All about Battersea

by Henry S. Simmonds

ST. PETER'S CHURCH, Plough Lane, is a beautiful Gothic structure built of red brick, with chancel, nave, aisles, and lofty tower with spire pointing like a finger to the sky as if to remind man that when the Saturday night of this world shall arrive and earth's trials are o'er "there remaineth a rest for the people of God."—Hebrews iv. 9.

In the tower are four illuminated dials, by Messrs. Gillett & Bland of Croydon. The Church has sittings for about 820. The top-stone of the spire of St. Peter's Church was laid about 5 p.m., on the 24th of April, 1876, by Mr. Toone, in the presence of Mr. White the Architect, Mr. Carter the Builder, Mr. Williams the Clerk of the Works, and a few others, with the formula "In the faith of Jesus Christ and to the glory of His Holy Name we lay the top-stone of this spire of St. Peter's Church, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, Amen." A crowd of well-wishers below watched the ceremony with interest. The corner-stone of this church was laid by the Bishop of Winchester, on St. Peter's Day of 1875, and on the same festival, June 29th, 1876, it was Consecrated by the same prelate. At the Consecration Service the Bishop of Guildford read the Gospel, the Rev. S. Cooper Scott the Epistle, and the Bishop of the Diocese preached the Sermon from the words of the Gospel "Thou art Peter and on this rock I will build my Church." There were 120 communicants. The Bishop of Guildford preached in the evening to an overflowing congregation.

The interior of St. Peter's Church is spacious. The rich carving of the capitals has been executed by Mr. Harry Hems, of Exeter, as also the pulpit and font. The pulpit is of stone with alabaster figures introduced in the panels representing St. Peter, St. Paul, St. John, Isaiah, King Solomon, Moses and Noah. The bowl of the font is also of alabaster supported by angels carved in the same material. The pavement is beautifully tessellated and has several scriptural illustrations. The seats are fixed—these and all the internal wood-work are varnished. The cost of erection was about £10,500. The belfry at present contains one bell only, a tenor of six, it cost £120, and cast with the words on it, "When I do call, come serve God all!" It was rung on St. Peter's day, 1876. The Register dates from 1876. The living is a Vicarage, in the gift of the Vicar of St. Mary, and held by the Rev. John Toone, B.A., of St. John's College, Cambridge.

"I was glad when they said unto me let us go into the house of the Lord. Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces."—Psalm cxxix. 1-7.

St. Peter's Temporary Church and School-room was completed in 1874, at a cost of £1,200. St. Peter's Vicarage was formerly the residence of Mr. Burney.

TEMPORARY CHURCH OF THE ASCENSION, Lavender Hill.—A permanent church adjacent is now in course of erection, and being raised by voluntary contributions. The Rev. J. B. Wilkinson is the Officiating Minister. The foundation stone of this church was laid by the Earl of Glasgow, 1st of June, 1876. This structure is being built of Bath stone and red bricks, and is groined throughout with stone ribs and brick panels. The foundation stone is situated under the "altar." James Brooks, Architect, 35, Wellington Street, Strand; Mr. Chessam, Builder, Shoreditch.

"A day in thy courts is better than a thousand; I had rather be a door-keeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness."—Psalm lxxxiv. 10.

ST. MICHAEL'S CHURCH, Chatham Road, Bolingbroke Grove, Wandsworth Common—the Memorial to the Rev. H. B. Verdon and Mr. Philip Cazenove, the eminent and successful merchant. The Temporary Iron Mission Church which for the last nine years had been used as a Chapel-of-Ease to the Mother Church of St. Mary, Battersea, and the site on which the present edifice is erected were the gifts of the latter gentleman. Henry Boutflower Verdon was born December 8, 1846. Himself the son of an excellent clergyman was educated at the Clergy Orphan School, Canterbury, from which he went to Jesus College, Cambridge, as Rustat Scholar and took his degree in 1868. After a period of study at Cuddensdon Theological College he began clerical work as a curate under the Rev. Aubrey Price, M.A., Vicar of St. James', Clapham, where the poor speak in affectionate terms of his memory. In the Spring of 1872 he became curate of Battersea, a few weeks after the appointment of the present Vicar. From the first Mr. Verdon took special interest in the district known as Chatham Road, Bolingbroke Grove, and the residents there were very much attached to him. The Sunday evening services and Sunday Schools held in St. Michael's Chapel were objects of his unremitting care. He acted as the Secretary of the Committee during the time St. Mark's Church was being built. He was an active member of the Charitable Organization Committee—he promoted the work of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and established a mission Branch in Battersea. His marriage in January, 1879, to Miss Wheeler, was the cause of much congratulation; but before the expiration of many months this conjugal relationship was to be severed. Had he lived the Incumbency of St. Mark's Church would have been transferred to him. He died of a rapid consumption October 10, 1879.

The two Memorial Stones were laid in the Chancel of the Church (which is now completed) by the Archbishop of Canterbury. "The Archbishop after tapping them with the mallet saying at each 'In the faith of Jesus Christ we place this stone for a memorial of thy faithful servant whose name is written thereon and in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost,' and the choir chanting Amen. The stone on the south side of the chancel bore the inscription carved in antique on a gilt ground, 'Henry Boutflower Verdon, M.A., Æt. 33 obt. X. Oct. A.D. 1879,' and that on the north side, the words, 'In mema. grata Philip Cazenove, Æt. 81 obt. XX. Jan. A.D. 1880.' After laying the stones the Archbishop delivered a short address in the course of which he said that the two servants of God whose names were on the memorial stones worked hand in hand together for good though separated from each other by fifty years of life; one dying almost in his prime and the other living on to a long old age but each dedicated to the service of God, one ministering in the sanctuary and daily officiating in the house of God, the other taking part during a long life in the trade and exchange of this great city, busy with the arrangements by which human industry is promoted. Both different yet wonderfully alike, and both judicious servants bearing the stamp of their heavenly Master and serving Him bravely, faithfully and laboriously. Let them be thankful that this space of fifty made no difference in the two men. As we got old we began to think that wisdom and goodness were with the old only, but he thanked God that in His Church there never had failed and never would fail a succession of faithful servants century after century to carry on the work which the Lord loves and which will make the world at last ready for His second coming. The name on the one stone might be little known beyond his own neighbourhood or the name of the other beyond the city of London, but they were known to their heavenly Master whom they served faithfully, and in His book are the names of both written. The memory of the young man whose name was on the one stone would linger long among those whom he loved and the poor and the sick to whom he had endeared himself and for whom he faithfully laboured, but for the speaker his thoughts and friendship were with the old man whose name was on the other stone. Five and twenty years ago when the speaker entered on the laborious work of the See of London, the first to welcome and assist him was Mr. Cazenove. He belonged to the noble band who helped Bishop Bloomfield from the very first. Those five and twenty years had been as laboriously spent in doing good as the years that had gone before. When those men first entered on the work how different was this suburb of London to what it is now. Great wars had absorbed the attention of men, and a large population had grown up before people knew it, and before men had thought of the duty of meeting the spiritual wants of the new suburbs. If it had not been for the noble band who gathered round Bishop Bloomfield what a different account would have had to be rendered now. Let us trust and believe that when all of us have passed away it will be found that God has raised up a succession of faithful servants; men of every business and profession who will still regard the profession of Jesus Christ as the most noble of all, for no profession was more noble than the service of the Heavenly King. Let us trust that with dangers around us the spirit of vigorous Christianity may continue to be triumphant as it had been in so many instances already. Let us trust to the good work begun and carried forward during the last fifty years will flourish with God's blessing for many years to come."

"The new church is a plain Gothic structure built of red and stock bricks, and is 90 feet long by 70 feet wide. It consists of a nave, chancel, and two aisles, surmounted with a timber roof of three spans covered with red tiles. There are two entrances, one in Chatham Road and the other in Darley Road; the former surmounted by a figure of St. Michael in conflict with the serpent. There is also a small tower containing a bell weighing 2 cwt. There is a commodious crypt beneath the chancel. The latter contains three rows of stalls for the clergy and choir, and is lighted by six small windows of stained glass, in each of which there is an angel exquisitely executed from the Studio of Messrs. Lavers, Barraud and Westlake. It is also intended to place a reredos of white marble here. The altar is approached from the nave by nine steps. The nave communicates with the aisles by large Gothic arches supported on octagonal pillars of 'granolith'—a material composed of granite chips and Portland cement. The floor is of blocks of wood and the building is 'pewed' with open benches to accommodate about 750 worshippers. The pulpit (a memorial gift by Mr. Verdon's widow) is of carved oak with a base of Caen stone, and is reached by a short flight of stone steps. Behind the pulpit in the south aisle is the organ, which has been brought from St. Luke's church, Derby, and was built by Mr. Abbott of Leeds. At the west end of the church is a font (which is in memory of a loved grandchild of Mr. Cazenove) of veined marble supported by nine columns of polished granite and Caen stone. It is surmounted by a polished oak cover and is a gift 'to the glory of God and the memory of Philip Henry Hessey.' The church is warmed with hot air. It has been erected by Mr. J. D. Hobson, from the designs of Mr. White, F.S.A. The total cost is £4500, which (with the exception of £800 unpaid at the commencement of the dedication services) had all been contributed by the relatives and friends of the late H. B. Verdon and Philip Cazenove. The church is provided with prayer books, hymn books, and kneelers throughout."