Christ Church, Southgate

History

In 1615, Sir John Weld, owner of the Arnos Grove estate, established the Weld Chapel, located to the west of Christ Church, at which local people were allowed to worship. In the nineteenth century, the Rev. James Baird, a minister of the Weld Chapel and who had married into the Walker family who then owned Arnos Grove house, saw that the chapel was too small and dilapidated for current needs and the Walker family donated land on which Christ Church was built. The architect was Sir George Gilbert Scott. The church was consecrated by John Jackson, later Bishop of London, on 17 July 1862.

Choir

Christ Church Southgate has a strong musical tradition, dating back to the time of the Weld Chapel. The Choir of Christ Church Southgate has been in existence since the first service held in Christ Church, when the choir was augmented by choristers from St Paul's Cathedral. Originally a choir of men and boys, it is now a mixed choir of Adults and Junior members. Notable alumni include the acclaimed organist and choral conductor Martin Neary. The choir sings for the main Parish Eucharist every Sunday at 10.00am and Choral Evensong each Sunday at 6.30pm, performs regular concerts and tours to cathedrals around the UK and Europe.

Windows

The church is home to the largest collection of pre-raphaelite stained glass windows in London by Morris, Marshall Faulkner & Company (later Morris & Co) with work ranging from 1861 to 1913 including windows by Edward Burne Jones, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Ford Madox Brown, Philip Webb, John Henry Dearle and William Morris himself. Other features include fine windows by Clayton & Bell. The Faith & Hope window in the nave of the church, designed by Edward Burne Jones was installed in memory of Letitia Catherine Hayes, sister of the British Imperial Statesman John Laird Mair Lawrence, 1st Baron Lawrence, who resided at Southgate House.The great east window by Clayton & Bell was installed in 1862 in memory of Vincent Figgins Jnr, who continued the work of his father Vincent Figgins the British punch-cutter and type-founder, credited with inventing Sans Serif fonts.

Reredos

The reredos, installed in 1868, is a fine mosaic by Antonio Salviati depicting the Last Supper. The cartoon is by John Clayton of Clayton & Bell and is nearly identical to the Salviati reredos in Westminster Abbey, installed a year earlier.

The Walker Family

The burial vault of The Walkers of Southgate is located in the churchyard, near the west door. The vault contains the remains of all seven of the famous cricketing Walker brothers. The churchyard also contains the vault of the Taylor Family of Grovelands House who, with the Walker family, established the Taylor Walker Brewing Company. The Lady Chapel was decorated in 1905-06 with wall paintings by Percy Bacon Brothers in memory of Issac and Sophia Walker of Arnos Grove and their children.

War Memorials

The World War I memorial inside the church was designed by Charles Marriott Oldrid Scott the grandson of George Gilbert Scott following a design competition. It lists 146 men from the parish and includes the two sons of the famous detective Frederick Porter Wensley who lived in Powys Lane. Information on some of the men listed can be found in a booklet produced by the church. The Memorial was installed in 1921. Inside the church hangs a Tricolore presented to Group Captain Alfred Kitchiner 'Ken' Gatward and the Southgate Branch of the Royal British Legion at a ceremony in Broomfield Park in 1949 to commemorate Operation Squabble.

Clergy

Incumbents including the Weld Chapel:

Angela Berners-Wilson, the first woman ordained a priest in the Church of England, served as deaconess at Christ Church between 1979 and 1982. Other notable curates have included John Yates.