Edes hæc Deo O. M. jam olim sacra, Quæ communi Urbis incendio, in cineres redacta, Surrexit denuò multo magnificentior. Jam piam Beneficentiam HENRICO ROGERS, Armig: Memoria justi in benedictione. TRANSLATION. "This church, which was reduced to ashes by the general conflagration of the city, and is now rebuilt, with much greater magnificence, by the pious liberality of one single, but very bountiful, hand, at an expence of full £5000, gratefully acknowledge in this comely frontispiece, that this pious benefaction is owing to Henry Rogers, esq. the great grandson of Edward Rogers, of Canington, knight, (who was a confessor in queen Mary's day), and the heir also of his piety. In the year of our Lord, 1681. "The memory of the just is blessed." This gentleman left the above sum for rebuilding one of the churches destroyed by the fire of 1666, and his executrix, Mrs. Rogers, was induced to apply the sum to that of St. Mary. The donation was bequeathed before the public fund was settled by parliament on coals, for rebuilding churches damaged or demolished by fire. It was wainscotted and paved at the expense of both parishes of St. Mary, and the altar-piece, with the rails and frame of the communion table, were given by lady Jane Smith, relict of sir John Smith, knight and alderman. The church was finished (from sir Christopher Wren's designs) in 1682; the steeple built at the public charge, with money arising from the coal duty, in 1701, and the whole beautified and paved, in the year 1705. The walls of this church are of stone, the roof flat, and covered with lead. The pillars, tower, and windows, of the modern gothic order. It is handsomely adorned and finished, the roof with circles, gothic arches, and branches of crocket work and fret work. The grand arches are ornamented with the arms of the archbishop of Canterbury, and with the arms of Mrs. Rogers, and also with cherubims, palm branches, &c., all in fret work: over the north aisle are two small cupolas. The pulpit is of oak, carved and enriched with cherubims, fruit, &c. The altar-piece is adorned with four columns, their entablature and compass pediment, of the Corinthian order; in the middle of the pediment are the arms of England, carved, gilt and painted. The inter columns are the Commandments, done in gold on black; and the Pater-noster and Creed, in black letter on gold. Over the decalogue, is a glory between two cherubims, with other enrichments of cartouches, &c., principally gilded. The communion table is a marble slab on a carved frame, inclosed within a rail and baluster. There are also three inuer wainscot door-cases; that at the west end, adorned with two fluted pilasters; their architrave, friezes, cornice, and pediment, of the Corinthian order, enriched with leaves, fruit, &c.; those on the north and south sides, are plain. The dimensions of the church are, length one hundred feet; breadth, sixty-three; altitude, about forty-five; and the tower to the apex of the pinnacle, one hundred and thirty-five feet. Amongst the rectors of eminence, who have belonged to this church, are Thomas Tomkins, D. D. rector also of Lambeth. He was so much esteemed by archbishop Shelden, that he kept him many years as his domestic chaplain; and to induce him to reside, gave him the rectory of Lambeth. Dr. Tomkins died at Exeter, August 20, 1675, aged thirty-seven. Offspring Blackhall, D. D. lecturer of St. Olave, and of St. Dunstan in the west; chaplain of William III., and bishop of Exeter, where he died 1716. George Lushington, LL.D. bishop of Exeter. John Taylor, LL.D. archdeacon of Bucks; chancellor of Lincoln, and editor of the "Orations of Lysias and Demosthenes." He died in September, 1772. In Budge-row, (on the north side,) which was so called from being the residence of those citizens who dealt in budge or lambskin fur, and of skinners, is the parish church of St. Anthony, vulgarly called St. Antholin's or Antlin's. The date of the foundation of this church is uncertain. The church was re-edified by Thomas Knowles, grocer, mayor, and his son, about the year 1399. John de Wells, mayor in the year 1431, built the south aisle of the church; and John Tate, citizen and mercer, rebuilt the church in the year 1573. It was repaired and beautified in 1616, at the cost of 1000l. towards which Mr. Henry Jay, alderman, Sir William Craven, and others, bountifully contributed. This fabric was demolished by the fire of 1666, and the present edifice completed after the designs of Sir Christopher Wren, 1682. The church is built of stone, and covered with slate; the outside of the Tuscan order, but the roof, within an eliptical cupola, with four port-hole windows, is supported by eight pillars of the Composite order. This cupola is adorned with fret work of festoons, &c.; the walls lined with wainscot, seven feet high, and the whole is well paved. A handsome gallery at the west end, is ornamented with an excellent organ. The pulpit was a handsome piece of carving decorated with fruit, cherubims, &c. The altar piece is of wainscot, consisting of four columns of the Corinthian order, fluted, with entablatures and two pediments; the intercolumns are the Lord's Prayer, Creed, and in the centre the Commandments, in frames, carved and gilt, surmounted by a glory, and three gilt cherubims; above the same are the arms of England. are two lamps, and the whole beautifully decorated by carvings of fruit, palm trees, festoons wreaths, &c. There is a handsome window of stained glass over the altar-piece, the gift of Mr. Thomas Croucher, in the year 1808. The communion table, a large marble slab placed on a carved frame, is enclosed by a rail and baluster. The choir paved with black and white marble; on the north side of the church is a marble font. The length of the church is sixty-six feet; breadth fifty-four, and height forty-four feet. A neat tower terminated by a handsome spire, highly ornamented with port-holes, pannels, crockets, &c. in height, about one hundred and fifty-four feet, was designed by Sir Christopher Wren, and erected by Mr. Cartwright. During last year (1829) it was partially pulled down and re-constructed. 66 When the old church was repaired in 1616, there was erected a very rich and beautiful gallery, every pane or division of it (the number of them fifty-two) filled with the arms of kings, queens, and princes of this kingdome, beginning with Edward the confessor, and ending with the badge or simball of Frederick, count palatine of the Rhine, duke of Bavere, and prince elector, &c." To this church is added the living of St. John the Baptist, after the fire of 1666, of which we shall give an account in Walbrook Ward. It is a rectory alternately in the gift of the crown, and the dean and chapter of St. Paul's. Amongst the epitaphs in the old church, was the following one Knowles, quite a model in its way: "Here lyeth, graven under this stone, And for he should not lye alone, Here Iyeth with him his good wife Joane : They were togethere sixty yeere, And nineteen children they had in feere." There was a lecture here every morning, at seven o'clock, but, on application to the bishop of the diocese, leave was granted to have it at the same hour in the evening, excepting for one week in |