St Mary Abbots
Encyclopedia
St Mary Abbots is an historic church located on Kensington High Street
, London
at a prominent intersection with Kensington Church Street. The present church was built in 1872 by the architect Sir George Gilbert Scott in neo-Gothic Early English style
. It was the latest in a succession of churches which have stood on the site since around 1100. The church has the tallest spire in London.
was a Norman knight given the manor of Kensington
after the Norman conquest. Around 1100, his son Godfrey, was taken seriously ill but was cured by Faritius
, the Abbot of the great Benedictine
Abbey of St Mary
at Abingdon
.
In gratitude Godfrey bequeathed the church in Kensington, with 270 acres (1.1 km²), to the abbey. In 1262 the abbey established a parish in Kensington, and dedicated it to St Mary. It was probably given the epithet of ‘Abbots’ because of its link to the abbey rather than the diocese of the Bishop of London
. This led to a dispute with the bishop and an action followed in the consistory court
of the diocese. This resulted in the patronage of the church passing to the bishop in perpetuity but rights over the surrounding land remaining with the abbey. The line of vicars can be traced directly back to this foundation in 1262.
In 1370 the Norman church was rebuilt.
When William III
established his court at Kensington Palace
there followed a growth in the local population which made the medieval church too small and it was demolished at the end of the 17th century to be replaced by a late Renaissance style church. This in turn proved too small as the area urbanised in the 19th century.
Around 1860 the vicar, Archdeacon Sinclair, began a campaign to build a new church which he wanted to be really striking. The architect George Gilbert Scott was engaged and he recommended the demolition of the existing church to take advantage of the outstanding site at the road junction. The design was almost certainly influenced by Scott's earlier work on Dunblane Cathedral
on which the west front's tall window and carved tympanum, is loosely based. The 278 ft (84.7 m) high spire is clearly influenced by that of St Mary Redcliffe
, Bristol.
The present church contains many fittings from the earlier churches, especially funeral monuments from the mid-17th century onwards.
hung for change ringing
. Five of these bells, the fourth, fifth, sixth, eighth and ninth of the current ring date from 1772 and were cast by Thomas Janaway. The other five, the treble, second, third, seventh and tenor were cast in 1879 by John Warner & Sons.
Kensington High Street
Kensington High Street is the main shopping street in Kensington, west London. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
at a prominent intersection with Kensington Church Street. The present church was built in 1872 by the architect Sir George Gilbert Scott in neo-Gothic Early English style
English Gothic architecture
English Gothic is the name of the architectural style that flourished in England from about 1180 until about 1520.-Introduction:As with the Gothic architecture of other parts of Europe, English Gothic is defined by its pointed arches, vaulted roofs, buttresses, large windows, and spires...
. It was the latest in a succession of churches which have stood on the site since around 1100. The church has the tallest spire in London.
History
Aubrey de VereAubrey de Vere I
Aubrey de Vere was a tenant-in-chief of William the Conqueror in 1086 and also vassal to Geoffrey de Montbray, bishop of Coutances and to Count Alan, lord of Richmond. A much later source named his father as Alphonsus...
was a Norman knight given the manor of Kensington
Kensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
after the Norman conquest. Around 1100, his son Godfrey, was taken seriously ill but was cured by Faritius
Faritius
Faricius was an Italian Benedictine Abbot of Abingdon and physician.-Life:Faricius was born in Arezzo, Tuscany, a Benedictine monk who became known as a skilful physician and man of letters. He was in England in 1078, when he witnessed the translation of the relics of St...
, the Abbot of the great Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
Abbey of St Mary
Abingdon Abbey
Abingdon Abbey was a Benedictine monastery also known as St Mary's Abbey located in Abingdon, historically in the county of Berkshire but now in Oxfordshire, England.-History:...
at Abingdon
Abingdon, Oxfordshire
Abingdon or archaically Abingdon-on-Thames is a market town and civil parish in Oxfordshire, England. It is the seat of the Vale of White Horse district. Previously the county town of Berkshire, Abingdon is one of several places that claim to be Britain's oldest continuously occupied town, with...
.
In gratitude Godfrey bequeathed the church in Kensington, with 270 acres (1.1 km²), to the abbey. In 1262 the abbey established a parish in Kensington, and dedicated it to St Mary. It was probably given the epithet of ‘Abbots’ because of its link to the abbey rather than the diocese of the Bishop of London
Bishop of London
The Bishop of London is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of London in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers 458 km² of 17 boroughs of Greater London north of the River Thames and a small part of the County of Surrey...
. This led to a dispute with the bishop and an action followed in the consistory court
Consistory court
The consistory court is a type of ecclesiastical court, especially within the Church of England. They were established by a charter of King William I of England, and still exist today, although since about the middle of the 19th century consistory courts have lost much of their subject-matter...
of the diocese. This resulted in the patronage of the church passing to the bishop in perpetuity but rights over the surrounding land remaining with the abbey. The line of vicars can be traced directly back to this foundation in 1262.
In 1370 the Norman church was rebuilt.
When William III
William III of England
William III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...
established his court at Kensington Palace
Kensington Palace
Kensington Palace is a royal residence set in Kensington Gardens in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. It has been a residence of the British Royal Family since the 17th century and is the official London residence of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the Duke and...
there followed a growth in the local population which made the medieval church too small and it was demolished at the end of the 17th century to be replaced by a late Renaissance style church. This in turn proved too small as the area urbanised in the 19th century.
Around 1860 the vicar, Archdeacon Sinclair, began a campaign to build a new church which he wanted to be really striking. The architect George Gilbert Scott was engaged and he recommended the demolition of the existing church to take advantage of the outstanding site at the road junction. The design was almost certainly influenced by Scott's earlier work on Dunblane Cathedral
Dunblane Cathedral
Dunblane Cathedral is the larger of the two Church of Scotland parish churches serving Dunblane, near the city of Stirling, in central Scotland.-History:...
on which the west front's tall window and carved tympanum, is loosely based. The 278 ft (84.7 m) high spire is clearly influenced by that of St Mary Redcliffe
St Mary Redcliffe
St. Mary Redcliffe is an Anglican parish church located in the Redcliffe district of the English port city of Bristol, close to the city centre. Constructed from the 12th to the 15th centuries, the church is a Grade 1 listed building, St...
, Bristol.
The present church contains many fittings from the earlier churches, especially funeral monuments from the mid-17th century onwards.
Bells
The tower holds a ring of ten bellsRing of bells
"Ring of bells" is a term most often applied to a set of bells hung in the English style, typically for change ringing...
hung for change ringing
Change ringing
Change ringing is the art of ringing a set of tuned bells in a series of mathematical patterns called "changes". It differs from many other forms of campanology in that no attempt is made to produce a conventional melody....
. Five of these bells, the fourth, fifth, sixth, eighth and ninth of the current ring date from 1772 and were cast by Thomas Janaway. The other five, the treble, second, third, seventh and tenor were cast in 1879 by John Warner & Sons.
Notable parishioners
- Sir Isaac Newton (commemorated in a window in the north transept),
- Joseph AddisonJoseph AddisonJoseph Addison was an English essayist, poet, playwright and politician. He was a man of letters, eldest son of Lancelot Addison...
, - William WilberforceWilliam WilberforceWilliam Wilberforce was a British politician, a philanthropist and a leader of the movement to abolish the slave trade. A native of Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, he began his political career in 1780, eventually becoming the independent Member of Parliament for Yorkshire...
, - George CanningGeorge CanningGeorge Canning PC, FRS was a British statesman and politician who served as Foreign Secretary and briefly Prime Minister.-Early life: 1770–1793:...
, - William Thackeray ,
- Lord Macaulay,
- Beatrice Potter,
- Diana, Princess of WalesDiana, Princess of WalesDiana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
- In 1997 it became a focus for mourners.
External links
- The church's web site Accessed November 2009