St Mary's Church, Ilford or St Mary's Church, Great Ilford is a

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 ...

parish church in Ilford in the

London Borough of Redbridge The London Borough of Redbridge is a London borough established in 1965. The borough shares boundaries with the Epping Forest District and the ceremonial county of Essex to the north, with the London Borough of Waltham Forest to the west, the ...

History

A new ecclesiastical parish for

Great Ilford Great may refer to: Descriptions or measurements * Great, a relative measurement in physical space, see Size * Greatness, being divine, majestic, superior, majestic, or transcendent People * List of people known as "the Great" *Artel Great (born ...

was split off from that of

Barking Barking may refer to: Places * Barking, London, a town in East London, England ** London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, a local government district covering the town of Barking ** Municipal Borough of Barking, a historical local government dist ...

in 1830 and its church building completed the following year. The church's principal benefactor was

Robert Westley Hall-Dare Robert Westley Hall-Dare (3 March 1789 – 20 May 1836) was a British Conservative politician who was Member of Parliament for South Essex from 1832, as a Tory, until his death in 1836. He was succeeded by George Palmer. Early life He was ...

, M.P. His daughter, Mary Hall-Dare (d. April 1908), laid the foundation stone and the church was opened on June 9, 1831, by

Charles James Blomfield Charles James Blomfield (29 May 1786 – 5 August 1857) was a British divine and classicist, and a Church of England bishop for 32 years. Early life and education Charles James Blomfield was born in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, the eldest son (and ...

, Bishop of London, “and the day was spent in general festivity from the highest to the lowest classes”. Its first vicar was appointed in 1837 - its

advowson Advowson () or patronage is the right in English law of a patron (avowee) to present to the diocesan bishop (or in some cases the ordinary if not the same person) a nominee for appointment to a vacant ecclesiastical benefice or church living, ...

was initially vested in

All Souls College, Oxford All Souls College (official name: College of the Souls of All the Faithful Departed) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Unique to All Souls, all of its members automatically become fellows (i.e., full members of t ...

. A tower was added in 1866 and a chancel, lady chapel and vestries in 1920. St Clement's Church was completed as a

chapel of ease A chapel of ease (or chapel-of-ease) is a church architecture, church building other than the parish church, built within the bounds of a parish for the attendance of those who cannot reach the parish church conveniently. Often a chapel of ea ...

for it in 1896, before becoming the parish's main church in 1902. A complete set of fourteen "

Stations of the Cross The Stations of the Cross or the Way of the Cross, also known as the Way of Sorrows or the Via Crucis, refers to a series of images depicting Jesus Christ on the day of Crucifixion of Jesus, his crucifixion and accompanying prayers. The station ...

" was painted for the Revd. Hubert Valentine Eardley-Wilmot in 1916 by the artist

Edward Arthur Fellowes Prynne Edward Arthur Fellowes Prynne (1854–1921) was a leading British late Pre-Raphaelite painter of portraits and subject pictures, who in later life became one of the country's best known creators of decorative art for churches. Family and Early ...

. One of the stations was dedicated to the Vicar's younger brother, Gerald Eardley-Wilmot, who died of wounds fighting in France that year. Three years later, in 1919, Prynne also painted three altar panels for the Church.

Gallery

St Mary, High Street, Great Ilford - East end - geograph.org.uk - 4172295.jpg, Interior of St Mary's Church, Ilford Edward Arthur Fellowes Prynne Painted Angel, St Mary's Church Ilford.jpg,

's painted angel altar panel St Mary, High Street, Great Ilford - geograph.org.uk - 4172316.jpg , North side of St Mary's Church St Mary, High Street, Great Ilford - geograph.org.uk - 4172315.jpg , South side of St Mary's Church

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mary's, St St Mary's Church of England church buildings in the London Borough of Redbridge Anglo-Catholic church buildings in London