St Mary's Church, Battersea facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Mary's Church, Battersea
West face of the church
St Mary's Church, Battersea Location in London Borough of Wandsworth
51°28′36″N 0°10′32″W / 51.47657°N 0.17544°W / 51.47657; -0.17544
Location	Battersea Church Road, Battersea, Greater London, SW11 3NA
Country	England
Denomination	Church of England
Churchmanship	Inclusive Central
History
Status	Active
Founded	c.800 AD
Architecture
Functional status	Parish church
Heritage designation	Grade I listed
Completed	1777
Administration
Diocese	Diocese of Southwark

St Mary's Church, Battersea is a very old church in Battersea, a part of London. It is the oldest church in this area. People have been worshipping here for a very long time, since about 800 AD! It is a Grade I listed building, which means it's a really important historical and architectural site in England.

History of the Church

St. Mary's is one of the first five Christian holy places ever recorded south of the River Thames in London. The first church was built around 800 AD. The building you see today was finished in 1777. A local architect named Joseph Dixon designed it.

Southwest view of the church

The church is mostly built from brick. Stone is used for special parts like the corners and decorations. It has a main hall called a nave, a rounded area at the east end called an apse (which is the sanctuary), and a tall tower at the west end. The front of the church has a porch with columns and a triangular top. Behind it, the tower goes up, with a clock and a small spire on top.

Inside, the church has a flat ceiling that covers the whole space. There are wooden balconies, called galleries, on three sides, held up by columns. The windows in the nave are in two rows, with the top ones having rounded tops.

In a side chapel, there's a modern artwork called a triptych (a three-part painting) by John Napper from 1946. It shows an important Bible scene, the Annunciation, but with modern London landmarks like Battersea Park and the Power Station in the background.

The church organ was made by Saxon Aldred in 1993. It has a carving of a ram, which is a nod to the nearby Ram Brewery.

The beautiful east window in the sanctuary is very old, from 1379. Some painted glass in this window is from 1631 and shows portraits of famous historical figures like King Henry VII and Queen Elizabeth I. Other windows, called the Dove and Lamb windows, were first made in 1796 by James Pearson. They were fixed in 1946 after being damaged during World War II.

At the back of the church, you can see a special War Memorial made of terracotta by Freda Skinner. It shows the "Gate of Life" protected by an "Angel of Sacrifice."

The glass doors leading to the Vestry (a room for clergy) were added in 2008. They were engraved with beautiful designs by Sally Scott FGE.

St Mary's Church has cool connections to art and books! The famous artist and poet William Blake got married here in 1782. Also, the famous painter J. M. W. Turner used to paint the river from the vestry window.

Special Windows

The church has four newer stained-glass windows made by John Hayward between 1976 and 1982. Each one tells a story about someone important connected to the church.

• The Blake Window: This window honors William Blake. It shows a figure called Albion at the bottom. In the middle, there's a winged figure called 'Emanation'. A portrait of Blake is included, based on a painting by Thomas Phillips. Figures on either side represent "Innocence" and "Experience," which were themes in Blake's work. At the bottom, you can even see Blake's signature from the church's marriage register!
• The Turner Window: This window celebrates J. M. W. Turner, the painter. He lived nearby and often visited Battersea to paint from the church's vestry window. This window was given by a company called The Morgan Crucible Company to remember their long history with the Battersea area.
• The Curtis Window: This window is for William Curtis, a botanist (someone who studies plants) and the person who started the Linnean Society. He is buried in the churchyard. The window's design includes many plants like geraniums, daffodils, and wild roses, taken from his famous book 'Flora Londinensis'. It also shows symbols of important groups he was part of and a map of where his gardens were located.
• The Arnold Window: This window features Benedict Arnold. He was an American military officer who fought in the American War of Independence. He first fought for the Americans, alongside George Washington, but later changed sides and became an officer in the British Army. The window shows different historical flags, including early American flags and the British 'Union Jack'.

Important Monuments

The church has several old and important monuments from its earlier days. These are like special sculptures or plaques that remember important people.

• Two busts (sculptures of heads and shoulders) are for Baron Oliver Nicholas St John (who died in 1630) and his wife, Joan Roydon. He was a very important government official in Ireland. The sculptor was Nicholas Stone the Elder.
• A monument for Sir Edward Wynter (who died in 1685). It has a bust at the top. Below, it shows him fighting a tiger and other figures, describing his exciting adventures.
• A monument for Sir John Fleet (who died in 1712). He was the Lord Mayor of London in 1695.
• A monument for James Bull (who died in 1713). He was a merchant and Sir John Fleet's son-in-law.
• A monument for Henry St John (who died in 1751) and his wife, Mary Clara des Champs de Marcilly (who died in 1750). He was an important government minister under Queen Anne. It has small portraits of them facing each other. The famous sculptor Louis-François Roubiliac made it.
• A monument for John Camden (who died in 1780) and his daughter Elizabeth Neild (who died in 1791). It shows a girl by a funeral urn and includes a poem. It was made by Coade of Lambeth.
• A monument for Richard Rothwell (who died in 1821) and his wife Eleanor (who died in 1834), made by J. G. Bubb.

People Buried Here

Many notable people are buried at St Mary's Church:

• Benedict Arnold and his family are buried in the crypt (an underground burial vault).
• William Curtis, the botanist, is buried in the churchyard.
• John Inglis (bishop), a bishop.
• Sir Rupert George.
• Nathaniel Middleton (1750–1807), who worked for the British East India Company.

Gallery

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  St.Mary's, Battersea

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  Interior

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  The Sanctuary

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  Angel of Sacrifice

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  St John of Lydeard monument

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  John Camden monument

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  Benedict Arnold window