St Etheldreda's Church, Ely Place

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UK:England & Wales South;Inset London,1903 map
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LORD BYRON, THE WORKS, MURRAY LONDON 1832-33 17 VOLUMES
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W. J. Loftie, adding to the incomplete work of Sir Walter Besant, in The Fascination of London, published in 1903, continues his survey of Holborn with this look at St Etheldreda's Church, Ely Place:

During the Civil War Ely house was used both as a hospital and a prison.

Great part of it was demolished during the imprisonment of Bishop Wren by the Commonwealth, and some of the surrounding streets were built on the site of the garden.

Vine Street, Hatton Garden, Saffron Hill, of which the lower end was once Field Lane, carry their origin in their names.

Evelyn, writing June 7, 1659, says that he came to see the "foundations now laying for a long streete and buildings on Hatton Garden, designed for a little towne, lately an ample garden."

The chapel, dedicated to St. Ethelreda, now alone remains.

It was for a time held by a Welsh Episcopalian congregation, but in 1874 was obtained by Roman Catholics, the Welsh congregation passing on to St. Benet's, on St. Benet's Hill in Thames Street.

The chapel stands back from the street, and is faced by a stone wall and arched porch surmounted by a cross.

This stonework is all modern.

An entrance immediately facing the porch leads into the crypt, which is picturesque with old stone walls and heavily-timbered roof.

This is by far the older part of the building, the chapel above being a rebuilding on the same foundation.

The crypt probably dates back from the first foundation of De Luda, and the chapel from the restoration of Arundel.

When the Roman Catholics came into possession, Sir Gilbert Scott was employed in a thorough restoration, during which a heavy stone bowl, about the size of a small font, was dug up.

It is of granite, and is supposed to be of considerably more ancient date than the fabric itself, being pre-Saxon.

From the size, it is improbable it was used as a font, being more likely a holy-water stoup, for which purpose it is now employed.

Having been placed on a fitting shaft, it stands outside the entrance to the church, on the south side, in the cloister, which is probably on the site of the ancient cloister.

There is a simple Early English porch, beautifully proportioned with mouldings of the period.

Within the church corresponds in shape with the crypt; two magnificent windows east and west are worthy of a much larger building.

Those on each side are of recent date, having been reconstructed from a filled-in window on the south side of the chancel.

The reliquary contains a great treasure - a portion of the hand of St. Ethelreda, which member, having been taken from the chapel, after many wanderings, fell into the possession of a convent of nuns, who refused to give it up.

Finally judgment was given to the effect that the nuns should retain a portion, while the part of a finger was granted to the church, which was accordingly done.

It was this saint who gave rise to our word "tawdry."

She was popularly known as St. Awdrey, and strings of beads sold in her name at fairs, etc, came to be made of any worthless glass or rubbish, and were called tawdry.

The crypt is used as a regular church, and is filled with seats; service is held here as well as above.

The timber beams in the roof are now (1903) undergoing thorough restoration, and the outer walls of the chapel are being repointed.

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