St James Duke's Place
| St. James Duke's Place | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Location | City of London |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Architecture | |
| Style | Georgian |
| Years built | 1727 |
| Demolished | 1874 |
St James Duke's Placewas anAnglicanparish church in theAldgateward of theCity of London[1]It was established in the early 17th century, rebuilt in 1727 and closed and demolished in 1874.
History[edit]
The area which was to become Duke's Place was occupied until its dissolution in 1531[2]by the Priory of Holy Trinity, Christ Church.[3]Henry VIIIthen gave the land to SirThomas Audleywho cleared it and built houses on the site,[3]although fragments of the medieval buildings still survived at the beginning of the nineteenth century.[2]The area was eventually inherited by Audley's son-in-law, theDuke of Norfolk,from whom the name "Duke's Place" is derived.[3]
In the early 17th century the residents of the former priory precinct, finding worship atSt Katherine Cree"uncongenial"[4]sought permission from the king,James Ito build a parish church for themselves. Permission was granted, and the new church, dedicated to St James in tribute to the king,[2]was consecrated on 2 January 1622.[5]Thepatronageof the new church belonged to thelord mayor and commonalty of London,and the parish claimed exemption from theBishop of Londonin ecclesiastical matters.[5]It was notable in the late 17th century as a "marriage factory", with multiple ceremonies each day.
The church survived theGreat Fire of London,[6]but fell into disrepair[2]and was rebuilt in 1727, retaining much of the original woodwork.[7]George Godwin,writing in 1839, called it "a plain warehouse like construction of brick, quite unworthy of description".[3]It was 65 feet long and 42 feet wide, and divided into nave and aisles by wooden columns supporting entablatures and a flat ceiling.[7]The stained glass in the east window, included the arms ofSir Edward Barkham,the Lord Mayor who had been instrumental in the establishment of the church. There was a tower; Godwin suspected its trefoil openings were survivals from the priory building.[3]An organ ( "exceedingly small", according to Godwin[3]) was installed in 1815[7]and the church restored in 1823.[3]
The poverty of the area and its increasing Jewish population[8]made it increasingly difficult to raise funds to maintain the church; Godwin described it as being "in a very dirty and dilapidated state".[3]In 1874, under the1860 Union of Benefices Act,it was demolished and the parish joined to that ofSt Katherine Cree.The site of the church is now occupied by the Sir John Cass School.[1]
References[edit]
- ^ab"St James Duke's Place".Retrieved10 April2012.
- ^abcdMalcolm, James Peller (1807).Londinium Redivivium, or, an Ancient History and Modern Description of London.Vol. 4. London. pp. 1–5.
- ^abcdefghGodwin, George; John Britton (1839).The Churches of London: A History and Description of the Ecclesiastical Edifices of the Metropolis.London: C. Tilt.Retrieved18 March2012.
- ^Vanished churches of the City of LondonHuelin, G.: London, Guildhall Library Publishing 1996ISBN0900422424
- ^abNoorthouck, John (1773). "Aldgate Ward".A New History of London: Including Westminster and Southwark.Vol. 2. pp. 545–549.Retrieved10 December2013.
- ^The Churches of the City of London.Reynolds, H. London, Bodley Head, 1922
- ^abcAllen, Thomas; Wright, Thomas (1839).The History and Antiquities of London, Westminster, Southwark and Parts Adjacent.Vol. 3. London: George Virtue. p. 70.
- ^SeeBevis Marks Synagogue
External links[edit]
- London parish registers. Marriages at St. James's, Duke's place, from 1668 to 1837.1900.at Internet Archive.
