donald Matheson took charge. He had studied in Germany, where new ideas about the Bible were common. He famously brought in the new Revised Standard Version of the Bible when it was published in 1881. He loved singing and taught his church members. He even sent postcards with Sunday hymns so people could practice!

Reverend Matheson also started the Granard Debating Society. Famous people like Ramsay MacDonald, who later became a Prime Minister, spoke there. Other important members included John Bright, a Victorian politician, and Douglas Hogg, who became a Lord Chancellor. By 1898, the Presbyterians moved to a new place, and the chapel became empty.

Becoming St Margaret's Church

As Putney grew, Canon Thurston Rivington, the vicar of Putney, looked for a new church building for West Putney. It took some time to raise the money needed. Luckily, a kind man named Mr. Seth Taylor decided to give the chapel to Putney parish. He had thought about turning it into a laundry or even knocking it down, but he changed his mind!

The church was dedicated to St Margaret of Antioch on Saturday, October 5, 1912. St Margaret was the namesake of one of Mr. Taylor's daughters. Bishop Hook led the dedication service, and the church was full of people singing.

When the church was first taken over, it had a meeting room underneath. This room had a high ceiling, probably for people who smoked a lot. The church floor was very high, with many steps leading up to a triple archway outside. These steps were removed, and a new flat entrance was built at ground level. They also took out a large Baptist font (a basin for baptisms) from the middle of the church. Electric lights, heating, and new wooden pews were added, and the ivy growing on the church was trimmed. Mr. Seth Taylor paid for much of this work, and his family continued to support the church even after he passed away in 1917.

It's interesting that St Margaret's faces North, not East, which is unusual for a Church of England building. This is because it used to be a Baptist chapel. As one vicar said in 1959, "There will not be many Anglican Churches which can claim the distinction of being descended from both Baptists and Presbyterians."

Growing as a Parish

In 1913, there were plans to make the church's area bigger, but World War I started. After the war, a big Peace Celebration was held in the meadows near Putney Park Lane. About 4,000 children came, enjoying sports, activities, and fireworks. Special mugs and plates were made to remember the event.

The Revd Percy Wallis became the first vicar of St Margaret's in 1918. He found a church with no organ, no hall, no vicarage (a house for the vicar), and no money to support itself. It also didn't have a license to hold weddings, which it got in 1920. A house was bought for the vicarage in 1923. The choir stalls (where the choir sits) were given anonymously as a thank you for safety during the war. They are special because they are a war memorial themselves, with war symbols on one side and peace symbols on the other.

In 1921, the London County Council bought the Putney Park Estate. They built the Dover House Estate around Putney Park House, which greatly increased the number of people living nearby. This led to St Margaret's becoming its own official parish on February 19, 1924. The church's first magazine, which is still published today, came out in January 1924.

A larger church was needed, so the building was extended. The main part of the church (the nave) was made longer, and a new chancel, Lady Chapel, sanctuary (with an altar), and vestry were added. The pulpit (where the sermon is given) was moved to a more central spot and raised. The foundation stone was laid on October 1, 1925. The newly extended church, almost twice its original size, was dedicated on February 19, 1926. This was part of a larger effort to build churches between the two World Wars.

The children of the parish even raised money themselves to pay for glass in the Sanctuary, which was installed in 1929. With more activities happening, a church hall was needed. A temporary hut was used for 40 years. Finally, in 1930, a proper church hall was built nearby and dedicated on June 16.

On September 3, 1939, the church's service book noted "Air Raid Warning." The children's service was cancelled, and sermons were cut short. Evening services moved to the Hall, where it was easier to black out the windows for safety. During the war, St Margaret's was damaged when a flying bomb hit a nearby garden. The church hall was badly damaged, and some church windows shattered, harming the ceiling. A special service to celebrate victory in Europe was held at St Margaret's on May 7, 1945.

In the 1950s, the inside of the church changed. A new organ case was bought, and the North end was redone. The wooden parts were cleaned and polished, and the altar area was decorated with gold. The Lady Chapel also got new features. In 1965, St Margaret's bought a portable font. In the 1960s and 1970s, new halls were built. In 2012, as part of a special appeal for the church's 100th birthday, a kitchen and toilet were added.

The Beautiful Windows

The windows in the Sanctuary were made by Burlison and Grylls. In the Lady Chapel, the windows were made by Kempe Studios. After the founder, Kempe, died, Walter Tower ran the studio. His special mark was a wheat sheaf with a red tower. After his son died in World War I, the tower in his mark turned black. You can see this black tower mark at St Margaret's. You might also notice small black spots on the Lady Chapel windows. These are bits of the black-out paint used during the war.

Elsewhere in the church, you can see both green and clear glass. The clear glass was put in to replace the green glass that was broken when a bomb exploded nearby during the war.

Gallery

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  Inside the church.

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  View from the back.

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  The main entrance.

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  A beautiful stained glass window.

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  A list of the church's leaders over time.