St. Michael Queenhithe
Encyclopedia
St. Michael Queenhithe was a church in the City of London
located in what is now Upper Thames Street. First recorded in the 12th century, the church was destroyed during the Great Fire of London
in 1666. Rebuilt by the office of Sir Christopher Wren , the church was demolished in 1876.
is still the name of the ward which the church was located in, and a dock on the Thames near to the church.
The earliest reference to the church is as St Michael Aedredeshuda in the 12th century (Aethelredhyth being an earlier name for Queenhithe). The church was also recorded as St Michael upon Thames, St Michael in Huda, St Michael de Hutha Regina and St Michael super Ripam Regine.
John Stow
described it as “A convenient church but al the monuments therein are defaced.”
During the Great Fire, Charles II
and the future James II
“came down from Whitehall by boat to Queenhithe and, from a high rooftop, saw dwellings, Company halls and churches blazing.” The flames soon engulfed St. Michael Queenhithe.
The church was rebuilt, incorporating some of the old walls, between 1676 and 1686 at a cost of £4375. The parish was combined with that of Holy Trinity the Less, also destroyed in the Fire, but not rebuilt.
Uniquely for a Wren church, a famous painter contributed to its decoration. According to Malcolm in London Redivivum, the church officers thanked Sir James Thornhill – father-in-law of Hogarth and painter of the grisaille
s on the ceiling of St Paul’s Cathedral for his “liberality in repairing and improving the painting which adorned the altar” in 1721. This was later destroyed.
Due to the move of population from the City to the suburbs in the second half of the nineteenth century, the church became redundant and the last service held in December 1875. The church was demolished in 1876 under the Union of Benefices Act 1860. The parish was combined with that of St James Garlickhythe
, which also received much of the church fittings. The proceeds of the sale of St. Michael Queenhithe were used to build St Michael's Church, Camden Town
.
The site of St. Michael Queenhithe now partly lies under the northern carriageway of Upper Thames Street, where it is crossed by the footbridge in the photo above, whilst the churchyard to its north now lies under the western part of Fur Trade House, completed in 1972. There is a plan to redevelop the area as a hotel.
The entrance lobby and the vestry were built at a lower level than the body of the church.
The tower, on the northwest corner, was surmounted by a steeple reminiscent of a ziggurat
, with five steps ascending on four sides to a pointed leaded spire rearing from the dais. At the top of the spire was a vane in the shape of a three-masted barque, of the type used to carry corn – a reference to the chief cargo unloaded at the nearby dock. Just underneath the ship was a brass sphere that could hold a bushel of grain.
After the church was demolished, the vane remained in situ perched on a miniature spire. It was moved to the top of the newly restored spire of St. Nicholas Cole Abbey
in 1962, where it remains today.
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
located in what is now Upper Thames Street. First recorded in the 12th century, the church was destroyed during the Great Fire of London
Great Fire of London
The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through the central parts of the English city of London, from Sunday, 2 September to Wednesday, 5 September 1666. The fire gutted the medieval City of London inside the old Roman City Wall...
in 1666. Rebuilt by the office of Sir Christopher Wren , the church was demolished in 1876.
History
Pre-Fire London had seven churches named after the Archangel Michael, of which five were rebuilt after the Fire. QueenhitheQueenhithe
Queenhithe is a small ward of the City of London, situated on the River Thames and to the south of St Paul's Cathedral. The Millennium Bridge crosses into the City at Queenhithe....
is still the name of the ward which the church was located in, and a dock on the Thames near to the church.
The earliest reference to the church is as St Michael Aedredeshuda in the 12th century (Aethelredhyth being an earlier name for Queenhithe). The church was also recorded as St Michael upon Thames, St Michael in Huda, St Michael de Hutha Regina and St Michael super Ripam Regine.
John Stow
John Stow
John Stow was an English historian and antiquarian.-Early life:The son of Thomas Stow, a tallow-chandler, he was born about 1525 in London, in the parish of St Michael, Cornhill. His father's whole rent for his house and garden was only 6s. 6d. a year, and Stow in his youth fetched milk every...
described it as “A convenient church but al the monuments therein are defaced.”
During the Great Fire, Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
and the future James II
James II of England
James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
“came down from Whitehall by boat to Queenhithe and, from a high rooftop, saw dwellings, Company halls and churches blazing.” The flames soon engulfed St. Michael Queenhithe.
The church was rebuilt, incorporating some of the old walls, between 1676 and 1686 at a cost of £4375. The parish was combined with that of Holy Trinity the Less, also destroyed in the Fire, but not rebuilt.
Uniquely for a Wren church, a famous painter contributed to its decoration. According to Malcolm in London Redivivum, the church officers thanked Sir James Thornhill – father-in-law of Hogarth and painter of the grisaille
Grisaille
Grisaille is a term for painting executed entirely in monochrome or near-monochrome, usually in shades of grey. It is particularly used in large decorative schemes in imitation of sculpture. Many grisailles in fact include a slightly wider colour range, like the Andrea del Sarto fresco...
s on the ceiling of St Paul’s Cathedral for his “liberality in repairing and improving the painting which adorned the altar” in 1721. This was later destroyed.
Due to the move of population from the City to the suburbs in the second half of the nineteenth century, the church became redundant and the last service held in December 1875. The church was demolished in 1876 under the Union of Benefices Act 1860. The parish was combined with that of St James Garlickhythe
St James Garlickhythe
St. James Garlickhythe is a Church of England parish church in Vintry ward of the City of London, nicknamed ‘Wren’s lantern’ owing to its profusion of windows. Recorded since the 12th century, the church was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666 and rebuilt by the office of Sir Christopher...
, which also received much of the church fittings. The proceeds of the sale of St. Michael Queenhithe were used to build St Michael's Church, Camden Town
St Michael's Church, Camden Town
St Michael's Church is the main Anglican church for Camden Town.The congregation was begun in 1881 at a building nearby where a betting shop now stands; a service was held in the shop to begin the celebrations for the church's 125th anniversary in 2002....
.
The site of St. Michael Queenhithe now partly lies under the northern carriageway of Upper Thames Street, where it is crossed by the footbridge in the photo above, whilst the churchyard to its north now lies under the western part of Fur Trade House, completed in 1972. There is a plan to redevelop the area as a hotel.
Architecture
St. Michael Queenhithe had its main front on the south and east facing the Queenhithe dock. It was five bays long from east to west and three bays long from north to south. The lower level of windows were round-headed and separated from the upper tier of circular windows by swags.The entrance lobby and the vestry were built at a lower level than the body of the church.
The tower, on the northwest corner, was surmounted by a steeple reminiscent of a ziggurat
Ziggurat
Ziggurats were massive structures built in the ancient Mesopotamian valley and western Iranian plateau, having the form of a terraced step pyramid of successively receding stories or levels.Notable ziggurats include the Great Ziggurat of Ur near Nasiriyah, Iraq; the Ziggurat of Aqar Quf near...
, with five steps ascending on four sides to a pointed leaded spire rearing from the dais. At the top of the spire was a vane in the shape of a three-masted barque, of the type used to carry corn – a reference to the chief cargo unloaded at the nearby dock. Just underneath the ship was a brass sphere that could hold a bushel of grain.
After the church was demolished, the vane remained in situ perched on a miniature spire. It was moved to the top of the newly restored spire of St. Nicholas Cole Abbey
St. Nicholas Cole Abbey
St. Nicholas Cole Abbey is a church in the City of London located on what is now Queen Victoria Street. Recorded from the twelfth century, the church was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666 and rebuilt by the office of Sir Christopher Wren...
in 1962, where it remains today.
See also
- List of Christopher Wren churches in London
- List of churches rebuilt after the Great Fire but since demolished
- St Mary Somerset