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Key Image St James Garlickhythe
Garlick Hill
EC4V 2AF London (City of London)
United Kingdom
Denomination: Anglican
Congregation: St. James Garlickhythe with St. Michael Queenhithe etc. (Diocese of London, Archdeaconry of London, The City)
Geogr. Coordinates: 51.5111° N, 0.0937° W
Geo Location
Reference year: 1682
Architectural style: Baroque
Building type: Basilica
Description: Baroque basilica with west tower; known as “Wren’s Lantern” for its high ceiling and good light
Name derivation: From St James and the nearby jetty (Anglo-saxon “hythe”), which was used for delivering garlic to the city
Building material
  • Brick and Kentish ragstone, partly faced with white portland stone
Bells
  • Eight bells (“Royal Jubilee Bells”), cast by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry (03/06/2012)
Noteworthy
  • Tower clock (rebuilt in 1988 in the image of the original clock)
  • Bronze statue of Martin Spencer, “Bargemaster” of the Vintners’ Company (guild of the wine merchants)
Organ
  • Installed in 1718 by Johann Knoppell, but case believed to be built by Bernhardt Schmidt, called “Father Smith” (1719)
History:
12th cent.:   First mention of a predecessor church
1326:   Construction of a Gothic church
Sep 1666:   Destruction during the Great Fire of London
1682:   Completion of the six-year reconstruction period (architect Christopher Wren)
1685:   Completion of the tower
1876:   Enlargement of the chancel
1917:   Bomb damage during World War I
About 1940:   Minor bomb damage during World War II
Late 20th cent.:   Major damage by deathwatch beetle in the roof timbers and a crane counterweight
1988:   Recreation of the tower clock, which was destroyed during World War II
Important persons:
Architect:  Wren, Christopher (1632–1723, British astronomer and architect)
Organ builder:  Smith, Bernard, called “Father Smith” (1630–1708, organ builder, born in Germany as “Bernhardt Schmidt”, lived and worked in England from 1667)
Patron:  James (d. c. 43, apostle, martyr)
Dimensions:
Length [m]:  23
Nave Span [m]:  14
Nave Height [m]:  12
Tower Height [m]:  27
Sources
Bradley, Simon, Nikolaus Pevsner: London: The City Churches, Yale University Press, New Haven/London 2002, pp. 92–94
Brown, Don: Blog-Eintrag „St James Garlickhythe“, London 2015, http://stuffaboutlondon.co.uk/city-of-london/st-james-garlickhythe/, retrieved 27/06/2017
Milizia, Francesco: The Lives of Celebrated Architects, Ancient and Modern: With historical and critical observations on their works, and on the principles of the art, J. Taylor, London 1826
Millar, Stephen: London’s City Churches, Metro Publications, London 2013, pp. 90–93
Speel, Bob: St James Garlickhythe monuments, http://www.speel.me.uk/chlondon/stjamesgarlickhythe.htm, retrieved 06/09/2018
St James Garlickhythe: St James Garlickhythe – History, http://www.stjamesgarlickhythe.org/history, retrieved 27/06/2017
Tucker, Tony: City of London Churches, Guidelines Books, Stoke-on-Trent 2013, pp. 54–55
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