St. George's Church - both of them

If you've ever read a Regency romance (or Georgian or Victorian,) it is likely you've heard of St. George's Church at Hanover Square. And this church should not be confused with St. George's Bloomsbury, not far away, just down Oxford Street. We're going to talk about that church too.

The parish church of Mayfair is endowed with the romanticism of the time. Here society's elite, at least in the fictional world of a historical romance writer's imagination, are married with all ton nobles in attendance.


The church was one of the Fifty Churches project included in the Queen Anne's Act of 1711. This church was built between 1721-1724. John James was the designer.

First the bad news. The church isn't that big. I may be wrong, but I would be surprised if the church held 250 people. I'm still looking for this information and hopefully I will have it by the time I'm ready to post this blog. The church has an open nave with aisles; the overhead galleries supported by large wooden beams. There is a great pipe organ at the back of the church, or behind you as you enter from St. George's Street. I have some great videos of the interior but they aren't loading to the blog. Sorry.

I was last in St. George's around Christmas time in 2012. I was the only person in the church aside from an organist, who remained hidden from me. However, the music the mysterious musician played resounded throughout the church. I sat in one of the pews for about fifteen minutes and enjoyed the peaceful interlude. The church is famous for its musical traditions and was the home of George Handel for nearly 34 years and is currently the venue for the London Handel Festival.

Aside from the German Handel, who became a British citizen in 1727, the church has other international connections. The windows contain Flemish glass from Antwerp, circa 16th century. And here is a new word for you: reredos. From Wiki, a reredos is "an altarpiece, or a screen or decoration behind the altar in a church, usually depicting religious iconography or images." The reredos was designed by the Dutch-British sculptor Grinling Gibbons, one of the most acclaimed wood carvers working in England during that time. The reredos at St. George's includes scenes from the Last Supper which were painted by William Kent.

One of the famous weddings to occur at St. George's was that of future American President Teddie Roosevelt to Edith Carow in 1886.

In 1969, the church's cemetery grounds were closed, at first an issue of public health and then for area redevelopment. "11,500 further remains were taken to West Norwood Cemetery and cremated, for burial there." Wiki.

The other St. George's at Bloomsbury was designed by Hawkesmoor and finished in 1731. Nicolas Hawkesmoor was a student of Sir Christopher Wren, the renowned architect. After the Great Fire of 1666, Wren was charged with rebuilding 52 churches within London. While Wren was credited for his architectural genius, some of the creative genius behind these churches has been attributed to Hawkesmoor.

Which leads to a sharp criticism of the design of St. George's Bloomsbury. According to one book I read, Hawkesmoor used a description of Mausolus's tomb as a model for this church. Pliny was the source for this information and "if the original possessed all the faults of the copy, we can scarcely understand its having been considered one of the seven wonders of the world."

Here's a the wiki entry for this amazing site, a surprisingly durable triumph that endured through Alexander the Great and until it was destroyed by earthquakes in the 12th century.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mausoleum_at_Halicarnassus

But back to St. George's...

The church's steeple and tower were built to the side of the main building. And my favorite sarcastic aristocrat of the time, Horace Walpole, commented, that it was a "masterstroke of absurdity, consisting of an obelisk, crowned with the statue of King George I, and hugged by royal supporters."

Right away, one can see the similarities in the churches, especially the magnificent Corinthian pillars out front. So next time you are in London, stop by these iconic churches and feel the sublime weight of history in their surroundings.

For a bit of fun, have you read any romance novels with scenes or marriages set at either of the St. George's?

A Man In Boots, 1830 England

David Gandy says, "Men don't realize how much women look at shoes." Yep, it's true for me, but as a historical writer, I'm in to boots. You know, those leather Hessian's that men wore during the old days? Topped off at the knee? Tight breeches tucked inside?

So let's talk boots and shoes, Regency style. This is from The Whole Art of Dress, 1830.

"The Hessian is a boot only worn with tight pantaloons, a fashion entirely copied from the military, and is very common in Germany and France, where it generally forms a part of the equipment in the cavalry. Of late years, however, this kind of boot has been introduced among our own military horse. The fashions, with respect to the boot have been very capricious, leaving it neglected for a long period, and then reviving it again. Latterly it has become very popular in riding, for which it is excellently qualified.

In undress it is impossible to dress a fine leg, more especially of a short person, to greater advantage than in a Hessian; and it must be allowed, where other requisites correspond, it adds a great deal of dignity and command to the person, setting off the figure to considerable advantage.

Hessians are a very expensive wear, and, like almost all other manufacturers in the present day, may be superbly worked and finished, being bent and creased in the most exquisite manner, without ever losing shape. That kind of shape most admired, when pulled on the leg, should be high enough to let the tassel touch the knee-pan, and then be lowered to the calf, when the dents will form fuller and much handsomer than when contracted and held in, which latter way causes the boot to sit stiffly, and want the elastic spring in the leather that the method I point out possesses."

 Ah, a man in boots. And here is David. In boots. Hard to believe even he can look better in boots. Photo: Massimo Dutti.