The History and Antiquities of London, Westminster, Southwark, and Parts Adjacent, vol. 3
Allen, Thomas
1827
St. Andrew by the Wardrobe.
On the east side of , is the parish church of St. Andrew by the Wardrobe. | |
This church is a rectory of very ancient foundation, originally denominated St. Andrew, Baynard castle, from its vicinity to that palace. It derived its latter denomination from the building used for that part of monarchical splendour situated within the parish. Sir John Beauchamp, knight of the garter, son of Guido, earl of Warwick, was the nobleman who originally built this mansion, afterwards converted into the king's wardrobe. He died , and his executors sold the house to Edward III. Sir John removed many houses for his intended building, which occasioned a remonstrance from the rector. Upon which the king ordered him a compensation for his tithes of per annum. | |
It is very probable that this church was founded about the same time as Baynard's castle, and perhaps by the same nobleman; for the advowson was anciently in the noble family of Fitzwalter, from whom it passed through many hands, until the year , when it came to the crown, in which it still remains; but the parish of St. Anne, Blackfriars, being annexed to it after the fire, the right of presentation is alternately in the crown and the parishioners of St. Anne. | |
The church is built of brick, with stone dressings, the angles being rusticated. The tower is situated at the south west angle of the building, and comprehended within the plan. It is in stories, divided by string-courses; the lower contain in the south and west fronts windows with arched heads, the circular windows, and the a window, with a square head filled with weather boarding; the elevation finishes with a cornice, surmounted with a parapet, pierced with upright oval openings, instead of a ballustrade. The south side of the church is in stories, made by a string course; in the lowest is a doorway and windows nearly square, the headways slightly arched, and inclosed within architraves. The upper story contains arched windows bounded by architraves, partly occupied by brick pannelling; the elevation finishes with a frieze and cornice, the former marked by upright flutes. The east front is in divisions, the central contains a | |
346 | large arched window, and is finished with a cornice and pediment having a circular window in the tympanum. The lateral divisions have stories with windows similar to the south side, and are finished with cornices raking up pedimentally to the central division. The north bide is exactly similar to the southern, and the west front, which is partly concealed by houses, in its principal features resembles the eastern. The interior is spacious and handsome; it is made into a body with side aisles; on each side of the former are piers, composed of an union of pilasters, sustaining on their capitals an architrave, on which the gallery fronts are constructed; from the piers rise square pillars with enriched caps, which partly sustain the vaulted ceiling. The body, or central division, is covered with a semicircular arched celling, pierced laterally with arches on each side. The soffit of the vault is enriched with various pannels and large circular wreaths of foliage, cherubs' heads are constructed in the spandrils of the arches, and reliefs of religious subjects above the crowns. The aisles are groined with arcs doubleaux, springing partly from the pillars, and partly from corbels attached to the side walls. Galleries are erected in the aisles and across the west end. The latter bears an inscription, stating that it was erected in ; in this gallery is a large organ. The fronts of the several galleries are pannelled, and the pews rise in gradations to a considerable height. The altar screen, which occupies the wall below the eastern window, is divided by antae into divisions, covered with an entablature: on the frieze is inscribed ; the centre division is surmounted by an elliptical pediment, having an irradiation in the tympanum; the architectural portions of the design are painted to imitate marble. The pulpit is situated on the south side of the body of the church; it is hexagonal, and sustained on a slender pillar; it has a sounding board of the same form, sustained by a Doric column; in the centre of the soffit of the latter is a dove and glory in relief; this pulpit has been introduced by Hogarth into a well-known composition of his, intended to expose religious fanaticism. |
The font is stone, painted to imitate marble, and is placed in a pew near the north western entrance to the church. The altar is distinguished by handsome marble monuments, that on the north side is the workmanship of Mr. Bacon, and was erected by subscription in , to the memory of the celebrated Calvinistic rector of the church, Mr. W. Romaine, and it was during the popularity of this clergyman, that considerable alterations were made in the accommodations of the church. | |
The monument of Mr. Romaine consists of a pyramid of marble, bearing an alto relievo of Faith pointing with a telescope to the Saviour of the world who is seated on a rainbow, in the upper part | |
347 | of the composition, bearing his cross, and displaying the wounds. On the apex of the monument is a pleasing bust of the deceased, which, independent of the acknowledged likeness, is an excellent piece of sculpture. The monument on the opposite side of the altar corresponds in appearance with the last. It has an alto relievo of Faith reclining on a sarcophagus, with an open book, on which is the text of Acts xi. . This monument has no bust, and is to the memory of the rev. W. Goode, M. A. died , aged . Near to Mr. Romaine's is a neat marble monument to the memory of his widow. |
This church is more generally known by the name of the parish which is united to it, viz. St. Anne, Blackfriars; it is difficult to account for the error having arisen. | |
It was rebuilt after sir Christopher Wren's design in , at the expense of | |
Footnotes: [] He was thirty years rector of this church, and forty-six years lecturer of St. Dunstan's in the west. He died July 26, 1795, aged 81. |
