St Mary's Church, Battersea, is the oldest of the churches in

Battersea Battersea is a large district in south London, part of the London Borough of Wandsworth, England. It is centred southwest of Charing Cross and extends along the south bank of the River Thames. It includes the Battersea Park. History Batte ...

in the

London Borough of Wandsworth Wandsworth () is a London borough in southwest London; it forms part of Inner London and has an estimated population of 329,677 inhabitants. Its main named areas are Battersea, Balham, Putney, Tooting and Wandsworth Town. The borough borders t ...

, in the inner south-west of the UK's capital city. Its parish shared by three

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of the ...

churches is in the diocese of Southwark. Christians have worshipped at the site continuously since around 800 AD. It is a Grade I listed building for its combined heritage and architectural merit.

History

St. Mary's is among the earliest five documented Christian holy sites south of the River Thames in London, historically in Surrey, in the Diocese of Winchester. The original church was built around 800 AD, and the present building was completed in 1777. It was designed by Joseph Dixon, a local architect. The church is built of brick, with stone used for quoins and other dressings. It consists of a nave, rectangular in plan, an apse at the east end forming the sanctuary, and a west tower. The west front has a single storey entrance porch with Tuscan columns supporting a pediment. The tower, rising immediately behind it, is topped with a clock chamber and a small spire. Inside, the whole width of the church is spanned by a flat ceiling, and there are wooden galleries supported by columns on three sides. The nave windows are in two tiers, the upper ones round-headed. The modern triptych in the side chapel is by

John Napper John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

(1946). It shows the Annunciation with Battersea Park and the Power Station in the background. To the right Christ walks on the Thames and to the left Lazarus rises beneath the church porch.A brief guide to St Mary's Church, Battersea. Church leaflet. The organ is by Saxon Aldred (1993), with a carving of a ram in recognition of the Ram Brewery. In the sanctuary the east window dates from 1379, the painted window glass dates from 1631 with portraits of Henry VII, Margaret Beaufort, and Queen Elizabeth I. The Dove and Lamb windows, originally from 1796, by James Pearson, were restored in 1946 after being damaged by a V1 in 1944. At the back is the terracotta War Memorial by

Freda Skinner Freda Nellie Skinner (31 January 1911 – 19 July 1993) was a British sculptor and woodcarver who was head of sculpture at Wimbledon School of Art from 1945 to 1971. Skinner was born in Warlingham, Surrey, where her father, Norman, had a farm; ...

, depicting the Gate of Life guarded by the Angel of Sacrifice. The glass doors to the Vestry were added in 2008 and were engraved by Sally Scott FGE. The church has strong connections with art and literature through the artist and poet William Blake, who married Catherine Boucher there on 17 August 1782, and

J. M. W. Turner Joseph Mallord William Turner (23 April 177519 December 1851), known in his time as William Turner, was an English Romantic painter, printmaker and watercolourist. He is known for his expressive colouring, imaginative landscapes and turbul ...

, who painted the river from the vestry window.

Windows

There are four new windows by John Hayward added between 1976 and 1982. The Blake Window. It includes the figure of Albion at the bottom of the window. In the centre is 'Emanation', a winged image of a figure. The portrait of Blake is from his portrait by

Thomas Phillips Thomas Phillips RA (18 October 177020 April 1845) was a leading English portrait and subject painter. He painted many of the great men of the day including scientists, artists, writers, poets and explorers. Life and work Phillips was born at ...

. The figures either side represent Innocence and Experience. At the bottom left is Blake's signature from the marriage register, together with two drawings by Blake and his wife Catherine. The Turner Window. Turner lived in Chelsea and visited Battersea to paint in the vestry window. The window was given by The Morgan Crucible Company Ltd to commemorate their long association with the Parish of Battersea. The Curtis Window. William Curtis, the botanist and founder of the Linnean Society, is buried in the churchyard. The frame of the portrait is from '

Flora Londinensis ''Flora Londinensis'' is a folio sized book that described the flora found in the London region of the mid 18th century. The ''Flora'' was published by William Curtis in six large volumes. The descriptions of the plants included hand-coloured cop ...

': Geranium, wild daffodil, snowdrop, cuckoo pint, grasses, vetch, blackberry, bryony, bindweed, primrose, daisy, dandelion, wild rose, angelica, lovage, mistletoe, buttercup. The epitaph is from the now lost headstone. There is the emblem of the RHS, the arms of the Society of Apothecaries and the arms of the Linnean Society. The map shows the locations of his gardens (Bermondsey, Charlton, Lambeth Marsh and Brompton) and the

Chelsea Physic Garden The Chelsea Physic Garden was established as the Apothecaries' Garden in London, England, in 1673 by the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries to grow plants to be used as medicines. This four acre physic garden, the term here referring to the sc ...

. The Arnold Window. Below the portrait of

Benedict Arnold Benedict Arnold ( Brandt (1994), p. 4June 14, 1801) was an American military officer who served during the Revolutionary War. He fought with distinction for the American Continental Army and rose to the rank of major general before defecti ...

are the arms of

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

, with the modern 'Star 'n' Stripes', an earlier flag with 13 States, Union flag of 1777, and the ' Union Jack'. After fighting with George Washington in the American War of Independence he changed side to become an officer in the British Army.

Monuments

The church includes several important monuments from the earlier church. Two busts for Baron Oliver Nicholas St John of Lydeard (Viscount Grandison), (d.1630), Lord High Treasurer and Lord Deputy of Ireland, and his wife, Joan Roydon. The sculptor was Nicholas Stone the Elder (1586/7-1647). Sir Edward Wynter (d.1685). The monument has a bust at the top. The lower panel shows him fighting a tiger and Moors. The epitaph describes his adventures. Sir John Fleet, Knight, (d.1712). He was Lord Mayor in 1695. James Bull, Merchant, aged 44 years, (d. 1713), son-in-law of Sir John Fleet. Henry St John, (d.1751), Viscount Bolingbroke, Secretary of War and Secretary of State under Queen Anne, and Mary Clara des Champs de Marcilly, Marchioness of Villette and Viscountess Bolingroke, (d.1750). There are cameo portraits of them, facing each other, either side of the shield. The epitaphs are by Bolingbroke. The sculptor is Louis-François Roubiliac, signed at the base. John Camden, (d. 1780), and his eldest daughter Elizabeth Neild, (d. 1791). Girl by a funeral urn with a poetic eulogy. Signed by Coade of Lambeth (1792). Richard Rothwell, (d.1821), and his wife Eleanor, (d.1834). By J. G. Bubb.

Notable interments

and his family are buried in the crypt. * William Curtis is buried in the churchyard *

John Inglis (bishop) John Inglis (9 December 1777 – 27 October 1850) was the third bishop of the Diocese of Nova Scotia, serving at St. Paul's Church (Halifax). He was the son of Bishop Charles Inglis. He is buried at St Mary's Church, Battersea, England. Life J ...

* Sir Rupert George * Nathaniel Middleton (1750–1807), a civil servant of the British East India Company.

Gallery

File:St.Mary's, Battersea (16778262806).jpg, St.Mary's, Battersea File:St. Mary's Church, Battersea, interior.jpg, Interior File:St. Mary's Church, Battersea, The Sanctuary.jpg, The Sanctuary File:St. Mary's Church, Battersea, Parish war memorial, winged angel.jpg , Angel of Sacrifice File:St Mary, Battersea Church Road, London SW11 - Wall monument - geograph.org.uk - 1874698.jpg , St John of Lydeard monument File:St Mary, Battersea Church Road, London SW11 - Wall monument - geograph.org.uk - 1874701.jpg, John Camden monument File:St. Mary's Church, Battersea, Benedict Arnold window.jpg, Benedict Arnold window

References

External links

St Mary's Church website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Battersea, Saint Mary 9th-century establishments in England 9th-century church buildings in England Churches completed in 1777 18th-century Church of England church buildings Grade I listed churches in London Church of England church buildings in the London Borough of Wandsworth Anglican Diocese of Southwark William Blake Rebuilt churches in the United Kingdom Churches on the Thames Buildings and structures in Battersea Churches completed in 800