The Church of

St Michael Michael (; he, מִיכָאֵל, lit=Who is like El od, translit=Mīḵāʾēl; el, Μιχαήλ, translit=Mikhaḗl; la, Michahel; ar, ميخائيل ، مِيكَالَ ، ميكائيل, translit=Mīkāʾīl, Mīkāl, Mīkhāʾīl), also ...

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 Britai ...

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, ...

Chester Square Chester Square is an elongated residential garden square in London's Belgravia district. It was developed by the Grosvenor family, as were the nearby Belgrave and Eaton Square. The square is named after the city of Chester, the city nearest ...

in the

Belgravia Belgravia () is a district in Central London, covering parts of the areas of both the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Belgravia was known as the 'Five Fields' during the Tudor Period, and became a dang ...

district of West London. It has been listed Grade II on the

National Heritage List for England The National Heritage List for England (NHLE) is England's official database of protected heritage assets. It includes details of all English listed buildings, scheduled monuments, register of historic parks and gardens, protected shipwrecks, a ...

since February 1958.

Design

It was built in 1844 at the time of the construction of the rest of the square, and consecrated two years later. The church is in the late

Decorated Gothic English Gothic is an architectural style that flourished from the late 12th until the mid-17th century. The style was most prominently used in the construction of cathedrals and churches. Gothic architecture's defining features are pointed ar ...

style, with an exterior of Kentish Ragstone. The architect was Thomas Cundy the younger. The War Memorial Chapel at the north east end of the church was designed by

Giles Gilbert Scott Sir Giles Gilbert Scott (9 November 1880 – 8 February 1960) was a British architect known for his work on the New Bodleian Library, Cambridge University Library, Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, Battersea Power Station, Liverpool Cathedral, and ...

and completed in 1920. It was dedicated on 22 June 1922 in a ceremony attended by the

Bishop of London A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

, Arthur Winnington-Ingram. Wooden panels on the wall of the chapel contain 86 names of parishioners killed in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. The stained glass West Window is by Hugh Easton and two windows to the south are by

Morris & Co Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co. (1861–1875) was a furnishings and decorative arts manufacturer and retailer founded by the artist and designer William Morris with friends from the Pre-Raphaelites. With its successor Morris & Co. (1875–194 ...

and date to 1882.''

The Ecclesiologist The Cambridge Camden Society, known from 1845 (when it moved to London) as the Ecclesiological Society,Histor ...

'' magazine criticised the opening, saying it was "an attempt - but happily a most unsuccessful one - to find a Protestant development of the Christian styles".

History

Arthur Sullivan served as organist at the church in the early 1860s.

W H Elliott The Reverend Canon Wallace Harold Elliott (1884 - 1957) was a Church of England clergyman and Precentor of the Chapels Royal, and a broadcaster on religious matters for the BBC, known as "the Radio Chaplain". Early life and education Elliott ...

was appointed Vicar of St Michael's in 1930. In 1931 he began a series of broadcast sermons from the church which lasted for the next eight years. Congregations of 500 people would attend the broadcast Thursday evening services, with a further 2,000 attending on the following Sunday.

King George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. Born during the reign of his grandmother Qu ...

and Queen Mary were regular listeners. An appeal for a fictitious poverty stricken child nicknamed 'Sally in our Alley' attracted 212,000 gifts from listeners and a prayer appeal in 1936 resulted in 5.5 million signed prayer cards.

Benjamin Britten Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976, aged 63) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British music, with a range of works including opera, other ...

attended an evening service at which he heard Elliott preach on 2 July 1933. The Nigerian bass singer

Christopher Oyesiku Christopher is the English version of a Europe-wide name derived from the Greek name Χριστόφορος (''Christophoros'' or '' Christoforos''). The constituent parts are Χριστός (''Christós''), "Christ" or "Anointed", and φέρει� ...

performed at St Michael's in the 1950s. Margaret and

Denis Thatcher Sir Denis Thatcher, 1st Baronet, (10 May 1915 – 26 June 2003) was an English businessman and the husband of Margaret Thatcher, who served as the first female British prime minister from 1979 to 1990; in turn, he became the first male prime m ...

attended St Michael's briefly while living in Chester Square but ultimately became congregants at the chapel of the

Royal Hospital Chelsea The Royal Hospital Chelsea is a retirement home and nursing home for some 300 veterans of the British Army. Founded as an almshouse, the ancient sense of the word "hospital", it is a site located on Royal Hospital Road in Chelsea. It is an ...

as they found St Michael's too "happy clappy".

St. Michael's House

St. Michael's House, at 2 Elizabeth Street, in nearby

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

was built as a 'clubhouse' for St Michael's in the 1930s under the stewardship of the incumbent Vicar, W. H. Elliott. It was designed by

Nugent Cachemaille-Day Nugent Francis Cachemaille-Day (1896–1976), often referred to as NF Cachemaille-Day, was an English architect who designed some of the most "revolutionary" 20th-century churches in the country. His Church of St Nicholas, Burnage has been c ...

. The building served as an informal space for various children's activities and as a working men's club.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Michael's Church, Chester Square Church of England church buildings in the City of Westminster Churches completed in 1846 World War I memorials in England 19th-century Church of England church buildings Grade II listed churches in the City of Westminster Belgravia Giles Gilbert Scott church buildings Thomas Cundy (junior) church buildings