OLD LONDON CHURCH

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 423, 6 January 1933, Page 2

OLD LONDON CHURCH

ALMOST LOST FROM SIGHT IN HEART OF BUSINESS AREA London, Saturday. Almost lost in the heart of the great business section which surrounds it on every side in Bishopsgate, the Church of St. Ethelhurga is ohe of the few authentie bits of medieval London which has survived the passage of time. It was built so long ago — sometime during the early stages of the thirteenth ceritury — that little of its early history is recorded. The church was named after Ethelhurga, the famous abbess of Barking, whose father was Ethalbert, king of Kent. Money for building the church was raised by the abbess. Old recoi'ds show that the church was once one of the richest in England. Gold, silver, marble and alabaster orhamerited the interior, but almost all of its riches has been lost or destroyed during the past 700 years. For one thing njany Of its valued possessions were sold at iritervals in order to pay the cost of expensive repairs. u The reputed wealth of the church was such as to attract the attention of King Heriry VIII, however, but he' made his demands tOo late. The hulk of the treasure had already been sold to rebuild the roof, according to an ( ancient document, "as it raineth in divers places to the great annoyance and disquietness of the whole parishioners." The Ohufeh of Ethelhurga is of historical interest to Americans, for it Was here that Hendrick Hudson and his small crew attended th'eir last divine service before sailing in a vain search for the North-WOst Passage to Asia in 1607. The famous "Maids Gallery," built in 1629 "for the daughters and maidservants of the parish to sit in," has been destroyed and the famous brass plaque erected to the memory of W. Williams, sword hearer to 52 Lord Mayors of Londoh, has been lost. In 1666 the Great Fire which' swept London left the Church of St. Ethelhurga intact. It was one of thd feW buildings to survive that disaster. The custom of permitting shops to be built across the front of the church, Which was started in 1507 in an effort to raise money still continues. With larger buldings on either side as well St. - Ethelburga's is almost lost from sight.