The History and Antiquities of London, Westminster, Southwark, and Parts Adjacent, vol. 4
Allen, Thomas
1827
St. Savior's Church.
This magnificent church is built on the cathedral arrangement. The plan is cruciform; it consists of a nave with its aisles, north and south transepts, a choir and aisles, the chapel of our Lady, and, until the last repair, other chapels; at the intersection of the nave and transepts are strong piers for the support of a central tower. The walls are built of flint and stone, repaired | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
495 | with brick work. The western front retains some of the original features: by the means of facade walls built above the aisles, and curiously faced with squared flints; the elevation assumes a square form, at the angles are buttresses, partly square and partly octangular, which contain staircases. The principal doorway in the centre has a handsome frontispiece; it consists of a pointed arch, the mouldings resting on small columns attached to the jambs, inscribed within a larger arch of a correspondent character, the space between the being pannelled; the spandrils are decorated with quaterfoils inscribed in circles, and the whole is bounded by a square moulding: the door is oak, richly ornamented with pannels and tracery in relief: above this doorway is a large obtusely arched window, divided by mullions into lights, and subdivided by a transom; the tracery has been very tastelessly modernized; the parapet and gable over this window are modern; the south aisle still retains a neat window of lights, with original tracery in the head of the arch; the window in the northern aisle is concealed by a dwelling house built against this part of the church. The south aisle is made into divisions; the from the west is occupied by a porch, which, when perfect, formed a beautiful specimen of the architecture of the century; the entrance is double, it consists of trefoil arches resting on clustered columns with leaved capitals, and surmounted by a row of niches of different heights to accommodate the arch in which they are formed; in the central the bracket for a statue still remains; the large arch is formed of numerous receding mouldings springing from columns attached to the jambs; the lines are much injured through time and injudicious repairs: the upright is now finished with a modern parapet and coping; in Hollar's time it had a gable ornamented with niches and circles; the remaining divisions of this aisle are marked by buttresses, and all but the last contains pointed windows of lights with quaterfoils in the heads of the arches; the last division has a window of larger dimensions; it is made by mullions into lights, and the head of the arch contains circular compartments; it is curious as of the earliest specimens of the mullioned window, the walls are finished with a modern parapet; the clerestory is faced with brick, and contains pointed windows, the mullions destroyed, and modern architraves of stone added; the elevation is finished with a parapet and coping. In Hollar's View, the tracery of these windows is represented as perfect, and the parapet as well as that of the aisle, as embattled. The date is on a tablet above the windows, and marks the period of the alteration. The west wall of the south transept has lofty windows, each divided into lights by mullions, and the head of the arch filled with exquisitely formed tracery; the south front of the transept once had a window of large dimensions, and equally elegant in its decorations, the arch of which, part of the jambs, and of the uprights still remain. Over this window, on a fascia, is inscribed, The east wall of the transept corresponds with the western ; the finish of this part of the church is also modern; a porch was formerly situated below the south window. The choir has been nearly rebuilt, between , and , and the architecture has been carefully restored by George Gwilt, esq. F. S. A.; the care and attention be stowed by this gentleman in assimilating his additions with the existing remains of the architecture of the century, are highly creditable to his taste and research; the authorities for his new works are derived from buildings of the period, and as a whole it forms of the completest restorations in the country. A chapel, which was formerly the parish church of St. Mary Magdalene, was attached to the south aisle of the choir, the walls of which had been injured by the large arches that had been made in its walls at the Reformation to afford a communication between the chapel and the church. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
This chapel shewed the architecture of the century; it had windows and a modern doorway in the south wall, and the east end was concealed by an adjacent house; the interior was divided into a nave and aisles by arches on each side, resting on clustered columns; the whole building was entirely taken down in ; the wall of the south aisle of the choir had in consequence to be made good; this has been rebuilt in divisions which contain lancet-windows, and in the from the transept is a pointed doorway of a correct and bold character, the oak door which fills the arch, and has an antique appearance; the strong massive flying buttresses have been carefully repaired, and a block cornice copied from an original example, which remained in a division eastward of the destroyed chapel, surmounted by a parapet, added as a finish to the walls ; the clerestory was rebuilt in the same manner, the materials being flint and Bath stone, most curiously bonded together, the form of the cross being introduced wherever it was possible; the larger buttresses have lofty pannels attached to them, which are copied from existing on the north side of the church, and although of a period more recent than the main building, form a very handsome and appropriate finish to the buttresses: the glazing of the windows in circles and lozenges, in imitation of the earliest specimens, is instance of the general correctness of the additions. The remainder of the south side of the church, as well as the east end, are greatly concealed by adjacent buildings; the bishop's chapel is a small building formed by a continuation of of the aisles of the Lady chapel; it displays specimens of the architecture of the century; it was much injured by the fire in , and is now in a dilapidated state, being doomed to destruction to make way for the approach to the new . The east front of the church is an entirely new design by Mr. Gwilt; it deserves great attention for the elegance of its architecture, and the general correctness of the detail. At the angles are square | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
497 | buttresses, the sides relieved with niches; the finish of each is very tasteful, it consists of a pinnacle, formed of an open arcade ranged in an octagon, and crowned with a dwarf spire; between these buttresses is a treble lancet window, and the elevation is finished with a gable in which is a handsome circular window; on the apex is a beautiful foliated cross, forming an appropriate finish to this front of the church. Beneath this is the following inscription:
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Having brought the reader from the west front to the east end of the church, by the south side, it will be necessary to proceed in a retrograde direction to arrive at the point from which we started. The north side of the church is greatly concealed by warehouses, which contain extensive vestiges of the ancient monastic buildings; the aisle and clerestory of the choir have been repaired by Mr. Gwilt, and assimilate with the opposite side; a small chapel dedicated to St. John fills the angle between the choir and transept; it is now used as the vestry. The transept has been greatly modernized, and the south wall brought into the body of the building, and supported midway on an arch; the original pointed windows have been deprived of their tracery, and brick instead of stone is the material which was used in the recesses; the north aisle of the nave and the clerestory have been rebuilt or rather faced with brick, in a dull tasteless style, but the mullions of the windows have however been preserved. Near the transept are the remains of a magnificent Norman doorway, encircled with diagonal and other rich mouldings, an almost solitary vestige--of the original Norman church; this doorway formed the communication between the church and the cloisters. The tower which rises from the centre of the church is a bold and massive structure, without heaviness; it is in principal stories, each of which has windows in every face, divided into compartments by mullions; in the south front, the upper windows have been partially destroyed to make way for the clock; an embattled parapet finishes the wall, and at each angle is an octangular turret crowned with a lofty crocketted pinnacle ending in a vane: the tower was substantially repaired, and the pinnacles rebuilt in , which date is on the vanes. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Having surveyed the entire exterior of the church, it is only necessary to notice the arch attached to the west end, which is a vestige of the gate of the close that still retains its ancient appellation, though confounded with the name of a modern proprietor. Entering the west door, the nave is the object of attention; and | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
498 | here it is to be observed, that the organ and its screen encroach considerably upon the limits of the ancient nave, which originally extended to the transept. On each side are acutely pointed arches, springing from circular pillars, to which are attached small cylinders; above these arches is a story of trefoil and pointed arches in blank, a rather unusual mode of constructing the gallery story; over this is the or clerestory, which being occupied by the windows noticed in the exterior, it is unnecessary to particularize further. The ceiling is oak, vaulted and groined with numerous intersections, forming a tasteful and harmonious design; at the points of intersection are bosses with various scriptural devices and armorial bearings; the arches of the vault spring from corbels representing angels. The aisles are simply vaulted in stone with arches and cross springers. The north transept has a similar ceiling to the nave, and the southern, a modern plaister ceiling put up in lieu of the which fell down some years ago. The beautiful arches which sustain the tower, are worthy of the highest admiration; the archivolts of the eastern arch rest on corbels, carved with the heads of a king and queen; and the western arch have in like manner a king and bishop. The choir in its restored state, shews a fine specimen of the architecture of the century. On each side are pointed arches, the archivolts are moulded and spring from circular pillars; the story like the nave, has pointed arches, forming an arcade, and the , or clerestory, is rendered highly ornamental by open screens composed of lancet arches before every window; the roof is an acutely pointed vault, groined with arches and cross springers, with handsome bosses at the intersections. The east wall is occupied by a magnificent altar screen, composed of series of niches which still retain some of their pristine features, although the canopies have been chipped to a plane surface, when the late altar screen was set up. On the removal of that unsightly termination to the choir, the present screen was discovered, and has since been cleaned; it was probably the work of Richard Fox, bishop of Winchester, from to l, whose favourite device, the pelican, exists in the ornamental cornice which finishes the screen, and was still more prominent on the soffite of the old eastern window. Above this screen a lancet window of arches, fronted by an open screen, forms an appropriate finish, filling up the entire wall to the roof. The aisles are vaulted in the same style as the choir. The Lady Chapel is made in length into , and in breadth into aisles, by groups of clustered columns; the roof is an acutely arched vault, groined in compartments: at the north east extremity are the remains of an altar. The Bishop's Chapel is divided from the present by a pointed arch; it has a modern ceiling of plaister. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The part now used for divine service, comprehends the ancient choir, and arches of the nave, the organ with its supporting | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
499 | gallery occupying another; the transepts, until late, were used, but they have been walled off from the church for the purpose of repairs, which have never taken place; at present, the whole has a disgraceful appearance, and it is sincerely to be hoped that Mr. Gwilt's plans for restoring the building, will be carried into effect without further delay. The interior of this church shews, at present, a very unusual state for a building of the establishment.
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The tower contains of the most melodious and deep toned bells in Great , the tenor being only half a note higher than great bell. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The monuments are very numerous. The most interesting is the tomb of the poet Gower in what is now a part of the north aisle of the nave, but which was probably originally a chapel dedicated to some saint. This monument consists of an altar tomb, the pedestal enriched with a row of upright niches, with arched heads, enclosing sweeps. A fascia above is thus inscribed:
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buttresses spring from the floor, and bound the monument at the head and foot; between these is a canopy composed of arches, gracefully pointed, and each inclosing sweeps; theyare | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
500 | carved with canopies of an elegant form, richly crocketted, and between each arch is a pinnacle. Behind the arches are series of pannels, with arched heads enclosing sweeps; the whole is finished with a frieze and cornice; on the ledger of the altar tomb lies the effigies of the poet in a long close gown wrapped round his feet, which rest on a lion. Round the head a cornice of roses, and the neck is adorned with a collar of SS's. The head of the statue lies on the works of the poet, instead of a pillow, in volumes, labelled
and At the foot of the effigy, within the monument, are the arms and crest of Gower, viz: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
on a chevron azure, leopards faces, or. Crest, on a chapeau , turned up , a talbot sejant On the back of the monument, just above the effigy, is a long pannel, with the following inscription :
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On a smaller pannel near the head,--
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And on a corresponding at the foot, the following:
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Above are niches, painted with female figures, bearing scrolls; they are usually styled Charity, Mercy, and Pity, and are supposed to be intended for personifications of these virtues. On the scrolls are inscriptions as follows:
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501 |
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The ceiling of the canopy is richly and elegantly groomed and springs from the arches of the canopy, which, having no supporters, are formed into pendants in the front; which, with corresponding ones at the back, sustain the groining. The whole of the monument was once handsomely painted and gilt; it is now much out of repair, having suffered from damp. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In the Bishop's Chapel, eastward from the altar, is the monument of bishop Andrews. He is represented lying on a fine black and white marble tomb, habited as prelate of the order of the garter in his scarlet robes, in full proportion; a monument raised at his feet, on which are placed his arms between small figures of Justice and Fortitude; and within a garter superscribed, &c. The tomb has the following inscription:
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At the head of the tomb:
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A plain monument in the north wall, in memory of John Morton, M. A. Ob. . | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sir John Shorter, knight, who died lord mayor of the city of London, the , aged years. Also dame Isabella, his wife, obiit , aged years. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
On a stone, under the Grocers' arms:
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Here also, on the , was buried Abraham Newland, esq. years the faithful and diligent cashier to the . A neat slab, from a design by J. Soane, esq. is placed in the chapel to his memory. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In the chapel of were the following monuments : | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
On the east side of this chapel was a marble monument, adorned with composite pilasters, entablature, and demi-statue; and | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
502 | below, under arches, the following inscription, enriched with termini and a cherub:
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William Emerson, This pleasing littlemonument is decorated with a diminutive emaciated figure, lying in a shroud, on a mat. The excellence of the sculpture is almost equal to the best plaster casts. It is now deposited in the Virgin's chapel. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
A handsome cenotaph to the memory of the reverend Mr. Thomas Jones, of the chaplains of this church; a who died , aged , and was buried in the Bishop's Chapel, in bishop Andrews's vault. The head of the deceased has much expression. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In this chapel was a gravestone feet in length, on which was formerly a border and figure in brass of a bishop in his pontificalibus, supposed to have been for William Wickham, bishop of Lincoln, and afterwards of Winchester, who died in . | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In the chancel and middle aisle, near the altar, is a monument of black and white marble, adorned with pyramidal figures, Ionic pilasters, and arch; under which are the figures of the alderman and his wives and children below in a kneeling posture, (fenced with iron rail and banister) with this inscription on the south side:
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And on the north side of this monument are these lines:
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Edward Robinson Brewer died , and his sons, Edward and Richard. The gravestone is thus inscribed:
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In the north aisle are old tombs, in the wall near the east end, the plates with the inscriptions being stolen away; is sup posed to have been erected in memory of Thomas Cure, esq. sadler to Edward VI. queen Mary, and queen Elizabeth, who died ; the to
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About years ago a neat marble slab was placed under the arch of the of these small altar tombs; it is inscribed as follows:
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A little farther westward in the wall, a monument adorned with square columns and entablature of the Corinthian order, the demi-figures of the deceased and his wife, and the figures of children below in a kneeling posture; a winged death's head, &c. The inscription:
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This monument is in a most shameful state of decay, through negligence. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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In the north transept is a monument of marble, and other stone, adorned with columns, entablature, and arched pediments of the | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ionic order; also the figure of the deceased, habited in a gown lined with fur, and cumbent; his head reposing on the palm of his right hand, in the left a book; also a cherub. The epitaph:
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Adjoining this monument is the figure of a knight templar formed of wood, in a cumbent posture, his sword drawn and held across his breast. At his feet the remains of some animal not easily distinguishable. Probably William Warren, earl of Surry, who went to Jerusalem during the crusades, was slain in battle in , and said to have been buried within these walls. This figure is now placed erect. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
A very graceful neat monument of white marble veined with blue, adorned with pilasters, entablature, and pediment; a bust under a canopy curtain, between the figures of babes weeping; also cherubim, cartouches, death heads, and this inscription:
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A gravestone in the area, near the north end of the cross aisle, of grey marble, inscribed:
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At the west end of the north aisle is a handsome tablet of veined marble, with a bust of the deceased, to the memory of A. Morgan, esq. of Savage-gardens, London. He died at Dulwich, , aged . The above gentleman was of the authors of the history of this parish. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Here was also buried Thomas Yong, Clarencieux king at arms; William, lord Scales; John Buckland, glover, ; with this epitaph:
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The living may be called a rectory impropriate, the churchwardens receiving tithes since the of Henry VIII. to the year , when the parish of Christchurch being taken out of this, the tithes ceased; but the churchwardens had power granted them by an act of parliament passed in the of Charles II. , to raise (in lieu of those tithes) and levy upon the parish a sum not exceeding per annum, to be applied to preaching chaplains each per annum; to the master of the free-school per annum; and the residue to be laid out in the reparation of the church. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The parish have subsequently increased the salaries of the chaplains to per annum each. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In this church was interred, without any memorial, that eminent dramatic poet, Mr. John Fletcher, who died of the plague ; and in the church-yard is interred another poet, Philip Massinger; the comedians attended him to his grave. It does not appear, from the strictest search, that a stone, or inscription of any kind, marked the place where his dust was deposited; even the memorial of his mortality is given with a pathetic brevity which accords but too well with the obscure and humble passages of his life: No flowers were flung into his grave; no elegies and of all the admirers of his talents and his worth, none but sir Aston Cockayne dedicated a line to his memory. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Respecting the parish books, Mr. Nightingale makes the following observations,
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This iconoclastic zeal has, therefore, for ever closed from our investigation, the earliest records of the history of the priory and subsequent church of St. Mary Overy. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
A more wise and useful innovation, as it might have been, and | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
506 | doubtless was denominated sacrilege, was a previous order, on the , to dispose of the &c. These consisted of
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Footnotes: [] The translations of these inscriptions are taken from Mr. Nightingle's account of the church. [] It is to be hoped that the parish will follow the excellent example recorded in the inscriptions, and restore this monument, with their church, to its original beauty. [] Gifford's Life of Massinger, p. xlv. [] Nightingale's St. Saviour, p. 4 [] Will. Horne, dean of Durham, consecrated bishop of Winchester, Feb. 16, 1561, died June 1, 1580. |
