All Saints' Church is the ancient parish church of Fulham, in the County of Middlesex, pre-dating the Reformation. It is now an Anglican church in Fulham, London, sited close to the River Thames, beside the northern approach to Putney Bridge. The church tower and interior nave and chancel are Grade II* listed.
| All Saints' Church | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Address | Fulham High St. |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Affirming Catholic |
| Website | Official website |
| Administration | |
| Province | Canterbury |
| Diocese | London |
| Archdeaconry | Middlesex |
| Deanery | Hammersmith and Fulham |
| Parish | All Saints' Fulham |
| Clergy | |
| Vicar(s) | Penny Seabrook, Vicar of Fulham |
| Priest(s) | Guy Hewitt, associate vicar |
| Curate(s) | George Meyrick |
| Laity | |
| Director of music | Jonathan Wikeley |
| Churchwarden(s) | Laura Auckland Paul Hall |
History edit
There has been a church on the same site for more than 900 years. Barbara Denny, a historian of London, writes that the first record of a church here dates from 1154 in the rolls of a tithe dispute.[1] Apart from the tower, construction of which began in 1440, the present church building dates from the late Victorian period, having been rebuilt in 1880–1881 by Sir Arthur Blomfield using squared rubblestone, ashlar dressings and windows in the Perpendicular style.[2] The church retains many memorials from the earlier church along with a plaque to the First World War dead of the 25th (County of London) Cyclist Battalion of the London Regiment, whose drill hall was at Fulham House from 1908 onwards.[3]
The building and its churchyard are situated next to Bishop's Park, overlooking the River Thames. The church has a long association with the bishops of London as lords of the manor of Fulham, and is the burial place for many of them. The nearby Fulham Palace is the former manor of Fulham and the former residence of the bishops of London.
Putney Bridge, like its predecessor Fulham Bridge, is unique in that it is the only bridge in Britain to have a church at both ends: the ancient St Mary's Church is located in Putney on the south bank, and All Saints' Church, Fulham, is on the north bank.
Notable burials edit
Bishops of London edit
Due to the proximity of All Saints to Fulham Palace, the ancient residence of the Bishop of London, several bishops of London were buried at All Saints.
- Humphrey Henchman (d. 1675)
- Henry Compton (d. 1713)
- John Robinson (d. 1723)
- Edmund Gibson (d. 1748)
- Thomas Sherlock (d. 1761)
- Thomas Hayter (d. 1762)
- Richard Terrick (d. 1777)
- Robert Lowth (d. 1787)
- John Randolph (d. 1813)
- Charles James Blomfield (d. 1857)
- John Jackson (d. 1885)
Other burials edit
- William John Burchell (1781–1863) – explorer, naturalist, traveller, artist, and author
- Sir William Butts – physician to King Henry VIII
- Jeffery Ekins – Dean of Carlisle, 1782–1791
- Elizabeth Hatsell – wife of John Hatsell (Clerk of the House of Commons 1768–1820) and sister of Jeffery Ekins
- Henry Holland – architect
- Nathaniel Kent – agriculturalist
- Alexander Marshal (circa 1620–1682) – merchant, gardener and botanical illustrator[4]
- John Mordaunt, 1st Viscount Mordaunt – royalist, prominent in the English Civil War
- John Saris – captain on the first English voyage to land in Japan
- Granville Sharp – abolitionist
- William Sharp – surgeon
- Sir William Withers – Lord Mayor of London
- George London – landscape gardener and gardener to Bishop Compton
In the media edit
The church was featured in the film The Omen, in a scene which begins in Bishop's Park, and ends with a bizarre accident where a priest (played by Patrick Troughton) is impaled by a lightning conductor on the top of the tower that is dislodged when it is hit by lightning.
In 2017, the Christmas Day service from the church was shown on BBC Television.[5]
References edit
- ^ Denny, Barbara (1997). Fulham Past. London: Historical Publications. pp. 35–39. ISBN 0-948667-43-5.
- ^ Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1286566)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 1 August 2011.
- ^ Speel, Bob. "Monuments in All Saints Parish Church, Fulham". The Second Website of Bob Speel.
- ^ Mr. Marshal's flower book. Royal Collection Publications. 2008. p. 21. ISBN 978-1-905686-03-2.
The inscription on his tombstone includes the following: He left no issue, but, by reason of his integrity and gifts he will live longer than the life which was vouchsafed him.
- ^ Christmas 2017 from BBC Television, retrieved 23 December 2017
External links edit
