St Katherine Coleman

St. Katherine Coleman

Site of St Katherine Coleman
Country United Kingdom
Denomination Roman Catholic, Anglican

St Katherine Coleman[1][2], known earlier as "All Hallows Coleman-church"[3], was a parish church in the City of London, situated in Magpie Alley[4](on the south side of Fenchurch Street) in Aldgate Ward. It narrowly escaped the Great Fire of London, but was rebuilt in the eighteenth century.

History

The church was in existence by 1346, when the name of a rector is recorded. In about 1489, William White, then Lord Mayor, rebuilt or added the south aisle. In 1624 a new gallery was constructed.[5]

St Katherine's was rebuilt in 1741, [6] at the expense of the parish, [7] to a “vernacular palladian” design by James Horne[8]. Never regarded as one of the more spectacular City churches, [9] it was built of brick, with window and door surrounds of rusticated stonework. The interior was a plain room, with a flat ceiling, coved at the sides, ornamented with a single oval panel, with a flower at the centre. There was an arched recess at the east end to accommodate the reredos. Beneath the church was a burial vault, entered through a door at the west end.[5]

The parish was designated for amalgamation under the Union of Benefices Act 1860[10] but soldiered on[11] until 1926[12].The final service was held on November 20, a joyous occasion (as reported in the City Press[13]) after which it was quickly demolished.[14] The gate piers and railings of the churchyard, which probably date from the eighteenth century survive, and the site of the churchyard itself is now a public garden, owned by Lloyd's Register of shipping. It was re-landscaped in 1996-2000.[15] Money raised by the sale of the site was used to erect a new church in Fulham[16].

After the clearance of the graveyard, the burials were re-inhumed at City of London Cemetery.

References

  1. ^ dedicated to the virgin of Alexandria
  2. ^ It was additionally Coleman from a garden called Colemanhaw- A Survey of London, Vol I Stow,J p446 : Originally 1598- this edn,London, A.Fullarton & Co,1890
  3. ^ “London city churches” Cobb,G: London, B T Batsford Ltd., 1977
  4. ^ British History On-line
  5. ^ a b Godwin, George; John Britton (1839). The Churches of London: A History and Description of the Ecclesiastical Edifices of the Metropolis. London: C. Tilt. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=AtI9AAAAcAAJ&printsec=frontcover. 
  6. ^ “The London City Churches”, Norman,P.: London, The London Society, 1929
  7. ^ Church of England, Diocese of London. - Files of parish deeds, papers and related documents, including consecration(Files 40-7, 1750. - M0002765CL) cited in “City of London Parish Registers Guide 4” Hallows,A.(Ed): London, Guildhall Library Research, 1974 ISBN 0900422300
  8. ^ Example of his work
  9. ^ “Vanished churches of the City of London” Huelin, G.: London, Guildhall Library Publishing 1996ISBN 0900422424
  10. ^ “Proposed Union of the benefice of Allhallows Staining with that of St. Katherine Coleman, in the City of London, etc”. Innes, J.: London,B.Pardon,1868
  11. ^ Deteriorating state of infrastructure- “Notes on Old City Churches: their organs, organists and musical associations” Pearce,C.W.: London, Winthrop Rogers Ltd, 1909
  12. ^ “New annals of St. Olave Hart Street, with All Hallows Staining and St. Katherine Coleman” Powell Miller,A.:London,Parrett &Neues,1954
  13. ^ 26th November 1926
  14. ^ "The London Encyclopaedia" Hibbert,C;Weinreb,D;Keay,J: London, Pan Macmillan, 1983 (rev 1993,2008) ISBN 978-1-4050-4924-5
  15. ^ "Site details:St Katherine Coleman Churchyard". London Gardens Online. http://www.londongardensonline.org.uk/gardens-online-record.asp?ID=COL076. Retrieved 5 December 2011. 
  16. ^ Church Bells Enthusiast