St Mary Magdalene's Church, East Ham facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Mary Magdalene's Church, East Ham
51°31′20.0964″N 0°3′31.6188″E / 51.522249000°N 0.058783000°E / 51.522249000; 0.058783000
Country	United Kingdom
Denomination	Church of England
History
Founded	12th century
Administration
Parish	East Ham

St Mary Magdalene's Church is a very old church in East Ham, east London. It is dedicated to St Mary Magdalene. Many people believe it is the oldest church in Greater London that is still used every week. It is also a Grade I listed building, which means it is a very important historic building.

Discovering St Mary Magdalene's Church History

The main parts of the church, like the nave, chancel, and apse, were built a long time ago, in the early 1100s. The tower was probably added in the early 1200s. It was partly rebuilt in the 1500s.

Early Features and Art from the 1200s

In the 1200s, a special space was carved into the south wall of the nave. This space held a small basin called a piscina, used for washing holy items. You can still see faint traces of old wall paintings from the 1200s in the apse.

Changes and Memorials in the 1600s

In the early 1600s, the church's roofs were changed. In 1639, a man named Sir Richard Heigham gave the church its beautiful white marble font, which is still there today.

There are also old memorials from the 1600s inside the church. One is for Edmond Nevill and his daughter, Lady Katherine Nevill. Edmond Nevill was said to live nearby at Green Street House. Other memorials remember Giles Breame and William Heigham. A famous person named William Stukeley chose the churchyard as his burial place. He is buried there without a monument.

Updates and Missions in the 1700s and 1800s

The 1700s did not see many big changes to the church. However, some box pews and a tall, three-level pulpit were added. These were later replaced in the 1890s.

In 1820, a gallery was built at the west end of the church for children to sit. Ten years later, the south porch was changed into a vestry, which is a room where clergy prepare for services. A new yellow-brick west porch was built to replace it. In 1883, the church helped start a new mission church. This church later became St Michael and All Angels Church, Beckton Road. In 1896, the west gallery was removed, and more restoration work was done. In 1908, a new vestry was created in the tower, and the south porch was no longer used as one. A big restoration in 1931 removed the ceilings in the apse and chancel. It also opened up the stairs to the rood-loft and removed the plaster from the outside of the tower.

Rebuilding After World War II

During the London Blitz in 1941, which was a time of heavy bombing in London during World War II, the church was damaged. The chancel roof was destroyed, and all the stained glass windows were broken. However, repairs started right away. The nave was fully restored by the end of the war. More big restoration projects happened in 1950 and again from 1965 to 1966.

Today, St Mary Magdalene's Church is part of the East Ham Team Parish. This parish is also known as the Parish of the Holy Trinity. It includes other churches like St Edmund's, St Bartholomew's, and St Alban's.

Images for kids

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  St Mary Magdalene's Church, East Ham