Historical sources for a Statement of Significance
Material history: The building of the church
To find out more about the building of the original church you could consult the following:
- Any earlier published histories of the church. You might find a reference in the British library integrated catalogue or the Bibliography of British and Irish History. In many cases you will find that the publication is in the possession of the church; however, if not you should be able to locate a copy at your local borough archive, Lambeth Palace Library or the British Library.
- The various published surveys of churches, many of which focus on London, and which often include information on architects and craftsmen. Some recommended works are:
Michael Port, Six Hundred New Churches: The Church Building Commission 1818-1856, London: Spire, 2006.
Basil F. L. Clarke, Parish Churches of London, London 1966
Peter Howell and James Sutton, The Faber Guide to Victorian Churches, London: Faber, 1989.
Blatch, Mervyn, A guide to London Churches, London, 1995
On the City churches see:
Simon Bradley & Nikolaus Pevsner, London: the City Churches, London, 1998
Paul Jeffrey, The City Churches of Sir Christopher Wren, London, 1996
- Local newspapers, often found in local archives, will often include detailed reports on the opening of a church which may include details on architects, craftsmen, architecture, specifications, benefactors etc.
- For churches built after 1818 the most important archival source may be the files of the Incorporated Church Building Society at Lambeth Palace Library. There are files relating to individual applications for grants to assist church building and these include architectural plans, artistic impressions, specifications and also information regarding benefactors for the project. The architectural plans and layouts from these plans have been digitised online at www.churchplansonline.org.
- Various sources relating to the establishment of the church, such as legal papers and architectural material, may be available at the London Metropolitan Archives.
- For context on the relationship between the architect or craftsman in international, national, regional and local architectural movements, you could consult the following books:
James White, The Cambridge Movement: the ecclesiologists and the gothic revival, Cambridge: Ecclesiological Society, 1962.
Chris Brooks and Andrew Saint, eds, The Victorian Church: Architecture and Society, Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1995.
James Stephens Curl, Piety Proclaimed. An Introduction to Places of Worship in Victorian England, London: Historical Publications Ltd., 2002.
Basil F. L. Clarke, Church-Builders of the Nineteenth Century, London: Society for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge, 1938.
M. Child, English Church Architecture - A Visual Guide, Batsford, 1981.
For further information on the materiality of churches visit the website of the Ecclesiological Society at www.ecclsoc.org (select ‘Research’ in the left-hand side menu. Another invaluable resource is the interactive DVD produced by the Centre for Christianity and Culture: The English Parish Church through the Centuries.
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