St Matthew's, Bayswater facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Matthew's, Bayswater |
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| Location | St. Petersburgh Place, Bayswater, London, W2 4LA |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| History | |
| Status | Active |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Parish church |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* listed |
St Matthew's is a beautiful church in Bayswater, London. It belongs to the Church of England. You can find it near the New West End Synagogue and the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Sophia. This church is a very special building, listed as Grade II*. This means it's an important historical place. It was built in a style called Victorian Gothic revival.
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History of St Matthew's
The church was built in 1880. A London architect named John Johnson designed it. He was born in 1843 and passed away in 1919. Some of the colorful stained-glass windows in the church might have been made by a famous company called Morris & Co. The church organ, which makes music, was built by J. W. Walker & Sons Ltd.
A wealthy person named John Derby Allcroft paid for St Matthew's. He lived in a grand house called Stokesay Court. He helped build several churches in London. St Matthew's was finished in 1882. It replaced an older chapel that was there since 1818. Many people came to hear the church leader, Archdeacon James Hunter. He had recently returned from working as a missionary with the Cree people in Canada.
What Happens Today at St Matthew's?
The church still uses the Book of Common Prayer (BCP) for most of its services. This is an older prayer book. They use it instead of the more modern Common Worship.
Interesting People Connected to the Church
Many interesting people have been part of St Matthew's Church:
- Rennie MacInnes, who later became the Bishop of Jerusalem, worked here as a curate (a type of assistant priest) from 1896 to 1899.
- Sidney Nowell Rostron was the vicar (the main priest) from 1922 to 1933. He was also a principal at St John's College, Durham.
- Hugh Gough was the vicar from 1939 to 1946. He later became a very important bishop, the Archbishop of Sydney and Primate of Australia.
- Edward John Bolus was a deacon (another type of church leader) in 1926.
- The composer Felix Swinstead was the organist during World War 2. He wrote a special piece of music called a Te Deum for the church choir in 1941.
Pictures of St Matthew's
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East face: spire and its tower, viewed aslant in Autumn sunlight
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In Summer, shaded by foliage of street trees
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