St Mary's Church, Acton, London facts for kids

St Mary's Church, Acton

St Mary's Church is a special building in Acton, West London. It's a Church of England church where people gather for worship. The church you see today is made of red brick with stone decorations. It was designed by an architect named Horace Francis and built between 1865 and 1867. This church is so important that it was given a special status called "Grade II listed" in 1981. This means it's a historic building that needs to be protected.

The church is named after St Mary, who visited her cousin Elizabeth, an event known as the Visitation.

The Long History of St Mary's Church

A church dedicated to St Mary was first mentioned in Acton way back in 1231. That's nearly 800 years ago! Over many centuries, this old church was changed and fixed up several times.

Challenges During the Civil War

In 1642, during the English Civil War, soldiers known as Roundheads damaged the church. This happened after a battle nearby called the Battle of Turnham Green. They broke windows, damaged the font (a basin used for baptisms), and even burned parts of the church inside. They were upset with the church's rector, Daniel Featley, because of his religious practices. Featley was a royal chaplain and a defender of the Church of England, even though he had some different beliefs. He was forced to leave his position at the church in 1643.

Both Daniel Featley and the person who replaced him, Philip Nye, were part of an important meeting called the Westminster Assembly. They had different ideas about how churches should be run. Featley believed in the existing system with bishops (called episcopalianism), while Nye thought each church should be independent (called congregationalism).

Rebuilding for a Growing Community

As more people moved to Acton, the church needed to be bigger. In 1837, it was updated. Then, in 1865, most of the old church was taken down, except for its tower. A brand new church was built in its place between 1865 and 1867. This new church was officially opened on May 16, 1866, by Samuel Wilberforce, who was the Bishop of Oxford.

Later, in 1876, the church's tower was rebuilt. A man named Frederic Ouvry paid for it to remember his sister. A new clock was also put in the tower at that time.

Today, St Mary's Church is part of a larger church group. It belongs to the Deanery of Ealing, which is part of the Archdeaconry of Northolt, and then part of the Willesden Episcopal Area within the Diocese of London.

Important People Remembered at St Mary's

Several memorials from the old church still exist today. These are like special plaques or statues that remember important people. Here are a few of them:

• Humphrey Cavell (died 1558): He was a local lawyer. He left money so that a special church service could be held for him every week for a year after he passed away. His memorial is a special type of metal plaque called a monumental brass.
• Anne Southwell (died 1636): She was a poet.
• Catherine, Viscountess Conway (died 1639): She was married to Edward Conway, 1st Viscount Conway. She invested a lot of money in new projects in America, including the Virginia Company. She also gave money to her local community in her will.
• Mary Skippon (died 1655): She was the wife of Major-General Philip Skippon. He was a commander for the Parliamentarians during the Civil War.
• John Perryn (died 1656): He was a kind person who gave money to help others.
• Philippa Rous (died 1657): She was the wife of Francis Rous, who was a Puritan writer and Speaker of the House of Commons. After the king returned to power, her husband's titles were removed from her memorial by royalists.
• Elizabeth Barry (died 1713): She was a famous actress.

Rectors of St Mary's Church

The rector is the main priest in charge of a church parish. Here is a list of some of the rectors who have served at St Mary's Church in Acton over the centuries: