The History and Antiquities of London, Westminster, Southwark, and Parts Adjacent, vol. 3

Allen, Thomas

1827

Allhallows Steyning.

 

The east front of this church ranges with the houses on the western side of , and the whole building is greatly concealed from observation. This church is a very ancient foundation dedicated to All-saints, and was a rectory, in the patronage of the de Walthams and others, till it was annexed to the abbey of Grace, or East-minster, near the , with which abbey, this church fell to the crown, and was sold to George Bingly and others; who, on , Jac. I. had a grant of this rectory and parish church to be held of the crown in soccage, and became a lay-impropriation; it is now in the patronage of the grocer's company, as trustees of the lady Slany. The walls (except the eastern) and the tower, are ancient. The west front is made into divisions, of which is occupied by the tower, which is square in plan, and very massive, having an octangular staircase turret attached to the north west angle. The elevation of the tower is in stories. The west front has a pointed window of lights, with a loophole above it in the story, and the story has a square headed window of lights, which is also repeated on the north front; the walls are finished with battlements, and a wooden turret of small elevation is raised on the platform. The southern division of the west front has windows, the lower is square headed and made by mullions into lights; the upper occasioned by an addition to the height of the walls, is arched in a more modern style. The north and south sides of the church are partly built of stone, compoed and increased in height by an addition of brickwork, each contains large arched windows. On the north side is a doorway. The east front rebuilt with stone in , after the fall of the ancient wall in , as originally constructed, had lintelled doorways, covered with pediments, over which were the same number of arched windows of considerable dimensions. The windows and of the doorways are walled up.

684

 

In the spandril between the windows is a circle, and the elevation is finished with a cornice and pediment; the whole design is so void of character, that it may be passed repeatedly without any know. ledge of its destination. The interior is exceedingly plain. The division of the west front not occupied by the tower, contains a small gallery, under which is the vestry; the area of the church is pewed, and the pulpit, which is hexagonal and adorned with carved foliage, is with the reading and clerk's desks, attached to the northern wall. The east wall is a perfect blank, except the altar screen, which is formed of oak and divided by Corinthian pillars, and the like number of pilasters into compartments, containing the commandments, &c.; over the centre is a pediment. The plastered ceiling is horizontal, and entirely destitute of ornament. The font is a marble basin on an oak pillar, with a cover of the same, and is situated at the west end of the church. In the south east window are the arms of the grocer's company, and those of lady Slaney, viz. a bend between martlets impaling party per fess engrailed or. and a fesse counterchanged in lieu of older ones destroyed by a storm. The old window was inscribed

A. D.

1664

.

16

R. Car. II.

The new bears the following inscription:

The arms of the worshipful company of grocers, the patrons of this living, and of Dame Margaret Slaney, by whose bounty this rectory was purchased, were restored by the grocers company in the year ; the original arms placed in this window in the year , having been lately destroyed by a storm of wind.

The monuments are not very numerous; on the south side, near the altar, ancient mural tablets, not remarkable for their style, remain; of the modern ones, the following are deserving of notice, viz.: A marble monument affixed to the tower, on which is a neat alto relievo of a youth weeping over the corpse of his brother. It is to the memory of H. Ingram, esq. who died , aged . And on the north side of the church, over the entrance, is another to the memory of M. Davison, esq. died , aged ; which is adorned with a small but tasteful statue of Commerce.

There are also mural tablets to the memory of the father, and wife of the present rector, the Rev. Lancelot Sharpe.

There is no organ in this church; the tower contains bells, and a saint's bell, of which has on it the date , and the remainder and ..

The dimensions are, length feet, breadth , height of church feet, and of tower feet.

685

 

From the churchwardens' books, which are preserved in the vestry of this church, Mr. Malcolm made numerous extracts relating to the ancient building.

In the church were altars dedicated to All Saints, Jesus, St. Clement, and St. Luke St. Katherine had a statue to her honour, before which a lamp or taper was constantly burnt. The rood loft contained a large crucifix, surrounded, during the celebration of the offices, with burning tapers, weighing lb.

In , a brass founder was employed to make great candlesticks, weighing lb. at per lb.

The altar cloths and vestments were uncommonly rich; in , was expended on albes for embroidery; of them were of crimson velvet, the others of imperial cloth of gold. Of the drapery for the high altar, were most worthy of notice; was red Bruges satin, with a representation of the Ascension, and the other of white satin.

The rood loft was taken down in .

Among the ornaments for the altar, the following were the most prominent--On the high altar a silver gilt cross, with small statues on the base, of the Blessed Mary and St. John, which weighed ounces; a pax of mother of pearl set in silver, and silver censers gilt, weighing ozs.

The choir were not without instrumental music long before , for by that period the old organ was nearly worn out; but the repair of it and the purchase of a new , amounted to no more than

In the year , a new clock cost The church was thoroughly repaired between and .

In the ancient church were monuments to the memory of sir Rob. Test, knight of the holy sepulchre, and Joan his wife, ; and sir John Wriothesly, garter king of arms.

 
 
Footnotes:

[] There is a tradition in the parish that these bells were rang with so much zeal when the princess Elizabeh left the Tower, previous to ascending the throne, and at the time when she rested a few minutes in the neighbourhood that she afterwards presented the ringers with a set of silken ropes. Malcolm.- The bells are of a fine tone, but the parish are so parsimonious as not to allow the trifling charge of a few shillings for ringing the bells on holydays and festivals.

[] Malcolm, ii. p. 22.

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 Title Page
 Dedication
 CHAPTER I: The site, extent, buildings, population, commerce, and a view of the progressive increase of London
 CHAPTER II: List of the parishes and churches in London, with their incumbents, &c
CHAPTER III: History and Topography of Aldersgate Ward
CHAPTER IV: History and Topography of Aldgate Ward
CHAPTER V: History and Topography of Bassishaw Ward
CHAPTER VI: History and Topography of Billingsgate Ward
CHAPTER VII: History and Topography of Bishopsgate Ward, Without and Within
CHAPTER VIII: History and Topography of Bread-street Ward
CHAPTER IX: History and Topography of Bridge Ward Within
CHAPTER X: History and Topography of Broad-street Ward
CHAPTER XI: History and Topography of Candlewick Ward
CHAPTER XII: History and Topography of Castle Baynard Ward
CHAPTER XIII: History and Topography of Cheap Ward
CHAPTER XIV: History and Topography of Coleman-street Ward
CHAPTER XV: History and Topography of Cordwainer's-street Ward
CHAPTER XVI: History and Topography of Cornhill Ward
CHAPTER XVII: History and Topography of Cripplegate Ward Within
CHAPTER XVIII: History and Topography of Cripplegate Yard Without
CHAPTER XIX: History and Topography of Dowgate Yard
CHAPTER XX: History and Topography of Farringdom Ward Within
CHAPTER XXI: History and Topography of Farringdon Ward Without
CHAPTER XXII: History and Topography of Langbourn Ward
CHAPTER XXIII: History and Topography of Lime-street Ward
CHAPTER XXIV: History and Topogrpahy of Portsoken Ward
CHAPTER XXV: History and Topography of Queenhithe Ward
CHAPTER XXVI: History and Topography of Tower Ward
CHAPTER XXVII: History and Topography of Vintry Ward
CHAPTER XXVIII: History and Topography of Wallbrook Ward