St Mary Magdalene, Richmond facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Mary Magdalene, Richmond
OS grid reference	TQ 17934 74829
Country	England
Denomination	Church of England
Churchmanship	English Choral
Architecture
Architect(s)	Arthur Blomfield (Victorian modifications); George Frederick Bodley (early 20th century changes); Peter Bowyer (21st century reordering)
Years built	c. 1220–1904
Specifications
Capacity	300
Administration
Parish	St Mary Magdalene, Richmond
Deanery	Richmond & Barnes
Archdeaconry	Wandsworth
Episcopal area	Kingston
Diocese	Southwark
Province	Canterbury

St Mary Magdalene, Richmond is a historic church in Richmond, London. It is a Grade II* listed building, which means it's very important. The church is dedicated to Mary Magdalene, a friend of Jesus.

The church was first built in the early 1500s. However, it has been changed a lot over the years. Today, most parts of the church, except for the tower, look like they were built in the 1700s, 1800s, and early 1900s.

Since 1996, St Mary Magdalene's has been part of the Richmond Team Ministry. This group also includes St John the Divine and St Matthias churches. The church is known for its strong music program. It holds special services with choirs every Sunday.

History of St Mary Magdalene Church

The very first chapel on this spot was built around the year 1220. The church you see today was almost completely rebuilt during the time of King Henry VII. He also rebuilt the royal palace of Sheen. In 1501, he renamed the area from Sheen to Richmond. The bottom two parts of the church tower are from this time. They were covered with new flint stones in 1904.

Changes Over the Centuries

In the early 1600s, a new section called a south aisle was added to the main part of the church, called the nave. Later, in 1699, a north aisle was also built. The original nave and the south aisle were rebuilt in 1750. In 1850, the old windows were replaced with new ones made of iron.

In 1866, an architect named Arthur Blomfield made more changes. He replaced the plaster ceiling over the nave with wooden beams. He also added new galleries and changed the old box pews to bench pews.

Between 1903 and 1904, another architect, George Frederick Bodley, made big changes. He replaced the chancel (the area around the altar) with a new one. He also added two chapels, called the Chapel of All Souls and the Chapel of All Saints. A vestry (a room for clergy) was also added. These new parts were built in a Neo-Gothic style, which means they looked like old Gothic churches. The tower was covered with flint and stone to match the new parts. The galleries on the north and south sides were removed at this time. The west gallery was taken down later, in 1935–36.

Important People Buried or Remembered Here

Many notable people are buried or have memorials at St Mary Magdalene Church.

• Richard Attenborough, Lord Attenborough (died 2014), was a famous actor and filmmaker. He lived in Richmond. His ashes are buried here with his wife Sheila, their daughter Jane Holland, and his granddaughter Lucy. Jane and Lucy died in the 2004 tsunami.
• There is a memorial for Mary Elizabeth Braddon, a popular writer. She lived in Richmond and died in 1915. She is buried in Richmond Cemetery.
• Henry Brouncker, 3rd Viscount Brouncker (died 1688) worked for King Charles II. He is buried here and has a memorial.
• The oldest monument is a brass plaque for Robert Cotton (died 1591). He worked for Queen Mary I and Queen Elizabeth I.
• The church has a memorial for Richard FitzWilliam, 7th Viscount FitzWilliam (died 1816). He started the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge. His grandfather, Sir Matthew Decker (died 1749), a merchant, is also remembered.
• William Hickey (died 1727) was a kind person who gave money to build Hickey's Almshouses in Richmond. He is buried in the churchyard.
• Barbara Hofland (died 1844), an author and poet, is buried in the church and has a memorial.
• The famous Shakespearean actor Edmund Kean (died 1833) is buried in the church. He also has a memorial inside.
• Barabara Lowther (died 1805) has a memorial made by John Flaxman.
• Samuel Paynter, of Richmond (died 1844) was a local official. He is buried in the church. His memorial has two marble angels made by Edward Hodges Baily. Baily also sculpted Admiral Horatio Nelson on Nelson's Column in London.
• The poet James Thomson (died 1748) wrote the words to "Rule, Britannia!" He is buried near the font. There is a brass memorial for him, placed there in 1792.
• George Wakefield (died 1776) and his sons Thomas and Gilbert Wakefield (died 1801) are remembered with memorials on the north wall.
• The actor Richard Yates (died 1796) was buried in the chancel. His wife, Mary Ann Yates, who was also an actress, is buried with him.

Church Bells

The church tower has eight bells. They were made between 1680 and 1761. In the 1980s, they were re-hung to ring in a clockwise direction. The largest bell weighs almost 19 cwt.

The Church Organ

The organ in the church was built in 1907 by J. W. Walker & Sons Ltd. This company also cleaned the organ in 1929 and fixed it up in 1965. You can find more details about the organ on the National Pipe Organ Register.

Notable Clergy

• The Right Reverend Eyre Chatterton (1863–1950) was an important Anglican writer. He was a bishop in India from 1903 to 1926. He was also an amateur tennis player. He became a curate at St Mary Magdalene's in 1900.

Images for kids

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  St Mary Magdalene Church

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  Inside the church, looking towards the chancel

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  The Chancel area

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  The West end of the church

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  Edmund Kean's grave

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  Memorial to Edmund Kean

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  Memorial to "Miss Braddon"

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  Memorial to Samuel Paynter

Markers for the graves of Richard Attenborough, Sheila Sim, their daughter Jane Holland and their granddaughter, Lucy, at St Mary Magdalene, Richmond.