St Mary's Church, Rotherhithe facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary's Church, Rotherhithe |
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Tower of St Mary's Church, Rotherhithe
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| 51°30′05″N 0°03′14″W / 51.50140697108517°N 0.05393947155653123°W | |
| Location | Rotherhithe, London |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Anglo-Catholic |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
St Mary's Church, Rotherhithe, is a local Church of England church. It is located in Rotherhithe, a part of south east London. The church is dedicated to Mary, mother of Jesus. It is especially known for its links to the Pilgrim Fathers. This church is still active today. Local people support it, and it serves the community.
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History of St Mary's Church
A church has stood on this spot since at least 1282. But Roman bricks were found in 1913. This suggests even older buildings were here before.
Catholic priests from Bermondsey Abbey once served this area. In 1538, King Henry VIII broke away from Rome. The church's valuable items were sold. This money helped fix the old medieval church.
What the Old Church Looked Like
Some parts of the old mediaeval church can still be seen. For example, stone blocks are in the walls near the organ. In the crypt (an underground room), you can see old walls. These walls are made of chalk and flint. Later, some Tudor brickwork was added.
A drawing from 1623 shows what the old church looked like. This drawing is the only picture we have of it. A few memorials from the old church also remain.
Rebuilding the Church
In 1710, the people of St Mary's asked for money. They wanted to rebuild their church. It was very low and near the River Thames. The river often flooded the church. This caused the church's foundation to rot.
Their request for money was not approved. But the people collected donations themselves. Many local craftspeople helped build the new church.
The church was rebuilt in 1714–15. John James, a famous architect, designed it. He worked with Sir Christopher Wren. Money was tight, so the tower was not finished until 1747. Lancelot Dowbiggin completed the tower. He might have used his own design.
Since then, the outside of the church has looked much the same. It is on a narrow street near the Thames. It is surrounded by old warehouses. Across from it is a charity school house built in 1703.
In 1838, the famous ship HMS Temeraire was taken apart. Some of its wood was used for a communion table. Two bishop's chairs in the church were also made from this wood.
The inside of the church was changed a lot in 1876. Between 1996 and 1999, the church bells were fixed. Essential repairs were also made to the spire. Members of the Docklands Ringing Centre ring the bells regularly.
St Mary's Church Today
St Mary's Church follows the Anglo-Catholic tradition. This is a part of the Church of England. The church does not support the ordination of women. So, it receives special guidance from the Bishop of Fulham. Currently, this is Jonathan Baker.
The Church Organ
St Mary's Church has a beautiful pipe-organ. It was built in 1764 by John Byfield II. The organ has been changed a few times over the years. But it still sounds much like it did originally. Its grand organ case is also still there.
Maritime Connections
This church is close to the river. So, it has many links to the sea. The communion table in the Lady Chapel is made from wood. This wood came from the warship HMS Temeraire. Two bishop's chairs are also made from this wood.
The ship's last trip to the scrapyard was made famous. Artist Turner painted it in The Fighting Temeraire. This painting is now in the National Gallery.
Inside the church, there is a memorial. It marks the burial place of Christopher Jones. He was the captain of the Mayflower. This ship took the Pilgrim Fathers to North America in 1620.
The church is also the burial place of Prince Lee Boo of Palau. He was a prince from a Pacific Island. Vice Admiral Sir Thomas Teddeman (c.1620–1668) is also buried here.
Nearby are some of London's Nordic churches. There are also missions for sailors.
See also
