Tour of the Church
The way into the church is by the west door that leads into the vestibule. Here either side of the doorway (1) can be seen the shelves on which loaves of bread were placed on a Saturday for distribution to the poor after Sunday morning service. To one side in the vestibule, now being used to house the bookstall and notices, are two very fine 17th-century chests (2). One has "St. Magnus the Martyr 1670' marked in nails. Another is marked 'Bridge Ward Within, 1674'. We now enter into the church through the inner west doorways. Immediately either side can be seen the churchwardens' stalls (3), dating from the 17th century.
On the left-hand side on the North wall of the church is an icon (4) of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour (in Russia it is known as 'Our Lady of the Passion'). The icon was painted in 1908 in Moscow at the request of Father Fynes-Clinton (rector here 1921-1959) and was displayed in a chapel in All Saints, Lewisham. Later it was moved to the house of the Sisters of the Holy Sepulchre in Hoxton. Miss Ada Ford, a benefactress of the parish, bought it and gave it to St. Magnus.In the North-East corner of the church is the Lady Chapel (5) that was erected in memory of Father Fynes-Clinton's parents. Here the daily Eucharist is offered. The painting above the altar is a copy of the Madonna and Child by Van Dyke. The reredos and carvings are made of wood from the church, and an old cottage supplied the wooden brackets. On the East wall of the chapel is painted the 'Holy Countenance of St. Veronica's veil', a parishioner's gift in memory of her parents.
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To the side of the Lady Chapel is the statue of Our Lady of Walsingham carved by Martin Travers and based on a 12th century statue in the Victoria and Albert Museum, South Kensington. The wrought iron candle-holder 'came from Paris' and probably dates from the 17th century. It was a gift to the Fraternity by Mr. T. H. Newman. On the side of the column in front of the Lady statue is an 18th century sword-rest (7). It was customary in former times for the Lord Mayor of London to regularly attend Sunday Service. When he arrived 'in state' accompanied by his sword-bearer and his mace-bearer they would place the sword and mace in this form of rest, the hilt of the sword resting on the cup-like piece of metal at the foot, and the mace either on a small table placed beneath the rest or on two special brackets underneath it. Shields display the arms of three Lord Mayors of London viz., 1764 Sir William Stephenson, 1792 Sir James Andersen and 1824 John Garratt. Two other shields show the arms of the Goldsmiths' and Drapers' Companies, with the Royal Coat of Arms at the top of the rest. |
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Our Lady of Walsingham |
| Move to the centre of the church and face the high altar. The communion rails (8) date from the 17th century and are made of Sussex wrought iron. Such rails were ordered in all churches by Archbishop William Laud who issued instructions in the early 17th century that 'animals be prevented from fouling the holy table', and further stipulated that 'the rails should not be higher than one yard (0.914 m) and the balustrades should be such that not even the smallest animal may pass through them'. |
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The High Altar |
Within the communion rails is the sanctuary that is dominated by the reredos (9) with the high altar at the foot, the work of Grinling Gibbons whose trade mark, the 'pea-pod', is to be found behind the crucifix on the altar. The second storey was added in the 19th century, at which time the great East window was bricked up. Standing on top of the screen is a rood (Christ on the Cross with Our Lady and St. John standing on either side). In keeping with the custom of the 17th century the screen also displays the Lord's Prayer, the Ten Commandments, and the Creed. These enabled literate members of the congregation to read them at the appropriate time in the service. The figures of Moses holding the Stones of the Word and Aaron with his thurible stand either side of the screen. Rising over the altar is the pelican, the symbolic bird of sacrifice. Six fine 18th-century candlesticks standsentinel-like by the crucifix dating from the Martin Travers' restoration of 1924.
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From in front of the high altar turn and admire the 17th-century pulpit (10) acknowledged as being 'of the School of Grinling Gibbons' but without the customary 'pea-pod' mark. It is shown on earlier prints as having been part of a three-decker pulpit complete with the 'Rectory Pew, lectern ad prayer desk'. It was considered one of the best examples of its period, and at least two copies were made of it. One was set up, some ten years after this original, in the Parish Church of St. Lawrence Jewry. This, alas, perished during the Blitz of 1940-41, the whereabouts of the 'other one' is not known. The crucifix that hangs in the pulpit was the work of Martin Travers and dates from the 1920s. |
| Lady altar and sacrament house |
Walk round the pulpit to the south-east corner of the church. Here can be seen two memorials to Miles Coverdale and his grave (11). It is interesting to note that a mitre, the bishop's ceremonial head-gear, is shown on one monument. Coverdale had scruples about the wearing of vestments and when Parliament enforced stricter observance of the liturgy he was compelled to resign from the living of St. Magnus. The chapel in this corner is dedicated to Christ the King (12) and has as its altar the Holy Table' designed by Christopher Wren to stand in front of the reredos (9). The surround of the altar is made up of the original north doorway of the church. Standing on the ledge of the altar is a pieta, Our Lady with the crucified Christ, that was given by Miss Mabel Smith in memory of her parents in 1936.
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Turn right and walk along the South aisle of the church. In the recess that was once the South doorway of the church stands the Bethlehem Cross (13) taking its name from where it had been made. It originally stood on the high altar. Above the cross hangs a copy of Rubens' Descent from the Cross. Standing by the middle of the South wall is the statue of St. Magnus of Orkney (14), the work of Martin Travers. It was the gift of Miss Mabel Smith in memory of her brother. It shows the saint holding a model of the church in his left hand and supporting a very fine Viking battle axe with the right one. During Festival Services a modern (1991) silver votive lamp in the shape of a Viking ship is lit and placed on the bracket at the side of the statue. At all other times it is removed and kept in a safe place. |
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The St Margaret Window |
In the South-West corner stands the font (15) dating from 1683, the gift of three gentlemen of the congregation viz., Captain William Richardson, Henry Freeman, and Thomas Passenger. It is marble with a pleasant 'house-like' wooden cover over which a gilded dove flies as part of the chain that is used to hold the cover when the font is in use. Behind the font is one of the three Benefaction (Gift) Boards of the church (16). It is considered one of the finest in the City and dates from the 1670s. The boards are hung on the panelling (17) that is made up of wood from Westminster Hall's roof. Standing on a ledge here is Alfred Stevens' copy of Murillo's John the Baptist. The painting was given to Father Fynes-Clinton's mother by Alfred Stevens' sister who in turn gave it to the church.
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The St Magnus Window |
Walk between the pews, stand in the centre of the nave - now, turn towards the west and note the organ (18), a gift from Sir Charles Duncombe, built by Abraham Jordan in 1712. It is of considerable historic interest being the first of its kind to contain an arrangement for 'swelling out' the sound of the pipes. An announcement of the inauguration of the new organ was duly made in an advertisement in The Spectator for 8th February 1712 which read: "Whereas Messrs. Abraham Jordan, senior and junior, have with their own hands (joinery excepted) made and erected a very fine organ for St. Magnus Church, at the foot of London Bridge consisting of four setts of keys, one of which is adapted for the art of emitting sounds by swelling the notes, which never was in an organ before; this instrument will be publicly opened on Sunday next, the performance by Mr. John Robinson. The above said Abraham Jordan gives notice that he will attend every day next week at the said church to accommodate all those gentlemen who shall have a curiosity to hear it. |
"Jordan secured his 'swelling' by sliding a shutter in front of the pipe box. This was balanced by weights like that of a sash window and was worked by levers connected by a piece of wood shaped like a horse's head. The device became known as the 'nag's head' swell. The swell was worked by the player's foot, and needed a considerable amount of force to start and a greater skill to keep it going. The case is considered by the best of authorities as one of the finest existing examples of the Grinling Gibbons' school.
Look for the two music stands in the front of the organ gallery formed by a Corinthian column surmounted with the monogram of Queen Anne (AR). Leave the nave by way of the two glass-panelled doors and return to the vestibule at the west end of the church. Before leaving take careful note of the two finely carved stairways that lead up to the organ. Nota bene: neither the stairs nor the organ gallery are open to the public.
After leaving the church by the West Door pause under the tower. To the left can be seen a collection of five parish boundary marks (19) and reading from top to bottom they are:
STMC: St. Michael, Crooked Lane SMCL: St. Michael, Crooked Lane 1851 STMRF: St. Margaret, New Fish Street 1791 STMM: St. Magnus the Martyr 1847 STMM: St. Magnus the Martyr 1787
On the opposite side of the tower archway (20) is a fossilised hulk of timber which came from the Roman quayside that was built close by in the 1st century A.D.
Walk up the steps between the arch into the churchyard. Here can be seen two portions of former London bridges (21). These few stones are all that is left of the first arch of 'old London Bridge' that was revealed in 1920 when Adelaide House was being built; while (22) is a block of granite from Sir John Rennie's bridge that stood on the site of the present (1971) bridge from 1831 to 1971. Walk towards the churchyard railings and look up at Sir Charles Duncombe's gift in 1700 - the church tower clock (23), Langley Bradley fecit 1709 - that once spanned the roadway of old London Bridge where for over a hundred years it could be seen by the traffic passing over the bridge. The original decorations on the clock included the figures of St. Magnus and St. Margaret, Hercules and Atlas and two cupids. These have since been removed. An item on one of the Benefaction Boards inside the church reads: 'A.D. 1700 /Sir Charles Duncombe Knt and /Alderman of Bridge Ward gave / the Clock and Dial whole/amounting to £184 5s. 4d.' It was not erected until 1709 during Sir Charles' mayoralty.
The story as to why Sir Charles Duncombe decided that the church needed a clock is most interesting. While still an apprentice he was told to meet his master at a certain place on London Bridge. But there being no clock on his way he arrived late - he was sacked. He swore that when he became rich he would ensure that the same fate did not fall on any other apprentice. The setting up of the clock on the tower of St. Magnus was his fulfilling of that vow. Today only the nearby office workers whose windows overlook the churchyard, or the walkers down Fish Street Hill, reap the benefit of the clock.
Leave the churchyard by way of the gates that lead into Lower Thames Street. Pause to read the City Corporation's 'blue plague' on the wall. The plaque (24) reads: 'This churchyard/formed part of the/roadway approach /to /Old London Bridge/1176-1831.'
On reaching the public footpath, turn right and follow the side of the building along to the end noting on the way the false North doorway to the church. At the end turn right along the East wall of the church, and then right again. Along the South side of the church is a walled-in open space where there can be seen the tombstone (25) of Robert Preston 'sometime drawer at the Boar's Head in Great East Cheape'.
He was originally buried in the parish churchyard of St. Michael, Crooked Lane. When the church was demolished in 1830-1831 his body was reinterred elsewhere, but his tombstone moved here. It reads: "Here lieth the body of ROBERT PRESTON/late drawer at the Boar's-Head Tavern/in Great East Cheap; who departed this life/March the 16 Anno Dom 1730 / Aged 27 years. /Bacchus, to give the toping world surprize/ Produc'd one sober son, and here he lies. / The' nurs'd among full hogsheads he defy'd/ The charms of wine', and every vice beside. 0 Reader! if to justice thou'rt inclin'd/Keep honest PRESTON daily in thy mind;/He drew good wine, took care to fill his pots, /Had many virtues that outweigh'd his faults. /You that on Bacchus have the like dependance, Pray copy Bob in measure and attendance."
From the nearby riverside walk can be seen the London Bridge development on the South bankside of the River Thames.