St Mary's Church, Battersea is an

Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

church in

Greater London Greater London is an administrative area in England, coterminous with the London region, containing most of the continuous urban area of London. It contains 33 local government districts: the 32 London boroughs, which form a Ceremonial count ...

. It the oldest of the churches in

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

London Borough of Wandsworth Wandsworth () is a London boroughs, London borough in South West (London sub region), South West London, England. It forms part of Inner London and has an estimated population of 329,677 inhabitants. Its main communities are Battersea, Balham, P ...

, in the inner south-west of the UK's capital city. Its parish is shared by three Anglican 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 In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...

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 The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, s ...

in London, 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 ...

, in the

Diocese of Winchester The Diocese of Winchester forms part of the Province of Canterbury of the Church of England. Founded in 660 AD, it is one of the older dioceses in England. It once covered the Kingdom of Wessex, many times its present size. Today it is most of th ...

. 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

quoin Quoins ( or ) are masonry blocks at the corner of a wall. Some are structural, providing strength for a wall made with inferior stone or rubble, while others merely add aesthetic detail to a corner. According to one 19th-century encyclopedia, ...

s 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 Pediments are a form of gable in classical architecture, usually of a triangular shape. Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the cornice (an elaborated lintel), or entablature if supported by columns.Summerson, 130 In an ...

. 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 (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, 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 William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his life, Blake has become a seminal figure in the history of the Romantic poetry, poetry and visual art of the Roma ...

, 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 turbu ...

, who painted the river from the vestry window. The church was used as a filming location for ITV drama Soldier Soldier marking the funeral of Corporal Tony Wilton in Series 4, Episode 13.

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 (18 October 1770 – 20 April 1845) was a leading English portrait and subject painter. He painted many of the notable men of the day including scientists, artists, writers, poets and explorers. Life and work Phillips was bor ...

. 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 The Linnean Society of London is a learned society dedicated to the study and dissemination of information concerning natural history, evolution, and taxonomy. It possesses several important biological specimen, manuscript and literature collec ...

, is buried in the churchyard. The frame of the portrait is from ' Flora Londinensis': 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 The Worshipful Society of Apothecaries of London is one of the livery companies of the City of London. It is one of the largest livery companies (with over 1,600 members in 2012) and ranks 58th in their order of precedence. The society is a me ...

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 scie ...

. * The Arnold Window. Below a portrait of

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

in uniform are the arms of George Washington with the

American flag The national flag of the United States, often referred to as the American flag or the U.S. flag, consists of thirteen horizontal Bar (heraldry), stripes, Variation of the field, alternating red and white, with a blue rectangle in the Canton ( ...

, Betsy Ross flag,

Continental Union flag The Continental Union Flag (often referred to as the first American flag, Cambridge Flag, and Grand Union Flag) was the flag of the United Colonies from 1775 to 1776, and the ''de facto'' flag of the United States until 1777, when the Betsy Ros ...

of 1775, and the '

Union Jack The Union Jack or Union Flag is the ''de facto'' national flag of the United Kingdom. The Union Jack was also used as the official flag of several British colonies and dominions before they adopted their own national flags. It is sometimes a ...

' above. After fighting for Washington in the

American War of Independence The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

, Arnold changed side to become an officer in the

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

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 Louis-François Roubiliac (or Roubilliac, or Roubillac) (31 August 1702 – 11 January 1762) was a French sculpture, sculptor who worked in England. One of the four most prominent sculptors in London working in the rococo style, he was described ...

, 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) * 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 800 establishments Churches completed in the 800s