“St Matthew’s, Bethnal Green: bombed in the Blitz” is not just a phrase but a testament to resilience. Today we stand before St Matthew’s. It is a beacon of faith in the heart of Bethnal Green. This church has a rich history dating back to the 18th century.
St Matthew’s was initially built between 1743 and 1746. George Dance the Elder designed it in a Classical style. Imagine a grand structure with a tower at the west end. It rose above a pedimented central section. However this was not the original plan. Nicholas Hawksmoor had drawn up plans earlier. But these never materialized.
A devastating fire in 1859 destroyed the church’s interior. Yet, the registers and church plate were saved. Thomas Knightley redesigned and rebuilt it by 1861. The rebuilt church included a cupola.
Disaster struck again during World War II. Enemy action in 1940 destroyed the roof and interior. A temporary church was created within the shell in 1954. A Wontner Smith and Harold Jones designed it. The old church was rebuilt from 1958 to 1961. Anthony Lewis oversaw the reconstruction. He created a bold post-war interior without the side galleries.
The interior of St Matthew’s showcases works by eminent 20th-century artists. Peter Snow designed the upper-level Lady Chapel. It features panels carrying the apostles. Kim James created a bas-relief depicting the war between Heaven and Hell. Barry Robinson contributed wall paintings. Heather Child designed sand-blasted glass doors. Robert Dawson sculpted panels on the altar. Anthony Lewis designed a vesica-shaped marble font. Donald Potter crafted fired ceramic Stations of the Cross. Bishop Henry Montgomery Campbell reconsecrated the church in 1961.
The earliest organ dates back to 1772. It was rebuilt by Byfield and Green. This organ was destroyed in the 1859 fire. A Henry Jones organ replaced it in 1861. This too was lost in the war. Services continued in the ruins with an Estey reed organ. Noel Mander installed an 1877 Eustace Ingram organ in 1954. This organ was reinstalled in the rebuilt church in 1961.
St Matthew’s has a ring of eight bells. George Mears of the Whitechapel Bell Foundry cast them in 1861. The church itself is Grade II listed. The classical exterior is the primary reason. The railings, wall, and gate piers are Grade II listed too. The parish watch house dates from 1826.
Until Joseph King’s time the rectors held the advowson. William Loxham never visited the parish during his 43-year tenure. Poorly-paid curates handled day-to-day pastoral work. King sought to counter the corrupt regime of churchwarden Joseph Merceron.
Septimus Hansard was a Christian Socialist. He and Edward Pusey assisted cholera victims in 1866. Hansard introduced a daily Eucharist. Stewart Headlam established the Guild of St Matthew in 1877. Arthur Winnington-Ingram succeeded Hansard.
St Matthew’s continued to serve the community during World War II. A temporary church was erected within its bombed-out shell. In the 1990s Christopher Bedford converted to Catholicism. He held both Roman Catholic and Anglican services.
The funerals of the Kray twins were held at St Matthew’s. These were in 1995 and 2000. The churchyard closed to burials in the 1850s. Fanny Wilkinson converted it to a public garden in 1896.
Today St Matthew’s stands as a testament to community. It is a place of inclusive worship. It actively affirms LGBTQ people. St Matthew’s continues to evolve. It remains a vital part of Bethnal Green’s story.