She did so in order that she could then record her address on the night of the census as being the House of Commons. On the night of 2nd April 1911, Wilding-Davidson hid herself in this dark corner of the Palace, illegally. It reads, “In loving memory of Emily Wilding-Davidson”. Within a broom cupboard at the bottom of the steps leading from the crypt to Old Palace Yard (outside Peers Entrance) is a plaque. More photographs of the church can be viewed here.īehind the visual splendours, there lies a hidden detail that forms a fascinating footnote in British constitutional history. Two further saints, St Peter and St Stephen, either side of the central cross. Now stands a reredos depicting six medieval British saints: St Oswald St Etheldreda St Edmund St Edward the Confessor St Margaret of Scotland and St Edward the Martyr. All around, the gilded wood and golden stone glisten proudly. Behind the altar, there were originally stained glass windows. The elaborate vaulting, punctuated with remarkable bosses, lifts one’s eyes heavenward. Adorned by angels, there is a celestial feel about the place. The interior decoration of the crypt is ornate gothic. Bishop Lyndwoode was later laid to rest in the cloister of Westminster Abbey. The church was restored both in gothic decoration (it was white-washed in Cromwell’s time), and usage as a church. During the restoration works, the remains of the Bishop of St David’s, William Lyndwoode (d.1464) were discovered embalmed in the chapel’s north wall. Mary’s Undercroft, a project he completed in 1870. After Charles’ death, Edward Barry took on the task of restoring St. The crypt was not originally part of their project. The gargantuan task of rebuilding of the Palace was undertaken by Sir Charles Barry and A W N Pugin (a Catholic). Mary Undercroft survived relatively unscathed. Happily, however, both the historic Westminster Hall (where St. In 1834, a great fire razed most of the Palace of Westminster to the ground. Legend has it that the chapel was used as stabling for Cromwell’s horses! Certainly, part of the chapel was used as a dining room for the Speaker of the House of Commons, and other parts were used as a wine cellar. Sadly, the weathers of the Reformation took their toll and this iconic church fell out of use and into disrepair. Mary’s Undercroft was eventually completed in 1365 by Edward III. Stephen’s immediately above the crypt was used by the Royal Court, and accessed only by the Royal Apartments. The church, which was begun in 1297 in the reign of Edward I as an attempt to imitate the splendour of Saint-Chapelle in Paris, was originally for the exclusive use of the Royal Household. History records that this was not always so. Mary’s Undercroft, commonly called, “the crypt”. Regardless of rank and status, all are equally welcomed to Mass in St. there’s their staff, too: political advisors, secretaries, interns but there’s also a much broader array of workers including London ‘Posties’, Caribbean cooks, Filipino cleaners and so on.
Of course, there are the grandees: Members of the House of Lords, MPs, Officers of State etc. Only, the place of work is a Royal Palace, and the business at hand is nothing less than the governance of the nation.īut contrary to many people’s expectations, the Catholic community that gathers for Mass in Parliament must be one of the most diverse in the country. Essentially, I’m referring to a group of work colleagues who come together for the Sacred Mysteries. “Catholic community” sounds a bit wooly but it’s the best term that I can come up with. For a good part of that time, I undertook the various preparations for Holy Mass for the Catholic community at St. In a previous life, I worked in Parliament for about five years. Mary Undercroft in the Palace of Westminster, has all of these qualities.įirst, a brief biographical note is order to explain this eccentric choice. A church might be interesting because of its place in history, its architecture or interior, or because of a special significance it has to a particular brother. I think that the church I have chosen to write about, St. The title is deliberately broad in scope so as to allow for variety between the posts.
#BRAVE CHURCH WESTMINSTER SERIES#
This is the first post in a new series in which the Student Brothers will write about “Interesting Churches”.
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