St Anne's Church, Kew is a

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the Church (building), 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 com ...

located in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, adjacent to the

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. An internationally important botanical research and education institution, it employs 1,10 ...

. The neo-classical

building A building or edifice is an enclosed Structure#Load-bearing, structure with a roof, walls and window, windows, usually standing permanently in one place, such as a house or factory. Buildings come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and functions, a ...

historically in

Surrey Surrey () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East Sussex, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the wes ...

, which dates from 1714 and is Grade II* listed, forms the central focus of Kew Green. Its raised

churchyard In Christian countries, a churchyard is a patch of land adjoining or surrounding a church (building), church, which is usually owned by the relevant church or local parish itself. In the Scots language and in both Scottish English and Ulster S ...

, which is on three sides of St Anne's Church, has two Grade II* listed monuments – the tombs of the artists Thomas Gainsborough (1727–1788) and Johan Zoffany (1733–1810). French Impressionist Camille Pissarro (1830–1903), a frequent visitor to England was resident at 10 Kew Green when painting St Anne's as ''Church at Kew'' (1892).

Services

Sunday Sunday (Latin: ''dies solis'' meaning "day of the sun") is the day of the week between Saturday and Monday. Sunday is a Christian sabbath, day of rest in most Western countries and a part of the Workweek and weekend, weekend. In some Middle Ea ...

s St Anne's Church holds a traditional Said

Eucharist The Eucharist ( ; from , ), also called Holy Communion, the Blessed Sacrament or the Lord's Supper, is a Christianity, Christian Rite (Christianity), rite, considered a sacrament in most churches and an Ordinance (Christianity), ordinance in ...

, a Sung Eucharist and (on the first Sunday of the month) Choral Evensong.

Music

St Anne's Church houses a 19th-century

pipe organ The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurised air (called ''wind'') through the organ pipes selected from a Musical keyboard, keyboard. Because each pipe produces a single tone and pitch, the pipes are provide ...

and is a venue for concerts, including those of the local

orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * String instruments, such as the violin, viola, cello, ...

, ''Kew Sinfonia''.

History

Founded in 1714 as a

chapel A chapel (from , a diminutive of ''cappa'', meaning "little cape") is a Christianity, Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. First, smaller spaces inside a church that have their o ...

within the parish of Kingston on ancient royal manorial

land Land, also known as dry land, ground, or earth, is the solid terrestrial surface of Earth not submerged by the ocean or another body of water. It makes up 29.2% of Earth's surface and includes all continents and islands. Earth's land sur ...

dedicated by Queen Anne, St Anne's Church has been extended several times since. As the settlement of Kew grew attracting prosperous London merchants under royal patronage, St Anne's became a

benefice A benefice () or living is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The Roman Empire used the Latin term as a benefit to an individual from the Empire for services rendered. Its use was adopted by ...

in 1769 being united with St Peter's Petersham and in 1770, King

George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland, Ireland from 25 October 1760 until his death in 1820. The Acts of Union 1800 unified Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and ...

undertook to pay for its first extension, designed by Joshua Kirby who, four years later, was buried in the churchyard. In 1805, a new south aisle, designed by Robert Browne, was added, along with a gallery for the Royal Family's use. Under King William IV it was further extended in 1837 by Sir Jeffry Wyattville. A

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...

in its own right from 1850, a

mausoleum A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type o ...

designed by the architect Benjamin Ferrey was added in 1851, and an eastern extension, including a dome in 1882–84, to the design of Henry Stock. Further extensions were made in 1902, 1979 and 1988. The church ceiling was repainted in 2013 and, to mark St Anne's tercentenary, in 2014 a new baptismal font was installed. St Anne's present

parish hall A church hall or parish hall is a room or building associated with a church architecture, church, generally for community and Charitable organization, charitable use. In smaller and village communities, it is often a separate building near the ...

, at right angles to the church incorporating the previous

choir A choir ( ), also known as a chorale or chorus (from Latin ''chorus'', meaning 'a dance in a circle') is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform or in other words ...

vestry A vestry was a committee for the local secular and ecclesiastical government of a parish in England, Wales and some English colony, English colonies. At their height, the vestries were the only form of local government in many places and spen ...

, was built in 1978. Its design echoes the materials and forms of the original church building. A collection of funerary hatchments honouring deceased royal or noble parishioners is on display in front of the church gallery, flanking a rare representation of Queen Anne's coat of arms. A hatchment commemorating George III's son, King Ernest Augustus of Hanover, was hung at St Anne's in 1851 and is now in the Museum of Richmond's collection. Inside the church are fine memorials, including those to the families of Sir William Jackson Hooker and Sir Richard Levett, beneath the tower which is inscribed: "Within this vault lie the remains of Sir Richard Levett, Knight, of Kew. Also of Lady Mary Levett, his wife, who died October 15th, 1722". Just outside the church walls on its south side, is the Kew

War Memorial A war memorial is a building, monument, statue, or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or (predominating in modern times) to commemorate those who died or were injured in a war. Symbolism Historical usage It has ...

, in the form of a large stone cross, commemorating the local soldiers who fell in the First and

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

s. Their names are listed not on the memorial but inside the church on a monument by William Sharpington.

Parish events

Baptisms

* Francis Perceval Eliot, 9 October 1755, ''de jure'' 3rd Count Eliot and elder surviving son of Major-General Granville Eliot, 1st Count Eliot by Elizabeth Duckett.

Marriages

* Francis, Duke of Teck married Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge on 12 June 1866, whose daughter "May" married

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 Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936. George w ...

becoming known as Queen Mary.

Burials

William Aiton William Aiton (17312 February 1793) was a Scotland, Scottish botanist. Aiton was born near Hamilton, Scotland, Hamilton. Having been regularly trained to the profession of a gardener, he travelled to London in 1754, and became assistant to Phi ...

(d. 1793), first Keeper of the

** William Townsend Aiton (d. 1849) son of above, English botanist, royal gardener * Franz Bauer (d. 1840), Austrian microscopist and botanical artist, whose epitaph also pays tribute to his brother the botanical illustrator Ferdinand Bauer (d. 1826): "In the delineation of plants he ranzunited the accuracy of a profound naturalist with the skill of the accomplished artist, to a degree which has been only equalled by his brother Ferdinand" * Prof. Patrick Brenan (d. 1985), British botanist, and director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew * Elizabeth, Countess of Derby (d. 1717), Mistress of the Robes * Dorothy, Lady Capell of Tewkesbury (d. 1721), benefactor of Kew Gardens * Sir John Day (d. 1808), Advocate-General of Bengal * Brigadier-General William Douglas (d. 1747), Member of Parliament * George Engleheart (d. 1829), Anglo-German miniature painter to the Court of King George III and his nephew John Engleheart (d. 1862) ** Sir Gardner Engleheart (d. 1923) son of above, barrister and travel writer * Thomas Gainsborough (d. 1788), English portrait and landscape painter * John Haverfield (d. 1820), English gardener and landscape architect, whose father John Haverfield (d. 1784), was Head Gardener at Kew to Augusta, Dowager Princess of Wales ** Revd Thomas Haverfield (d. 1866), Rector of Godington and Chaplain to

Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex (27 January 1773 – 21 April 1843), was the sixth son and ninth child of George III, King George III and his queen consort, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. He was the only surviving son of George III ...

* Sir William Hooker (d. 1865), director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, and his son, botanist and explorer Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker (d. 1911) * Joshua Kirby (d. 1774), 18th-century painter known for his work on linear perspective * Sir Richard Levett (d. 1711), Master Haberdasher and

Lord Mayor of London The Lord Mayor of London is the Mayors in England, mayor of the City of London, England, and the Leader of the council, leader of the City of London Corporation. Within the City, the Lord Mayor is accorded Order of precedence, precedence over a ...

, his family members including grandsons, Revd Abraham Blackburne (d. 1797) and

Lincoln's Inn The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn, commonly known as Lincoln's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for Barrister, barristers and judges) in London. To be called to the bar in order to practise as a barrister ...

bencher A bencher or Master of the Bench is a senior member of an Inn of Court in England and Wales or the Inns of Court in Northern Ireland, or the Honorable Society of King's Inns in Ireland. Benchers hold office for life once elected. A bencher c ...

Levett Blackburne (d. 1781), who sold Kew Palace to the Royal Family * Jeremiah Meyer (d. 1789), English miniature painter * John Smith (d. 1888), botanist and the first curator of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew * Timothy Tyrell (d. 1832), City Remembrancer * Johan Zoffany (d. 1810), German neoclassical painter active in England.

Formerly buried at St Anne's

* Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge, and his wife Princess Augusta of Hesse-Kassel were buried at St Anne's Church in 1850 and 1889 respectively, before being exhumed and their remains removed in 1930 to St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle.

Notable clergy and officers

Since 2022, Canon Giles Fraser serves as

Vicar A vicar (; Latin: '' vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English p ...

of St Anne's, Kew,www.richmondandbarnesdeanery.org
/ref> where Anthony Saxton (1934–2015) was formerly churchwarden.

Gallery

Church exterior

Image:St Anne Kew Green 4879crop.JPG, St Anne's Church in the snow File:St Anne's Churchyard, Kew Green in London.jpg, TRH the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s small-domed cenotaph at St Anne’s, Kew File:War Memorial, Kew Green - London. (6776025499).jpg, Kew Green
War Memorial

Church interior

File:St Anne's Church, Kew, interior.jpg, St Anne's

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

File:Kew, St Anne's, George Engleheart memorial.jpg, Engleheart memorial tablet

Tombs and gravestones

File:Kew, St Anne's Churchyard, The Aiton family tomb.jpg, Aiton family tomb File:Grave of Thomas Gainsborough, St Anne's Church, Kew.jpg, Tomb of Thomas Gainsborough File:St Anne's, Kew, Hooker family grave.jpg, Hooker family gravestone File:Kew, St Anne's Churchyard, tomb of Joshua Kirby 2.jpg, Tomb of Joshua Kirby File:St Anne's Church, Kew, John Smith and family headstone.jpg, Botanist John Smith family gravestone File:Tomb of Johan Zoffany.jpg, Tomb of Johan Zoffany

References

External links

Official website
*
The Friends of St Anne's Church, Kew

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Anne's Church, Kew 1714 establishments in England 18th-century Church of England church buildings Kew Kew Green Anne, Queen of Great Britain Churches in Kew Kew Kew Church buildings with domes Domes in the United Kingdom Jeffry Wyatville buildings Grade II* listed monuments and memorials History of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames Camille Pissarro Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew World War I memorials in London World War II memorials in London