Chapel to the Hospital of St John & St Elizabeth - Westminster (London), UK
N 51° 32.002 W 000° 10.498
30U E 695932 N 5712923
Originally designed by George Goldie for the Great Ormond Street hospital of St Elizabeth, and built there in 1862-63. The interior of the Chapel is freely accessible through the hospital main entrance, the exterior through the rear entrance.
Waymark Code: WMW3R8
Location: London, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 07/06/2017
Views: 3
The hospital had been founded by Cardinal Wiseman in 1856, and placed under the care of the British chapter of the Knights of St John of Jerusalem; the chapel itself was founded by Sir George Boyer, a member of the order, whose tomb is inside, in front of the high altar. When the hospital moved to St John's Wood in the 1890s, the chapel was moved too: indeed, the foundation stones for both were laid on the same day, 7 June 1899. The Duke of Norfolk laid the one for the hospital, and Cardinal Vaughan laid the one for the chapel. The latter was carefully rebuilt, with only slight adaptations, by Goldie's son Edward (see Strang). At this time the name of the hospital was changed as well, to include reference to St John as well as to St Elizabeth.
The tablet over the lunette carries the chapel's dedication, Boyer's name, and the original year of completion (1863). On the pediment frieze is the Knights' motto, "SERVI: DOMINORUM: PAUPERUM: INFIRMORUM:" which also proclaims the hospital's purpose, to serve the poor and the sick.
Despite its charitable purposes, the chapel has a very lavish interior, "[l]ined with Corinthian pilasters in polished red Sicilian jaspar, marble plinths and bases, gilded capitals" (listing text), with its high altar under a baldachino, marble flooring in the sanctuary, chandeliers.
The seating is in mahogany, with inlaid Maltese crosses making a vivid contrast.
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