Marybone Chapel

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Marybone Chapel

Plate 2 of William Hogarth's Industry and Idleness, showing the interior of the chapel.

Country United Kingdom
Denomination Church of England
History
Founder(s) Edward Harley, 2nd Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer
Architecture
Architect(s) James Gibbs

The Marybone Chapel or Marylebone Chapel also known until 1832 as the Oxford Chapel[1] after its founder Edward Harley, 2nd Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer, and now known as St Peter's Vere Street, was a former Anglican church off Oxford Street, London. It was designed by James Gibbs in 1722. It was originally intended as a Chapel of Ease to supplement the parish church for the growing parish of Marylebone.

Marybone Chapel, left

It was licensed for marriages from 1722 to 1754 and between 1930 and its deconsecration: Margaret Bentinck (daughter of the 2nd Earl, and Duchess of Portland) married here. Incumbents included the theologian Frederick Maurice (1860–69), and William Boyce was the chapel's organist from 1734 to 1736. Its interior appears in plate 2 of Hogarth's print series Industry and Idleness.

The church is built of brick, with stone quoins. The main entrance is at the west end, with steps leading up to a Doric porch. The pediment once held a carved coat of arms of a member of the De Vere family; this was removed in 1832, when the building was renovated and named St Peter’s. A tower rises from the ridge of the roof at the west end; the first stage is square, and of brick, while the second two stages are octagonal, and pierced on each side. At the east end is a Venetian window, with a pediment above. There was originally a stone vase on each corner of the building.[1]

Its ground plan was copied at St Paul's Church, the earliest Anglican church in Canada,[2] and the Holy Ghost plaque in the ceiling at St Thomas's, Stourbridge, is a close copy of that here.[3]

It served the congregation of All Souls Church, Langham Place from 1940 to 1951 whilst the latter was having war damage repaired, and then became a chapel of ease to it. It is now deconsecrated and houses the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity.[4]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Smith, Thomas (1833). A Topographical and Historical Account of the Parish of St Mary-le Bone. London: John Smith. p. 123. 
  2. ^ http://www.stpaulshalifax.org/page7.html
  3. ^ http://www.st-thomas.freeuk.com/history_building.htm
  4. ^ http://www.licc.org.uk/about-licc/contact

Coordinates: 51°30′55″N 0°08′51″W / 51.5154°N 0.1474°W / 51.5154; -0.1474


Personal tools
Namespaces
Variants
Actions
Navigation
Interaction
Toolbox
Print/export