St. George’s fields, a large space between Lambeth and Southwark, where have been found many Roman coins, chequered pavements, and bricks, it being the center of three Roman ways. Since the building of Westminster bridge, a new road has been made across these fields, which leading into the Borough forms a communication between the two bridges.
St. George’s Hanover square, is situated on the east side of George street, near the square, whence it had its additional epithet. This is one of the churches that were found necessary, upon the great increase of public buildings in this part of the town; for the church of St Martin’s in the Fields being at too great a distance from the new streets, and too small for the inhabitants, the Commissioners for the fifty new churches gave orders for erecting one in the skirts of the parish, on which this august pile arose, and was consecrated in 1724.
This church, considering the extent of the parish, is too small. It has a plain body with an elegant portico: the columns, which are Corinthian, are of a large diameter, and the pediment has its acroteria, but without farther ornament. It has a tower, which, above the clock, is elegantly adorned at the corners with coupled Corinthian columns that are very lofty. These are crowned with their entablature, which at each corner supports two vases, and over these the tower still rises till it is terminated by a dome crowned with a turret which supports a ball, over which rises the weather-cock.
This church is a rectory; the parish at first consisted of the two out wards of that of St. Martin’s in the Fields; but it has now four wards, named Conduit street, Grosvenor street, Dover street, and the out ward. The advowson is settled upon the Bishop of London and his successors. The profits arising to the Rector, are said to amount to about 600l. per annum. Lieutenant General Stewart gave the ground on which this church was erected, and some time after bequeathed to this parish the sum of 4000l. towards erecting and endowing a charity school in it.
St. George’s Middlesex, situated on the north side of Ratcliff Highway, is another of the churches occasioned by the increase of buildings in a part of the town opposite to the former. The Commissioners for erecting fifty new churches caused the foundation to be laid in the year 1715, and the structure was finished in 1729.
This is a massy structure, erected in a very singular taste. The floor is raised a considerable height above the level of the ground; and to the principal door, which is in the west front of the tower, is an ascent by a double flight of steps, cut with a sweep, and defended by a low wall of the same form; but what is most singular in this structure, is, there are two turrets over the body of the church, and one on the tower, which last is in the manner of a fortification, with a staff on the top for an occasional flag. The author of The Review of the Public Buildings calls this edifice a mere Gothic heap of stone, without form or order.
The parish is taken out of that of Stepney; and by act of parliament the hamlet of Wapping Stepney is appropriated to that purpose, and in all respects rendered independent of Stepney parish. Towards the maintenance of the Rector and his successors, the parliament gave the sum of 3000l. to be laid out in the purchase of lands, tenements, &c. in fee simple; and as a farther provision, the churchwardens are annually to pay him the sum of 100l. to be raised by burial fees. The advowson of this rectory, like that of Stepney, is in the Principal and Scholars of King’s hall, and Brazen nose college, Oxford.
St. George’s Queen square, also arose from the increase of buildings. Several gentlemen at the extremity of the parish of St. Andrew’s Holborn, having proposed the erecting of a chapel for religious worship, Sir Streynsham Master, and fourteen of the other neighbouring gentlemen, were appointed trustees for the management of this affair. These gentlemen in the year 1705, agreed with Mr. Tooley to give him 3500l. for erecting a chapel and two houses, intending to reimburse themselves by the sale of pews; and this edifice being finished the next year, they settled annual stipends for the maintenance of a chaplain, an afternoon preacher who was also reader, and a clerk, giving to the first and second a salary of 100l. each, and to the last 50l. But the Commissioners for erecting fifty new churches resolving to make this one of them, purchased it, caused a certain district to be appointed for its parish, and had it consecrated in the year 1723, when it was dedicated to St. George in compliment to Sir Streynsham Master, who had been Governor of Fort St. George in the East Indies. Maitland.
This church is a plain common building void of all elegance; it is however convenient and well enlightened. The rectory, like that of St. Andrew’s, is in the Duke of Montague’s gift.
St. George’s Southwark, is situated at the south east corner of St. Margaret’s hill. There was a church in this place before the year 1122, which in 1629, was repaired and beautified within. This edifice was preserved by its situation, from the dreadful conflagration in 1666; but the decays of age rendered it necessary to take it down in 1734, when the present church was begun, and finished in 1736.