St. Mary Overies Church yard, in the Borough.
St. Mary Overies dock, at the end of Church way, in the Borough.
St. Mary Overies stairs, Deadman’s place.
St. Mary, Rotherhith, is situated near the bank of the Thames, and is distinguished from other churches dedicated to the Virgin Mary, by the name of the place in which it is situated. The old church had stood above 200 years, when in 1736, it was in so ruinous a condition, that the inhabitants applied to Parliament for leave to pull it down, which being granted, the present structure was finished in 1739.
This edifice is built with brick and ornamented with stone. It is enlightened by a double range of windows, and the corners both in the tower and body, are strengthened with a handsome rustic. The tower consists of two stages; in the lower are a door and window, in the upper a window and dial, and the whole is terminated by a balustrade, from which rises a circular base that supports a kind of lanthorn, very elegantly constructed with Corinthian columns; over these are urns with flames; and from the roof of this lanthorn rises a well-constructed spire terminated by a ball and fane.
This church is a rectory in the gift of a lay patron. The profits arising to the Incumbent are said to amount to above 150l. per annum.
The Hospital of St. Mary Rouncival, a cell to a priory of that name in Navarre in Spain, situated opposite the end of St. Martin’s lane, where Northumberland house now stands. It was founded and endowed by William Marshal, Earl of Pembroke, in the reign of Henry III. but this hospital was however suppressed by Henry V. and re-founded by Edward IV. in 1476, for a fraternity or brotherhood. At length it was suppressed, with the other religious houses, by King Henry VIII. and afterwards coming to Henry Howard, Earl of Northampton, he caused it to be demolished, and erected upon the site thereof the edifice then named Northampton house. See the article Northumberland House.
St. Mary Somerset, opposite Broken wharf in Thames street, and in Queenhithe ward, owes the additional epithet of Somerset (according to Mr. Stowe’s conjecture) to its vicinity to Sumner’s het or hithe, a small port or haven resembling that of Queenhithe. A church was situated in this place before the year 1335; but the old edifice sharing the fate of most of the other public buildings, in the fire of London, the present structure was erected in its room.
The body of this edifice is enlightened by a range of lofty arched windows, and the wall is terminated by a balustrade. A well-proportioned square tower rises to a considerable height, and is crowned with a handsome vase at each corner, supported on a very ornamental pedestal, with a handsome turret between in the form of an obelisk, each supported on the same kind of pedestal as the vases, and crowned with a ball.
The patronage of the church is in lay hands, and the parish of St. Mary Mounthaw being annexed to it, the Incumbent’s profits are considerably increased; he having, besides casualties and two parsonage houses, 110l. a year in lieu of tithes, and about 30l. in glebe.