Church of St Mary the Less, Cambridge

Church of St Mary the Less, Cambridge
Church of St Mary the Less

The Church of St Mary the Less is a Church of England church situated on Trumpington Street at the corner of Little St Mary's Lane, in central Cambridge, England, next to Peterhouse. It is known locally as Little Saint Mary's or simply LSM to distinguish it from St Mary the Great.

It is in the Diocese of Ely and follows the Anglo-Catholic tradition of the Church of England.

History

There has been a place of worship on the current site since around the twelfth century. The earliest known records of the church state that the first church here, called St Peter-without-Trumpington Gate, was controlled by three successive generations of the same family until 1207. After that date it was given to the Hospital of St John the Evangelist and served by chaplains from that foundation.

In the 1280s, the Bishop of Ely lodged some scholars in the Hospital but to his dismay found soon that the sick and the students could not live in harmony together. The students were moved in 1284 to the site of what is now Peterhouse, this was the origin of Peterhouse. By the 1340s, the church was in such a bad state that the fellows of Peterhouse decided to rebuild it. In 1352, the new building had the dual purpose of College Chapel (to Peterhouse) and Parish Church. At this time, it was rededicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. In 1632, Peterhouse built a separate Chapel and St Mary the Less reverted to being a Parish Church. Richard Crashaw the metaphysical poet, was a priest there from 1638 to 1643, at the same time that he was a Fellow of Peterhouse. A few years after his departure, many of the Church's ornaments and statues were damaged or destroyed by the Puritan extremist William Dowsing. The damage to the sedilia and the entrance to the Lady Chapel have never been repaired. In 1741, the church was refitted with wooden panelling, box pews, choir gallery, and the present pulpit. From 1856–7 Sir George Gilbert Scott restored the church and removed the 18th century panelling. Further restoration work was carried out in 1876 and 1891, but by 1880 the church was much as it is now. The south, or Lady Chapel, was added in 1931 and designed by Thomas Lyon, the architect of Sidney Sussex College Chapel. The Parish Room at the west end of the church was built in 1892 and enlarged in 1990.

External links

Coordinates: 52°12′05″N 0°07′06″E / 52.2013°N 0.1184°E / 52.2013; 0.1184


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Separation of church and state in the United States — The phrase separation of church and state (sometimes wall of separation between church and state ), attributed to Thomas Jefferson and others, and since quoted by the Supreme Court of the United States, expresses an understanding of the intent… …   Wikipedia

  • St. Mary's Church — Contents 1 Albania 2 Azerbaijan 3 Belarus 4 Bosnia and …   Wikipedia

  • The Carmelite Order —     The Carmelite Order     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► The Carmelite Order     One of the mendicant orders.     Origin     The date of the foundation of the Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel has been under discussion from the fourteenth century to …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Peterhouse, Cambridge — Colleges of the University of Cambridge Peterhouse &# …   Wikipedia

  • The Benedictine Order —     The Benedictine Order     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► The Benedictine Order     The Benedictine Order comprises monks living under the Rule of St. Benedict, and commonly known as black monks . The order will be considered in this article under… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • The Seal of Confession —     The Law of the Seal of Confession     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► The Law of the Seal of Confession     In the Decretum of the Gratian who compiled the edicts of previous councils and the principles of Church law which he published about 1151,… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Mary Anning — with her dog Tray, painted before 1842. The Golden Cap outcrop can be seen in the background Born 21 May 1799 …   Wikipedia

  • The Celtic Rite —     The Celtic Rite     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► The Celtic Rite     This subject will be treated under the following seven heads:     I. History and Origin; II. Manuscript Sources; III. The Divine Office; IV. The Mass; V. the Baptismal Service; …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Church of St Cyriac and St Julitta, Swaffham Prior — The tower of the Church of St Cyriac and St Julitta, Swaffham Prior …   Wikipedia

  • Church History —     Ecclesiastical History     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► Ecclesiastical History     I. NATURE AND OFFICE     Ecclesiastical history is the scientific investigation and the methodical description of the temporal development of the Church… …   Catholic encyclopedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”