All Hallows-by-the-Tower
All Hallows-by-the-Tower is an ancient Anglican church located in Byward Street in the City of London, overlooking the Tower of London.
It was first established in 675 by the Saxon Abbey at Barking[1] and was for many years named after the abbey, as All Hallows Barking. The church was built on the site of a former Roman building, traces of which have been discovered in the crypt. It was expanded and rebuilt several times between the 11th century and 15th century. Its proximity to the Tower meant that it acquired royal connections, with Edward IV making it a royal chantry and the beheaded victims of Tower executions being sent for temporary burial at All Hallows.
The church was badly damaged by a nearby explosion in 1649, which demolished its west tower, and only narrowly survived the Great Fire of London in 1666. It owed its survival to Admiral William Penn, father of William Penn of Pennsylvania fame, who saved it by having the surrounding buildings demolished to create firebreaks. In 1926 a Roman pavement together with many artifacts was discovered many feet below the church. Restored in the late 19th century, All Hallows was gutted by The Blitz in World War II and required extensive reconstruction, only being rededicated in 1957.
Many portions of the old church survived the war and have been sympathetically restored [2]. Its outer walls are 15th century, with a 7th century Saxon doorway surviving from the original church. Many brasses remain in the interior (where one of London's brass rubbing centres is now located). Three outstanding wooden statues of saints dating from the 15th and 16th centuries can also be found in the church, as can an exquisite font cover which was carved in 1682 by Grinling Gibbons for ₤12, and which is regarded by many as one of the finest pieces of carving in London. In 1999 the AOC Archaeology Group excavated the cemetery and made many significant discoveries[3] . The church has a museum called the Undercroft Museum.
All Hallows-by-the-Tower is celebrated and remembered throughout the world in the use of its name both in Dublin (All Hallows College) and in Brisbane, Australia (All Hallows' School).
Notable people associated with the church
- John Quincy Adams, sixth President of the United States: married 1797
- Judge Jeffreys, notorious "hanging judge": married 1667
- Archbishop of Canterbury William Laud, beheaded at the Tower: buried 1645
- Thomas More, beheaded
- John Fisher, beheaded at the Tower: buried
- Lancelot Andrewes, baptized
- William Penn, founder of Pennsylvania: baptised 1644
- Albert Schweitzer, made organ recordings at All Hallows
- Philip Clayton, also known as 'Tubby', Former Vicar and founder of Toc H
References
- ^ "London:the City Churches" Pevsner,N/Bradley,S : New Haven, Yale, 1998 ISBN 0300096550
- ^ "The City of London Churches" Betjeman,J Andover, Pikin, 1967 ISBN 0853721122
- ^ Excavation Details
External links
- Location map (Multimap.com)
- www.allhallowsbythetower.org.uk - All Hallows-by-the-Tower church website
- Mystery Worshipper Report at the Ship of Fools website