St Mary Somerset

Pre-Fire London had 14 churches named after the Virgin Mary, six of which were rebuilt after the Fire. The derivation of Somerset is uncertain. It has been linked to Ralph de Somery, who is mentioned in records at the same time. It is also linked to Summer's Hithe, a small haven on the Thames, the banks of which would in medieval times have been closer to the church's site. The church is first mentioned in a deed during the reign of Richard I. According to John Stow, in 1370, the Brabant weaver community was ordered by the Mayor to meet in the churchyard of St Mary Somerset for the purpose of hiring serving men, following disputes with the Flemish weavers. The latter were ordered to meet a…

The Wren church was an aisleless nave with a flat roof. George Godwin described the interior as "a mere room with low whitewashed walls". Two columns supported a gallery on the west, from which was suspended a Royal coat of arms. The tower projected from the southwest. It is 120 feet high and faced with Portland stone. Lines of windows, alternately circular and round-headed, run up each side, with grotesque masks and cherubs serving as keystones. The unique feature of the tower are the eight Baroque pinnacles. The four on each corner have panelled bases and scrolls, surmounted by vases. Between each of these are 20-foot obelisks, with ball finials. The style strongly suggests that they are…