St Peter's Church, Hammersmith
Encyclopedia
St Peter's Church, Hammersmith is Anglican church, situated on Black Lion Lane and is the oldest church in Hammersmith
.
The London Gazette of 8 November 1836 defined the boundaries of the St Peter’s District thus:
The site of the church was donated by George Scott, born in 1780 to a wealthy family in Hammersmith. In 1807 he married Hannah Lucy Stoe, the daughter of another wealthy local family who brought as her marriage settlement the sum of £5,000, a large portion of land south of Ravenscourt Park
and the land around Black Lion Lane (now St Peter's Square). By the 1820s Scott was deeply involved in the religious, social and business life of Hammersmith. He was a well-known and respected magistrate
who provided generously to the causes of his poorer neighbours.
Although George Scott donated the site, substantial financial contributions were provided by Doctor Horsley who was the Bishop of London (£250) and the Revd William Wood the Rector and Vicar of Fulham
, (£500).
The church is what is known as a Commissioners' church
, as it received a grant from the Church Building Commission towards its cost. The full cost was £12,099 (£ as of ), towards which the Commission paid £9,099. It is a Grade II* listed building. The first stone was laid on the 16th May, 1827, and the Church was consecrated on the 15th of October, 1829.
, born in Hampton Wick
in 1793. His father, Samuel Lapidge, was a landscape gardener working at Hampton Court as an assistant to Lancelot (Capability) Brown
.
In 1823, Edward Lapidge was finalist in a competition to design a set of new buildings for King’s College, Cambridge. In 1835 he was a finalist again in a competition to design the Fitzwilliam Museum
. His completed works include Hampton Wick Church (1829), the rebuilding of Hampton Church (1830), St Mary’s Church, Putney (1836) and the enlargement of Fulham Church (1839). In 1852 he designed Reigate Police Station. He exhibited at the Royal Academy between 1808 and 1850. He died in 1860 and is buried at Hampton Wick Church.
The church is in the classical style, using the Ionic order
, with tower and lobbies at the western end. The building is of brick with a limited amount of stone dressing. At the west end is a four-columned portico with stone columns and pediment, set into the brick wall of the church. The tower is of stone, on an octagonal brick pedestal. The interior space is not divided into aisles and nave, but has galleries on three sides, supported on Doric columns. It was intended to accommodate 1,691 worshippers, 691 of them in free seats. Describing the church in 1831, the Gentleman's magazine concluded " Taken as a whole, this Church presents a very fair specimen of modern Grecian architecture. The tower has considerable merit. The design is novel and pleasing, and the proportions are harmonious. The interior is however chaste and formal, displaying even a presbyterian nakedness, the dullness of which is increased by the purple furniture of the altar."
The carved Eagle Lectern was presented by the then churchwarden Major C.E.A. Cotes in 1878 in the memory of his nephew, a former curate at the church.
In 1887 the interior of the church was redecorated under the advice of William Morris
, who lived locally. In the same year the old, high-sided pews were replaced with more modern seating.
The most recent additions to the decorations of the church are the murals, which cover the east wall above the galleries, painted in 1932. They depict Saint Peter
being called by Jesus Christ, and the apostle preaching in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost
.
The stone font was moved from its original position at the back of the church and is now sited in the middle, beside the southern aisle and is frequently in use for baptisms.
The most recent additions to the decorations of the church are the murals, which cover the east wall above the galleries, painted in 1932. They depict Saint Peter
being called by Jesus Christ, and the apostle preaching in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost
.
When built, St Peter’s Church was had a single bell, cast at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry
and inscribed ‘Edward Mears fecit , London 1828’. In 1916, four more bells were cast by Mears and Stainbank to provide a ring of five.
When the Great West Road was built in 1957 the Church lost a significant portion of its land, including that with graves. These were moved to St Paul’s Church, in the centre of Hammersmith. There is one headstone
remaining on the south side of the church and thirty on the north side. All of the graves inscriptions are now indecipherable, except for the one on the south side.
St Peter's Church is linked to St Bartholomew’s Cathedral Church, Messumba, Mozambique
.
Hammersmith
Hammersmith is an urban centre in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in west London, England, in the United Kingdom, approximately five miles west of Charing Cross on the north bank of the River Thames...
.
History
When the church was built in the village of Hammersmith in 1829, all that surrounded it was meadows, market gardens and smallholdings. The area steadily increased in size and prosperity due to the close proximity to the Thames which was an important trading area.The London Gazette of 8 November 1836 defined the boundaries of the St Peter’s District thus:
It is bounded on the west by the Parish of Chiswick; on the south by the River Thames, the Creek and the High Bridge. Worple Way is towards the southern extremity of Waterloo Street; on the east northwardly Waterloo Street, including the west side of that street; then westward, by King’s Street, that is the Turnpike Road leading from London to Brentford, as far as Webb’s Lane, as far as Gould Hawke Road; and on the north by Gould Hawke Road until the said ancient road terminates in Chiswick parish at Stamford Brook.
The site of the church was donated by George Scott, born in 1780 to a wealthy family in Hammersmith. In 1807 he married Hannah Lucy Stoe, the daughter of another wealthy local family who brought as her marriage settlement the sum of £5,000, a large portion of land south of Ravenscourt Park
Ravenscourt Park
This article is about the public park. For the London Underground station of this name see Ravenscourt Park tube station and for the Electoral Division see Ravenscourt Park ...
and the land around Black Lion Lane (now St Peter's Square). By the 1820s Scott was deeply involved in the religious, social and business life of Hammersmith. He was a well-known and respected magistrate
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
who provided generously to the causes of his poorer neighbours.
Although George Scott donated the site, substantial financial contributions were provided by Doctor Horsley who was the Bishop of London (£250) and the Revd William Wood the Rector and Vicar of Fulham
Fulham
Fulham is an area of southwest London in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, SW6 located south west of Charing Cross. It lies on the left bank of the Thames, between Putney and Chelsea. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London...
, (£500).
The church is what is known as a Commissioners' church
Commissioners' church
A Commissioners' church is an Anglican church in the United Kingdom built with money voted by Parliament as a result of the Church Building Act of 1818 and 1824. They have been given a number of titles, including Commissioners' churches, Waterloo churches and Million Act churches...
, as it received a grant from the Church Building Commission towards its cost. The full cost was £12,099 (£ as of ), towards which the Commission paid £9,099. It is a Grade II* listed building. The first stone was laid on the 16th May, 1827, and the Church was consecrated on the 15th of October, 1829.
Description
The architect was Edward LapidgeEdward Lapidge
Edward Lapidge was an English architect, who held the post of County Surveyor of Surrey and designed Kingston Bridge.-Life:Edward Lapidge was the eldest son of Samuel Lapidge, the head gardener at Hampton Court Palace and one-time assistant of Lancelot "Capability" BrownHe built Esher Place for...
, born in Hampton Wick
Hampton Wick
Hampton Wick is a Thames-side area, formerly a village, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in London, England.Famous for its market gardens until well into the twentieth century, it is now commuter-belt territory, housing developments having been built on these areas...
in 1793. His father, Samuel Lapidge, was a landscape gardener working at Hampton Court as an assistant to Lancelot (Capability) Brown
Capability Brown
Lancelot Brown , more commonly known as Capability Brown, was an English landscape architect. He is remembered as "the last of the great English eighteenth-century artists to be accorded his due", and "England's greatest gardener". He designed over 170 parks, many of which still endure...
.
In 1823, Edward Lapidge was finalist in a competition to design a set of new buildings for King’s College, Cambridge. In 1835 he was a finalist again in a competition to design the Fitzwilliam Museum
Fitzwilliam Museum
The Fitzwilliam Museum is the art and antiquities museum of the University of Cambridge, located on Trumpington Street opposite Fitzwilliam Street in central Cambridge, England. It receives around 300,000 visitors annually. Admission is free....
. His completed works include Hampton Wick Church (1829), the rebuilding of Hampton Church (1830), St Mary’s Church, Putney (1836) and the enlargement of Fulham Church (1839). In 1852 he designed Reigate Police Station. He exhibited at the Royal Academy between 1808 and 1850. He died in 1860 and is buried at Hampton Wick Church.
The church is in the classical style, using the Ionic order
Ionic order
The Ionic order forms one of the three orders or organizational systems of classical architecture, the other two canonic orders being the Doric and the Corinthian...
, with tower and lobbies at the western end. The building is of brick with a limited amount of stone dressing. At the west end is a four-columned portico with stone columns and pediment, set into the brick wall of the church. The tower is of stone, on an octagonal brick pedestal. The interior space is not divided into aisles and nave, but has galleries on three sides, supported on Doric columns. It was intended to accommodate 1,691 worshippers, 691 of them in free seats. Describing the church in 1831, the Gentleman's magazine concluded " Taken as a whole, this Church presents a very fair specimen of modern Grecian architecture. The tower has considerable merit. The design is novel and pleasing, and the proportions are harmonious. The interior is however chaste and formal, displaying even a presbyterian nakedness, the dullness of which is increased by the purple furniture of the altar."
The carved Eagle Lectern was presented by the then churchwarden Major C.E.A. Cotes in 1878 in the memory of his nephew, a former curate at the church.
In 1887 the interior of the church was redecorated under the advice of William Morris
William Morris
William Morris 24 March 18343 October 1896 was an English textile designer, artist, writer, and socialist associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and the English Arts and Crafts Movement...
, who lived locally. In the same year the old, high-sided pews were replaced with more modern seating.
The most recent additions to the decorations of the church are the murals, which cover the east wall above the galleries, painted in 1932. They depict Saint Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
being called by Jesus Christ, and the apostle preaching in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost
Pentecost
Pentecost is a prominent feast in the calendar of Ancient Israel celebrating the giving of the Law on Sinai, and also later in the Christian liturgical year commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples of Christ after the Resurrection of Jesus...
.
The stone font was moved from its original position at the back of the church and is now sited in the middle, beside the southern aisle and is frequently in use for baptisms.
The most recent additions to the decorations of the church are the murals, which cover the east wall above the galleries, painted in 1932. They depict Saint Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
being called by Jesus Christ, and the apostle preaching in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost
Pentecost
Pentecost is a prominent feast in the calendar of Ancient Israel celebrating the giving of the Law on Sinai, and also later in the Christian liturgical year commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples of Christ after the Resurrection of Jesus...
.
When built, St Peter’s Church was had a single bell, cast at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry
Whitechapel Bell Foundry
The Whitechapel Bell Foundry is a bell foundry in Whitechapel in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, in the East End of London. The foundry is listed by the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest manufacturing company in Great Britain...
and inscribed ‘Edward Mears fecit , London 1828’. In 1916, four more bells were cast by Mears and Stainbank to provide a ring of five.
When the Great West Road was built in 1957 the Church lost a significant portion of its land, including that with graves. These were moved to St Paul’s Church, in the centre of Hammersmith. There is one headstone
Headstone
A headstone, tombstone, or gravestone is a marker, usually stone, that is placed over a grave. In most cases they have the deceased's name, date of birth, and date of death inscribed on them, along with a personal message, or prayer.- Use :...
remaining on the south side of the church and thirty on the north side. All of the graves inscriptions are now indecipherable, except for the one on the south side.
St Peter's Church is linked to St Bartholomew’s Cathedral Church, Messumba, Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
.
See also
- List of churches and cathedrals of London
- List of Commissioners' churches in London