St Mary's Parish Church, Hampton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary's Parish Church, Hampton |
|
|---|---|
| St Mary the Virgin, Hampton Upon Thames | |
A view of St Mary's, from the River Thames (2009)
|
|
| 51°24′47″N 0°21′41″W / 51.413019°N 0.361261°W | |
| OS grid reference | TQ1394669560 |
| Location | Thames Street, Hampton, London TW12 2EB |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Membership | 246 (2009) |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Founded | 1342 |
| Dedication | St Mary the Virgin |
| Consecrated | 1 September 1831 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architect(s) | Edward Lapidge |
| Style | Gothic |
| Groundbreaking | April 1830 |
| Completed | September 1831 |
| Construction cost | £9,484 1s 2d |
| Administration | |
| Parish | St Mary, Hampton |
| Deanery | Hampton |
| Archdeaconry | Middlesex |
| Episcopal area | Kensington |
| Diocese | Diocese of London |
| Province | Canterbury |
St Mary's Parish Church in Hampton, London, is an Anglican church. It's a special place of worship in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames.
Contents
Finding St Mary's Church
St Mary's Parish Church is located where two main roads meet: the A308 and A311. These roads lead to nearby towns like Twickenham and Kingston upon Thames. The church stands on Bell Hill, marking the old center of Hampton.
Over time, Hampton grew. New areas like New Hampton (now Hampton Hill) were built. Because of this growth, new church parishes were created. For example, St James, Hampton Hill was formed in 1863.
A Look at St Mary's History
The spot where St Mary's Church stands today might have been home to a Roman-British chapel long ago. We know for sure that a place of worship has been here for at least 650 years. Records show that in 1342, the land belonged to a religious group called the Priory of Takeley.
Before that, there might have been a simple wooden building. Or, people might have held services under a very old yew tree. This tree stood in the churchyard until 1829.
The Original Church Building
The first church we have records for was made from flint and stone. Inside, it had balconies on three sides. There was also a special area for the choir and musicians.
The church had a unique three-level pulpit. The lowest level was for the clerk, the middle for reading lessons, and the top for sermons. The royal family even had their own special pew! This old church also had a school room and provided a teacher for Hampton School starting in 1557.
During the time of King Henry VIII, parts of the church were rebuilt with brick. This included the main part (the nave), a side section (south aisle), and the entrance porch. The older stone parts, like the chancel and tower, remained.
Later, in 1671, the tower became unsafe. A new brick tower was built, and King Charles II helped pay for it. In 1726, more parts were added, including a north aisle and a room for the clergy (the vestry). King George I also gave money for these additions.
People described this brick church as very popular. It had comfortable benches and was well-attended. Many carriages would wait outside after services. Important people, like George FitzClarence, 1st Earl of Munster, worshipped here.
When the new church was built, many old memorials were saved. These included tributes to:
- Susannah Thomas (died 1731)
- Sibel Penn (died 1562), who was a nurse to King Edward VI
- Edmond Pigeon and his son Nickolas, who worked at the Jewel House
- Huntington Shaw (died 1710), who designed ironwork for Hampton Court Palace.
Building the Current Church
As Hampton's population grew, the church leaders decided the old building needed to be bigger. There was a plan in 1821 to just extend it. The King promised to help if seats were made available for people from Hampton Court Palace. However, not enough money was raised, so the plan was put off.
For the next eight years, different ideas and designs for a new church were considered. Finally, the old church closed on December 27, 1829. The church members then held their services in the Great Hall of Hampton Court Palace while the old church was taken down.
Prince William, Duke of Clarence (who would soon become King William IV) laid the first stone for the new building on April 18, 1830. The new church was officially opened on September 1, 1831. This was a very important event! Princess Adelaide and other royals attended. The roads were so busy with carriages that they were blocked for a long distance. King William IV also gave the church its organ.
By 1879, the churchyard was full, so new burials took place at the Hampton Cemetery. Also in 1879, the organ was moved to a new spot in the church. It was rebuilt in 1901.
The time when Prebendary Digby Ram was in charge (1882–1911) saw many improvements. In 1885, the old box-like pews were replaced with the ones you see today. The main part of the church (the nave) was also updated. To celebrate Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee in 1887, the chancel was built. This part of the church has a beautiful stained-glass window by Heaton, Butler and Bayne.
Other stained-glass windows in the church were made by Eric Fraser. These windows show the Annunciation (when an angel told Mary she would have Jesus) and four Archangels (Michael, Raphael, Gabriel, and Uriel).
In 1920, the church was updated again. A war memorial screen was added to remember those who died in the First World War. Later, in 1931, new choir and clergy stalls were added to match the screen.
A striking painting on the west wall was created by Eric Fraser's son, Rev Geoffrey Fraser, in 1952–53. The left side shows people from local history. The right side shows church members from that time. Above the River Thames, a figure of Christ rises.
In the 1960s, a small chapel was created in the north aisle. It had an altar table and other special items. This new chapel was officially opened in 1967.
St Luke's Chapel was added in the west porch in 1990. Its doors have etched figures of the Virgin Mary and the Archangel Gabriel. These were based on drawings by Eric Fraser and given by his family.
In the late 1990s, a small kitchen and toilet were added. A small stage was also built inside the church. Floodlighting was installed for the Millennium. In 2005, the outside stone of the church was cleaned and repaired. In 2013, the toilet area was updated, and the side chapel was moved to the south aisle. This created a flexible space with chairs in the north aisle.
Exploring the Churchyard
The churchyard is a historic burial ground. Here are some notable people buried there:
- John Greg (1716–1795): He owned plantations in Dominica. His unusual pyramid-shaped tomb is a Grade II listed building.
- Huntingdon Shaw (1660–1710): A blacksmith known for his ironwork at Hampton Court Palace.
- Samuel Lapidge (died 1806): He was a head gardener at Hampton Court Palace. His son, Edward Lapidge, designed the current St Mary's Church and is also buried here.
- George Lowe (1716–1758): He was the master gardener for King George II. His son planted the famous Great Vine at Hampton Court Palace.
- George FitzClarence, 1st Earl of Munster (1794–1842): A soldier and a peer (a member of the nobility).
- Sir William Wightman (1784–1863): A judge.
- Lord Alfred Paget (1816–1888): A soldier, courtier (someone who attends a royal court), and politician.
- Sir James Mantle Greenwood (1902–1969): An advertiser and local politician. He received honors for his public service.
- Hugh Campbell R.N. (1837–1877): A Captain of the royal yacht HMY Victoria and Albert. He died at Hampton Court Palace.
Church Life Today
St Mary's Church continues to have an active group of members. It is part of "Churches Together around Hampton," which means it works with other local churches. In 2013, St Mary's opened a primary school as part of the Free School programme.
Hampton School also holds its Founder's Day gathering at the church each year.
St Mary's in Books
The church is mentioned briefly in Jerome K Jerome's funny 1889 novel, Three Men in a Boat.
Harris wanted to get out at Hampton Church, to go and see Mrs. Thomas’s tomb.
“Who is Mrs. Thomas?” I asked.
“How should I know?” replied Harris. “She’s a lady that’s got a funny tomb, and I want to see it.”
While there is a memorial to Susanna Thomas (died 1731) in the church, it's not really "funny" in the way we usually think. However, the tomb has fancy, classical designs with draped figures. For people in the Victorian era, these designs might have seemed unusual or even a bit surprising, which could have made them seem "funny" to Jerome K Jerome.
