Perhaps, you have mistaken St Mary Aldermary for just another London church. But it is so much more. St Mary Aldermary has stood here for centuries. It is steeped in history and has some interesting stories to tell.
St Mary Aldermary is thought to be the oldest church in the City dedicated to St Mary. The name “Aldermary” is believed to mean “older Mary”. This signifies its status as the older church dedicated to St Mary. There were once 13 churches in the City dedicated to St Mary.
In 1500, there were 15 churches in the City of London dedicated to a St Mary. St Mary was by far the most popular dedication. The next most popular were All Hallows with eight churches and St Michael with seven churches. This popularity was helped by the fact that there are two St Marys. There is Mary the Virgin, the mother of Jesus, and Mary Magdalene. She was one of Jesus’s followers who was present at the crucifixion.
St Mary Aldermary was financed by Sir Henry Keeble in 1510. He was a wealthy merchant, Lord Mayor of London, and a parishioner of St Mary Aldermary. The tower was finished later, in 1630. Richard Chaucer, father of Geoffrey Chaucer, was said to have been buried here in 1400. Poet John Milton married his third wife in this church in 1663.
Now, let’s talk about the Great Fire of London in 1666. St Mary Aldermary was destroyed. Subsequently, it was rebuilt to the designs of Sir Christopher Wren. The rebuilding was financed largely by a £5000 endowment. It came from a will from someone called Henry Rogers. He wanted the money to be used to build a church. Rogers’ widow agreed that it could be used to rebuild St Marys. The story goes that she, or the parishioners, stipulated that the church must be as close to the original as possible. Hence, the gothic style of architecture, unusual for Wren, was implemented.
The architectural historian Pevsner described St Mary Aldermary as the chief surviving monument of the 17th-century Gothic revival in the City. He added that with Warwick it is the most important late 17th-century Gothic church in England. Since 1950, it has been Grade I listed. In 1875, it absorbed another parish, that of St Antholin’s.
As you walk inside St Mary Aldermary, the star of the show is the ceiling. The intricate, white, plaster, fan-vaulted ceiling is more reminiscent of a cathedral. The aim was to draw the eye upwards and inspire awe. Much of the interiors you see today are from the 19th century. The church was restored in the 1870s. A wooden screen was added between the nave and lobby. A new reredos was put in and stained glass windows replaced. The stained glass windows you see today are post-war. The Blitz bombs blew the original windows out. The pulpit is thought to be an earlier feature. It was carved in 1682 by Grinling Gibbons. Other 17th-century features include the font and the surrounding railings at the Western end.
The odd angle of the east wall is because it follows the line of a passageway here prior to 1678. Wren often had to work within quite specific constraints when rebuilding the City’s churches.
There is also a plaque to James Braidwood. He was married in the church in 1838. He was the first director of the London Fire Engine Establishment. He formed the world’s first municipal fire brigade in Edinburgh. He died tragically whilst fighting the terrible Tooley Street Fire of 1861. There is also one to Sir Percivall Pott who was a surgeon at St Bartholomew’s Hospital. He gave us the term ‘Pott’s fracture’ for a type of ankle bone break.
Since 2011, it has been the home of the MOOT community. They are a contemplative Christian community. They offer a rhythm of life inspired by contemporary and traditional practices. In 2012, they set up the HOST cafe inside St Mary Aldermary.
The idea with Host Café is to restore the church as a welcoming hub for the local community.