Tag: Hackney

Hippo and Hoxton

The Augustinian Priory of St Monica, Hoxton Square, London N1

I recently had a chance to play the pipe-organ at the Augustinians’ priory in Hoxton Square, just north of the City of London. Who knew that the  Augustinians continue a 150-year presence in Hoxton, or that the Hoxton Priory was the first Augustinian house to have been established in England since Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries?

Hoxton Square, London, (UK), looking towards the the north end of the eastern side, showing (l-r) the school, church and priory of St Monica, built 1864-66 for the Augustinians, by E. W. Pugin (1834-75).
Hoxton Square, street sign
Hoxton Square, London (UK), the north end of the eastern side, showing (l-r) the school, church and priory of St Monica, built 1864-66 for the Augustinians, by E. W. Pugin (1834-75).

Hoxton Square was built up by London merchants during the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. By the time of the Augustinians’ arrival in the 1860s the area was – as Charles Booth’s ‘poverty maps’ (1889) indicate – a socially very mixed area with the comfortably off living side by side with the very poorest. At this time the area was largely given over to trade and manufacture, especially the furniture trade. It was also home to alms-houses and private mad-houses (lunatic asylums).

Detail of Charles Booth’s ‘Maps Descriptive of London Poverty, 1898-9’; the black marker indicates Hoxton Square. (Source: https://booth.lse.ac.uk/). The Priory church, house and school, occupies the northern end of the eastern side of the square.
A legend, for Charles Booth’s ‘Maps Descriptive of London Poverty, 1898-9’; the black marker indicates Hoxton Square. (Source: https://booth.lse.ac.uk/).
Charles Booth’s ‘Maps Descriptive of London Poverty, 1898-9’; the black marker indicates Hoxton Square. (Source: https://booth.lse.ac.uk/).

Just thirteen years later, Charles Booth in his Life and Labour of the People in London (1902) gave a bleak assessment of the population:

The character of the whole locality is working-class. Poverty is everywhere, with a considerable admixture of the very poor and vicious … Large numbers have been and are still being displaced by the encroachment of warehouses and factories … Hoxton is known for its costers and Curtain criminals, for its furniture trade … No servants are kept except in the main Road shopping streets and in a few remaining middle class squares in the west.

This area is now seeing much better days, and is best-known for its trend-setting creative industries and galleries, popularly satirised of late for its population of so-called ‘hipsters’, or should that now be ‘yuccies’?

Hipsters or yuccies?
Hipsters or yuccies?
Hipsters or yuccies?

The Augustinians’ priory buildings (1864-66) – church, priory house and school – were designed by E. W. Pugin (1834-75). The church is dedicated to St Monica, the mother of the Order’s patron, St Augustine of Hippo (354-430); the town of Hippo is now present-day Annaba in Algeria. The elaborate decoration of the church’s chancel has recently been restored and is splendid.

St Monica’s Priory, Hoxton, London (UK); part of the restored decoration of the chancel
St Monica’s Priory, Hoxton, London (UK); original wall decoration.
St Monica’s Priory, Hoxton, London (UK); part of the restored decoration of the chancel
St Monica’s Priory, Hoxton, London (UK); nave, looking east, before the renovation of the chancel decorations.
St Monica’s Priory, Hoxton, London (UK); aisle, looking west.

The pipe-organ (1866) is on a gallery at the west end of the church made by the London firm of Bishop and Sons, probably for this church. The handsome case however, belies an incomplete and dull instrument. My guess is that it arrived incomplete for want of funds and was never finished.

The pipe organ (1866) in St Monica’s Priory, Hoxton, London (UK)
The pipe organ (1866) in St Monica’s Priory, Hoxton, London (UK); right-hand stop jamb
The pipe organ (1866) in St Monica’s Priory, Hoxton, London (UK); lower left-hand stop jamb
The pipe organ (1866) in St Monica’s Priory, Hoxton, London (UK); pedal board
The pipe organ (1866) in St Monica’s Priory, Hoxton, London (UK)
The pipe organ (1866) in St Monica’s Priory, Hoxton, London (UK); cooer left-hand stop jamb
The pipe organ (1866) in St Monica’s Priory, Hoxton, London (UK)

Nowadays it is in a sorry condition and scarcely passes muster. The poor-sounding pipework and the worn-out mechanics are probably not special enough to warrant restoration, but  even if restored this pipe-organ would not be particularly useful. I suspect that the case and visible pipework will always have to remain, being part of the historic fabric. Meanwhile, we can only hope for a generous benefaction finally to allow the commissioning of  a new instrument for the old case that is worthy of the location and its traditions.

A Mission to Hackney

St Mary-of-Eton, Hackney Wick, London E9 5JA

Hackney Wick is an ancient settlement in the east of London, once owned by the Templars; ‘Wick’ is derived from a Saxon term denoting a small settlement. Hackney Wick is situated at the southern-most edge of Hackney Marshes, on the west bank of the tidal River Lea, close to the point where it empties into the Thames. Even today some large open tracts of land remain, now used mostly for sports and recreation, not least venues for the 2012 London Olympics.

Map of Hackney Marsh, London c.2012
The River Lea and the London Olympic[ic Park c2015 (www.flickr.com/photos/simon__syon/)
Hackney Wick canalside, 2012
Hackney Marsh c2000
Hackney Wick
Hackney Wick canalside, c2013

Canalisation of the River Lea began in the late eighteenth century and from then until the later twentieth century the Hackney Wick waterside became an industrial zone taking advantage of the plentiful supplies of water and easy access to the London Docks; smelting works, paper mills paint making, and other chemical-based process were pioneered here. For example the earliest plastics, Parkesine and shellac, were first commercially produced in Hackney Wick, as too the first dry-cleaning agents and a number of synthetic dyes.

Berger paint factory, Hackney Wick, London c1900
Hackney Wick canalside, c2013
Parkesine factory, Hackney Wick, London, c.2013
View of farm buildings near a stream in Hackney Wick c1795
Factory buildings near Hackney Wick c1795
Factory buildings viewed across a field, near Hackney Wick c1795

With industrialisation came a massive population increase, since in those days workers lived close to where they worked. Six thousand people lived in Hackney Wick by 1879. The nearby Rover Lea was heavily polluted by factory effluent and sewerage. In the 1880s the social reformer Charles Booth mapped Hackney Wick and noted that most of the the inhabitants were very poor and in extreme want.

The location of St Mary-of-Eton church London E9, c.1898, from William Booth’s ‘Life and Labour of the People in London’: http://booth.lse.ac.uk
The location of St Mary-of-Eton church London E9, c.1898, from William Booth’s ‘Life and Labour of the People in London’: http://booth.lse.ac.uk
The location of St Mary-of-Eton church London E9, c.2000.
The location of St Mary-of-Eton church London E9, c.2000.

At about this time Eton School opened an Anglican mission in Hackney Wick, where there had not previously been a church presence. This became the parish of St Mary of Etion and a fine Gothic-revival church was built (1890-92) to the design of  G. F. Bodley (1827–1907) & Thomas Garner (1839–1906), extended in 1911-12 by C. G. Hare (1875–1932).

St Mary-of-Eton church (1890), London E9, from the north east c.2000
St Mary-of-Eton church (1890), London E9; looking east c.2000
St Mary-of-Eton church (1890), London E9, viewed from the south east c.1906
St Mary-of-Eton church (1890), London E9, looking west, c.2000
St Mary-of-Eton church (1890), London E9, looking south-west, c.2000
St Mary-of-Eton church (1890), London E9, the sanctuary c.2013
St Mary-of-Eton church (1890), London E9, viewed from the north east c.1892
St Mary-of-Eton church (1890), London E9, from the south east c.2000
St Mary-of-Eton church (1890), London E9, bell-tower gate and courtyard flanked by church (r) and hall (l), c.1950
St Mary-of-Eton church (1890), London E9, the pulpit c.2013

From 1959 and throughout the 1960s the Eton MIssion developed a thriving youth club (the 59 Club), hosting up-and-coming bands such as such as Cliff Richard and the Shadows, seen here entertaining Princess Margaret when she visited the Eton Mission in 1962. Although the youth club is no more its motorcycle section is still-thriving as the ’59 Club’, as are the Eton Mission Rowing Club and several football and rugby clubs.

Eton School continued active support of the church until the 1970s. At about the same time all heavy industry began to leave the area. After many years of decline and social deprivation Hackney Wick is now experiencing rapid post-industrial regeneration driven by the arrival of high-tech and creative industries that are taking advantage of the former factory sites and now very pleasant waterside situations. A major and much-acclaimed restoration and redevelopment of the church and its adjacent property was concluded in 2015, providing housing and new church facilities, while retaining the original church intact.

St Mary-of-Eton church (1890), London E9, looking west, c.2015
St Mary-of-Eton church (1890), London E9, viewed from the south west, new buildings c.2015
St Mary-of-Eton church (1890), London E9, interior, looking north-east, c.2016
St Mary-of-Eton church (1890), London E9,; the sanctuary c.2015
St Mary-of-Eton church (1890), London E9, west front, showing 2015 residential additions, c.2016.

In 1965 a fine two-manual organ was installed in the church at a cost of £3,500 by the firm of Grant, Degens and Rippin (1965), their opus 12. This instrument replaced the existing organ (1898) made by the firm of J. W. Walker. Very little of the old instrument was retained, apart from a few bass pipes. The new organ featured in an EMI recording of some of J. S. Bach’s chorale preludes played by the organist Simon Preston accompanied by the English Singers (ref. HQS 1131).

Even today, the instrument has a bold contemporary appearance; its stark  unenclosed pipework sits on a high platform at the south-west end of the nave. The console was originally placed on a platform opposite but following the full restoration of the organ (2015), during the church’s restoration and redevelopment, the console is now on the floor of the church at the south-east,

St Mary-of-Eton church (1890), London E9, organ console and sanctuary, 2016
St Mary-of-Eton church (1890), London E9, organ-builder’s plate, c.2016
St Mary of Eton, Hackney Wick, London; the organ restoration funder’s plate 2016
St Mary of Eton, Hackney Wick, London; the organ console 2016
St Mary-of-Eton church (1890), London E9, interior, looking sotuh-west, c.2016, showing the organ (1965)

Jerusalem E9

St John of Jerusalem, London E9

 

The church of St John of Jerusalem in Hackney, east London, UK; a nineteenth-century engraving of the north side.
The church of St John of Jerusalem in Hackney, east London, UK; a nineteenth-century engraving of the south side.
The church of St John of Jerusalem in Hackney, east London, UK; c.2016 the west facade.
The church of St John of Jerusalem in Hackney, east London, UK; c.2016 the north side.
The church of St John of Jerusalem in Hackney, east London, UK; c.2016 the west door.

Back in June of this year I had the chance to visit the rather lovely early Victorian church of St John of Jerusalem in Hackney, east London. The ‘Jerusalem’ in the name relates to the area’s historic links with the Order of St John of Jerusalem, which owned land and property in Hackney before the English Reformation (mid 16th century).

 

The church of St John of Jerusalem in Hackney, east London, UK; c.2016 the nave looking east
The church of St John of Jerusalem in Hackney, east London, UK; c.2016 the chancel.
The church of St John of Jerusalem in Hackney, east London, UK; c.2016 the nave looking east
The church of St John of Jerusalem in Hackney, east London, UK; c.2016 the nave looking east
The church of St John of Jerusalem in Hackney, east London, UK; c.2016 the nave looking east
The church of St John of Jerusalem in Hackney, east London, UK; c.2016 the nave looking east
The church of St John of Jerusalem in Hackney, east London, UK; c.2016 the chancel.

The parish dates from about 1810 and the current church was built in 1848. As the pictures show it is a rather lovely building, and the area around the church is much gentrified of late.

 

The church of St John of Jerusalem in Hackney, east London, UK; c.2016 the west gallery.
The church of St John of Jerusalem in Hackney, east London, UK; c.2016 the west gallery.
The church of St John of Jerusalem in Hackney, east London, UK; c.2016, Wyvern ST60 console.
The church of St John of Jerusalem in Hackney, east London, UK; c.2016, the nave, looking west.

Sadly the large and imposing west-gallery pipe organ (by the firm of Gray & Davidson c.1873) was removed in the early 1980s; only the facade pipe-display remains. It was replaced with one of the world’s first “dual specification” electronic analogue organs, the Wyvern ST60. Then cutting-edge, but now more than 30 years on a fine example of left-behind technology. In this age of advanced digital sound it does not sound good,  although we can be impressed by the quality of the workmanship that ensures it still works.

Orgelbewegung in north London

Our Lady & St Joseph, Balls Pond Road, London N1

I recently found my way to the church of Our Lady and St Joseph located on the Balls Pond Road in north London. The road is said to have been named after a pond owned by a John Ball who in much earlier times ran the Salutation Tavern (aka the Boarded House), which provided facilities for bull baiting and – on its pond – duck hunting.

The first church of Our Lady & St Joseph and school, London N1, late c19. Source: Taking Stock
Balls Pond, north London, shown on Ordnance Survey First Series, Sheet 7 (1856)
The location of Our Lady & St. Joseph’s church, London N1 4AG.

The parish was established in 1855 by Fr William Lockhart of the Rosminian Order. The first parish church (1856-c.1960) was located at the corner of Culford Road and Tottenham Street, Hackney. This church was converted from a disused warehouse by W. W. Wardell (1823-99), with further adaptation by E. W. Pugin (1834–75) completed in 1860.

The current buidling was designed by William C Mangen (1884-?) and was opened in 1964.

Church of Our Lady & St Joseph, London N1. Source: Geograph
Church of Our Lady & St Joseph, London N1. Source: Geograph
Church of Our Lady & St Joseph, London N1. Source: Geograph
Church of Our Lady & St Joseph, London N1. Source: Evinson
The church of Our Lady & St. Joseph, Islington, N1. Source: parish website.

The pipe organ

The organ here is by J. W. Walker and Sons (1964).

The J. W. Walker organ in the church of Our Lady & St Joseph, London N1. Source: Andrew Pink
The J. W. Walker organ in the church of Our Lady & St Joseph, London N1. Source: Andrew Pink
The J. W. Walker organ in the church of Our Lady & St Joseph, London N1. Source: Andrew Pink

It is a very nice English interpretation of the organ reform movement or Orgelbewegung, a twentieth-century organ design tradition that began in Germany. Here no concessions are made to ‘romantic’/’symphonic’ organ design, although the temperament is equal.

The J. W. Walker organ in the church of Our Lady & St Joseph, London N1. Source: Andrew Pink
The J. W. Walker organ in the church of Our Lady & St Joseph, London N1. Source: Andrew Pink
The J. W. Walker organ in the church of Our Lady & St Joseph, London N1. Source: Andrew Pink
The J. W. Walker organ in the church of Our Lady & St Joseph, London N1. Source: Andrew Pink
The J. W. Walker organ in the church of Our Lady & St Joseph, London N1. Source: Andrew Pink

The instrument is beautifully crafted and more than 50 years on is still lovely to play. Works by the Baroque masters and Paul Hindemith ‘et al’ suit it very nicely. Sadly, I had no opportunity to record the instrument. Next time maybe.

References