St. Saviour’s School, in St. Saviour’s church yard, Southwark, was founded by the parish, for the education of boys in grammatical learning, and confirmed by letters patent granted by Queen Elizabeth, so early as the year 1562, and the fourth of her reign; by which six of the vestry are for ever appointed Governors.
To this school belong a Master and Usher, the former of whom has a salary of 30l. and the latter 20l. per annum.
St. Saviour’s Southwark, or St. Mary Overies, a church of great antiquity, situated to the south west of the bridge foot. In the place where it stands, is said to have been anciently a priory of nuns founded by one Mary a Virgin, the owner of a ferry over the river Thames, before the building of London bridge. Some time after the priory was converted into a college of Priests; but that establishment, as well as the former, proving of no long duration, it was in the year 1106 founded by two Norman Knights, and the Bishop of Winchester, for Canons regular, and from its dedication to the Virgin Mary, and its situation, was called St. Mary Overie, that is, St. Mary over the river.
This edifice was destroyed by fire about the year 1207; but it being soon after rebuilt, Peter de Rupibus, Bishop of Winchester, added to it a spacious chapel, which he dedicated to St. Mary Magdalen; and this being afterwards appointed for the use of the inhabitants, it at last became their parish church.
The monastery and church were rebuilt in the reigns of Richard II. and Henry IV. but at the general suppression of religious houses were surrendered to Henry VIII. in the year 1539; upon which the parishes of St. Mary Magdalen, and St. Margaret, purchased the conventual church of King Henry; and were the next year united by act of Parliament, and the church being then repaired, was called by the new name of St. Saviour’s. Stowe.
Both the construction and extent of this Gothic structure resemble a cathedral more than a parish church. The length is 260 feet, and that of the cross isle 109: the breadth of the body is 54 feet, and the height of the tower, including the pinacles, is 150 feet. The construction of the windows, entrances, and every other part, is purely in the Gothic style, except a modern door, which is neither Gothic, nor agreeable to the rules of any other architecture. The tower, which is square, and well proportioned, is supported by massy pillars over the meeting of the middle and cross isles; it is crowned with battlements, and has a pinacle at each corner.
In a chapel at the east end of the church is the monument of Bishop Andrews, who was interred there; and in another part of the church is that of the Bishop of Winchester; but the most singular monument is that of the family of the Austins, erected in the last century, and repaired, new painted, and gilt by the relations in 1706.
The first figure is a rock, upon which is written, Petra erat XTS. that is, The rock was Christ. Down this rock runs a stream of water; and out of it glides a serpent, his old skin being stript off by the rock, which is seen hanging on that part of his back that is not yet got thro’. At the foot of the rock there grows standing corn, on which is a label with these words, Si non moriatur, non reviviscit, that is, If it dieth not, it liveth not again. Underneath the corn is this motto, Nos sevit, fovit, lavit, coget, renovabit, i.e. He hath sown, cherished, washed us, and shall gather us together and renew us.
Upon the top of the rock stands an angel, holding a sickle in his left hand, and with his right pointing to the sun, which shines, and on its lower rays is a label, upon which is, Sol justitiæ, i.e. The Sun of righteousness.
On the sides of the monument are scythes, flails, shepherds crooks, rakes, ploughs, harrows, and other instruments of husbandry hanging by a ribband out of a Death’s head; and above them, Vos estis agricultura, i.e. Ye are God’s husbandry.