The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1879-08-15
Old London Churches.
[London Telegraph, July 5th.1

London Telegraph, July 5th.]
It might be permissible briefly to
glance at the history of some OF the old
churches which-so archaologists think,
at least-have been so ruthlessly pulled
down. St. Mary Somerset, which was
anciently spelled Summers Hith, :"
probably from its contiguity to ''hith"
or wharf, the owner of which bore the
name of Summer, was dedicated to the
Virgin. OF the ancient structure, which
was destroyed in the great fire, little Is
known, save that it was in existence at
the beginning of the reign of Edward
III. The church lately demolished by
the orders of the Ecclesiastical Commits
sioners was built under the directions of
Sir Christopher Wren. The church
tower was entirely independent of the
body of the church. A bishop of Here
ford bearing the somewhat militant
name of "Ironsides" was buried in the
chancel. st. Dionis Blackchurch, which
has been hopelessly demolished, but the
site of which is still to be disposed of,
was dedicated to Dionysius the Areo-
pagite, who was baptized by st. Paul,
and was afterward beheaded in France,
where he is known and reverenced as ST.
Denis. His church in London was
called "Blackchurch, +" from the circum-
stance that church dedicated to st.
Gabriel anciently stood right in front of
st. Dionis, in the roadway of Fenchurch
street. st. Dionis Blackchurch dated
from the thirteenth century, and it was
burned in 1866 In 1914 it was rebuilt,
with the exception of the tower, by Sir
Christopher Wren. Ten years afterward
the tower was added, the designs being
again furnished by the illustrious
architect of ST. Paul's. st. Benet's,
Gracechurch street, was also one
of Sir Christopher's churches.
According to Stow, it's title
had nothing to do with Grace, and its
proper name was Grass Church, because
the herb market was held opposite its
western door. The parish books of ST.
Benet's, or Benedicts, have not, it is to
be presumed, been sold with the mate
rails of the church as old rubish. Those
old tones contain some curious entries;
one, for example, at the accession of Mary
ain 1858, ''Payde to plasterer for wash
ing Dwte and defacing such Scriptures as
in the TYNE of King Edward VI. were
written about the church and walls; and
payde the paynters for making the Roode,
with Mary and John;" and five years
later, at the accession of Elizabeth,
''Payde to the carpenter for pulling down
the Roode, with Mary and John, four
shilIings and two pence" The tower of
the vanished ST. Benet's, with its cupola
and spire, was 140 feet high. St. Mil
dred's had also been destroyed in the
fire, and rebuilt by Wren, when it was
united with the parish of st. Mary's
Colechurch, an ancient incumbent of
h, oh @lo1 Do@o r<>fr al
of the builders of old London Bridge.
ST. Martins, or Othowich, was four
teenth century building, in the pointed
style. It escaped the confagration in
1866, but was seriously injured by fire
which took place in 1865, and it was
wholly rebuilt in 1895 by Mr.. Cockerell.
Here was very fine picture of the s'Res-
urrection," by famous French painter,
Hyppolyte Rigaud. This picture, it is
to be hoped has been preserved. st.
Antholin, formerly in Budge-row, at the
corner of Sise-lane, where now is Queen
Victoria street, was of ancient founda-
tion, being mentioned in the twelfth CEN
tury. 1t was burnt in the fire, and re-
built in 1854 by Wren. The interior had
an oval dome, supported by eight columns
and the carpentery of the roof was re-
garded as a superb specimen of Sir Chris
one hundred and ffty-four feet high.
demolished st. Michael's, Queenhithe,
built in 1877. It was chiefly remarkable
for its spire, 135 feet high, surmounted
by gilt vane in the shape of ship in
full sail. The hull, it is said, was large
enough to contain a bushel of grain.
Queenhithe had been known for centu-
ries as a place where corn was landed.
All Hallows, Bread street, was also one
of Wren's churches, and was built in
1880. In its predecessor, destroyed in
the fire, John Milton was baptized, but
alas! even SO long as 20 years ago the
Sunday congregations at ALI Hallows,
Bread street, had sunk to the deplorable
average of nine-and the site was SO
very valuable! All Hallows Staining,
in Mark lane, escaped the great fire, but
was frequently altered and repaired, and
of the building which has now disap-
peared only the tower and portion of the
west wall were ancient. It was, never
church Here, in 1864, after her liberia
tion from the Tower, the Princess Eliza
beth performed her devotions, and tradi-
ton says that the future ''good Queen
Bess," having said her prayers, after
wards dined on pork and peas pudding
at the Kings Head in Fenchurch street.
To this melancholy list of demolished
churches would assuredly have been
added, but for the strenuous efforts of
the Society for the Protection of Ancient
Buildings, the interesting st. Mary-at
Hill, Eastcheap. This evidence, hap
PLY still standing, was built by Wren
after the great fire. The Society was
unable to save st. Dionis Backchurch;
but, in spite of vigorous opposition, they
succeeded for time in rescuing the
church of st. Mary y-at-Hill from its i'm
pending fate. We say for time, as the
clemency extended by the Ecclesiastical
Commissioners to the edifce in Eastcheap
may prove to have been more in the
nasure of respite than reprieve. In
the case of St. Mary, the Committee of
the Ancient Buildings Protection Society |
were materially helped by the city |
churches and church-yard societies. Ow-
ing, however, to the wide-sweeping pow
ers of the Union Of Benefces Act, the |
existence of the remaining churches is
being continually threatened, and the
greatest vigilance is necessary to enable |
the society to obtain early information |
of any proposed demolition, and to pre- /