Illustration of Stepney Church, London
Posted inLocal Histories Religion & Spirituality

The Churches Of The Metropolis No. XV – Stepney Church

By those who delight in Mrs. Gore’s pleasant fancies, and participate in her delicate horrors of the undiscovered wilds of Bedford-square, we fear the subject of our present sketch will be voted in terra incognita; but as we have the bump of benevolence extensively developed, and have the good fortune to be versed in oriental lore and localities, we may mention that Stepney is situate in the east end of London, and comprises nearly the whole space between Mile-end-road and the river Thames from Whitechapel to Bow. This fine old church, one of the most ancient, indeed, in the metropolis, is well worthy a visit, and the densely-filled churchyard, perhaps, still more so to those who delight in grave pursuits. We would not by any means recommend too large a dose of Hervey, but we envy not the man who could spend an hour in this “silent city.

Illustration of Battle Abbey
Posted inCulture & Society Local Histories Religion & Spirituality Travelers' Tales

Nooks And Corners Of Old England – Battle Abbey

“Imposing must have been the sight,
Ere desolation found thee.”—Bernard Barton.

There are scattered, throughout the country, the remains of several edifices, to whose history such peculiar interest attaches, that they would seem to have been left by Time, on his vast pilgrimage to Eternity, as memorials to revive the recollection of eventful periods in the annals of nations, and “this is of them.” For who can look upon the ancient gateway of Battle Abbey (which we here present to our readers) without realizing to his “mind’s eye ” the memorable battle of Hastings; and pondering on the consequences of that important conflict, which, on October 14, 1066, transferred the sceptre of England from the unfortunate Harold to the ambitious invader, William Duke of Normandy? Battle, a small market town in the rape of Hastings, in the county of Sussex, was anciently called Epiton, and was the scene of the celebrated encounter to which we have just referred. In commemoration of his momentous victory, the Conqueror erected a spacious and magnificent monastery, dedicated to St. Martin, and called De Bello or Battel, on the very spot where Harold, pierced with many arrows, breathed his last; the high altar, according to the most authentic reports, being reared on the place where the body of the vanquished monarch was discovered, its founder thus seeming to realize the notion, which an able dramatist puts into the mouth of one of his heroines—

Sketch of Hucknall church as it appeared in 1842
Posted inCulture & Society Local Histories Religion & Spirituality Travelers' Tales

Nooks And Corners Of Old England – Hucknall Torkard Church

The unpretending structure of which we this week present a view of to our friends, is rendered sacred by being the depository of the remains of that transcendant genius and poet—Byron. From Moore’s “Life of Byron,” we find that, “It was on Friday, the 16th of July, 1824, that in the small village church of Hucknall, the last duties were paid to the remains of Byron, by depositing them close to those of his mother in the family vault. Exactly on the same day of the same month in the preceding year, Byron said despondingly, to Count Gamba, ‘Where shall we be in another year?’ The gentleman to whom this foreboding speech was addressed, paid a visit some months after the interment to Hucknall, and was struck on approaching the village, by the strong likeness it seemed to bear to his lost friend’s melancholy death place, Missolonghi.”