St Clement's Church is a

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

affiliated with the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...

Leigh-on-Sea Leigh-on-Sea (), commonly referred to simply as Leigh, is a town and civil parish in the City of Southend-on-Sea, in the ceremonial county of Essex, England. In 2011, it had a population of 22,509. Geography Leigh-on-Sea is on the northern ...

Essex Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...

. It is a

Grade II* listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

dedicated to Saint Clement of Rome, a 1st-century martyr and patron saint of mariners.Saint Clement Church, Leigh-on-Sea
Retrieved 28 May 2020.

History

The church, with its 80-foot west tower, sits in a prominent position on a hilltop overlooking the town harbour and was traditionally an important landmark along the

Thames Estuary The Thames Estuary is where the River Thames meets the waters of the North Sea, in the south-east of Great Britain. Limits An estuary can be defined according to different criteria (e.g. tidal, geographical, navigational or in terms of salini ...

.Historic England listing, "Grade II* listed buildings, St Clement Church, Leigh-on-Sea
Retrieved 28 May 2020. It was rebuilt using Kentish ragstone and flint rubble in the late 15th or early 16th on the site of a previous church, possibly dating back to the 13th century. The 14th century chancel may also have survived the rebuilding, along with a pre-

Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...

piscina A piscina is a shallow basin placed near the altar of a church, or else in the vestry or sacristy, used for washing the communion vessels. The sacrarium is the drain itself. Anglicans usually refer to the basin, calling it a piscina. For Roman ...

near the altar. A brick porch was added in the

Tudor period The Tudor period occurred between 1485 and 1603 in History of England, England and Wales and includes the Elizabethan period during the reign of Elizabeth I until 1603. The Tudor period coincides with the dynasty of the House of Tudor in Englan ...

. At various times since then, the church has been altered or extended, mostly notably between 1837 and 1840 under the rector, Rev.

Robert Eden Robert Eden may refer to: *Sir Robert Eden, 1st Baronet, of West Auckland (c. 1644–1721), MP for County Durham * Sir Robert Eden, 3rd Baronet, of West Auckland (died 1794) * Sir Robert Johnson-Eden, 5th Baronet, of West Auckland (1774–1844) * S ...

. In 1872 the chancel was extended eastwards by the architect C. F. Haywood, and the south aisle was added by Ernest Geldart in 1897 as the population of Leigh-on-Sea continued to grow. The

lady chapel A Lady chapel or lady chapel is a traditional British term for a chapel dedicated to "Our Lady", Mary, mother of Jesus, particularly those inside a cathedral or other large church. The chapels are also known as a Mary chapel or a Marian chapel, an ...

, designed in 1913 by Sir Charles Nicholson, was added as a memorial to Rt. Rev. Edward King, a former

Bishop of Lincoln The Bishop of Lincoln is the ordinary (diocesan bishop) of the Church of England Diocese of Lincoln in the Province of Canterbury. The present diocese covers the county of Lincolnshire and the unitary authority areas of North Lincolnshire and ...

and uncle of the rector at the time, Rev. Canon

Robert Stuart King Canon Robert Stuart King (4 April 1862 – 4 March 1950) was an English international footballer and Anglican clergyman. Family King was the sixth and youngest child of Rev. Walker King, Rector of Leigh-on-Sea, and Juliana Stuart. His brother ...

. King had succeeded his father as rector, and between them they served the parish for over 90 years. The church contains a number of stained glass windows, including work by

Frederick Preedy Frederick Preedy (2 June 1820 – 28 March 1898) was an architect and glass painter in England. Life Preedy was born in Offenham near Evesham in Worcestershire and died at his son's home in Croydon. During his early life his family moved fro ...

, Franz Mayer & Co. and

James Powell and Sons The firm of James Powell and Sons, also known as Whitefriars Glass, were London-based English glassmakers, leadlighters and stained glass window manufacturers. As ''Whitefriars Glass'', the company existed from the 17th century, but became well ...

. The chancel

reredos A reredos ( , , ) is a large altarpiece, a screen, or decoration placed behind the altar in a church. It often includes religious images. The term ''reredos'' may also be used for similar structures, if elaborate, in secular architecture, for ex ...

and lady chapel screen were designed by Geldart and the war memorial by Nicholson. The 15th century font was originally at St Swithin's Church in

Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the See of Norwich, with ...

Present day

The

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...

of Leigh-on-Sea is in the

Archdeaconry of Southend The Archdeacons in the Diocese of Chelmsford are senior ecclesiastical officers in the Church of England in Essex and East London. They currently include: the Archdeacon of West Ham, the Archdeacon of Colchester and the archdeacons of Chelmsford, ...

of the

Diocese of Chelmsford The Diocese of Chelmsford is a Church of England diocese, part of the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers Essex and the five East London boroughs of Barking and Dagenham, Havering, Newham, Redbridge, and Waltham Forest (most of which wer ...

. St Clement's Church stands in the

Anglo-Catholic Anglo-Catholicism comprises beliefs and practices that emphasise the Catholic heritage and identity of the various Anglican churches. The term was coined in the early 19th century, although movements emphasising the Catholic nature of Anglican ...

tradition A tradition is a belief or behavior (folk custom) passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examples include holidays or ...

of the Church of England and holds several services each week.

Leigh Rectory

Leigh Rectory was commissioned by Rev. Robert Eden after he became rector in 1837. Located on Broadway, it was completed in 1838, replacing an older rectory erected under Rev. John Davey Hodge. As well as the construction of the rectory building and gardens on a 6-acre site, the work involved the creation of Rectory Grove as a public right of way, replacing a cliff-top path called Chess Lane.Leigh-on-Sea.net, Leigh Library
Retrieved 28 May 2020. The building now serves as the town library but is only one-quarter of its original size, the rest having been demolished after it was acquired by Southend Corporation.

Rectors

The earliest name on the list of rectors at St Clement's Church dates from 1248 Other early rectors include Rev. John Sym (c. 1581–1638), a Scottish-born

Calvinist Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Ca ...

who was the author of ''Lifes Preservative Against Self-Killing'' (1637). The following have served as rector of Leigh-on-Sea since the

Restoration Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state and may refer to: * Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage ** Audio restoration ** Film restoration ** Image restoration ** Textile restoration * Restoration ecology ...

:Leigh-on-Sea.com, St Clement Church
Retrieved 28 May 2020.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Clement, Leigh-on-Sea Grade II* listed buildings in Essex Church of England church buildings in Essex Buildings and structures in Southend-on-Sea