St James Garlickhythe

St. James Garlickhythe
St. James Garlickhythe from the west
Country	United Kingdom
Denomination	Church of England
Churchmanship	Traditional Anglican / Book of Common Prayer
Architecture
Heritage designation	Grade I listed building
Architect(s)	Sir Christopher Wren
Style	Baroque
Administration
Diocese	Diocese of London

St. James Garlickhythe is a Church of England parish church in Vintry ward of the City of London, nicknamed ‘Wren’s lantern’ owing to its profusion of windows. Recorded since the 12th century, the church was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666 and rebuilt by the office of Sir Christopher Wren. It is also the official church of eleven City livery companies.

The church is dedicated to the disciple St James known as 'the Great'. St. James Garlickhythe is a stop on a pilgrims route ending at the cathedral of Santiago da Compostela. Visitors to the London church may have their credencial, or pilgrim passport, stamped with the impression of a scallop shell.

'Garlickhythe' refers to the nearby landing place, or "hythe", near which garlic was sold in medieval times.

The earliest surviving reference to the church is as ecclesiam Sancti Jacobi in a 12th-century will. Other records of the church refer to it as St James in the Vintry, St James Comyns, St James-by-the-Thames and St James super Ripam.

The ships from France loaded with garlic also carried wine and St James has a long association with wine merchants. The church is located in the city ward of Vintry and in 1326, the Sheriff of London and vintner Richard de Rothing paid to have the church rebuilt. Another company with long associations with the church is the Joiners' Company, who trace their origins back to a religious guild founded in St James in 1375.

In the following century, the church became collegiate and was served by seven chantry priests. The eminence of St. James in the Middle Ages is reflected in its being the burial place of six Lord Mayors.

St. James became a parish church upon the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII, although the church was not adversely affected – indeed it was a beneficiary of the demolition of church furnishings associated with the Catholic rite. In 1560, the rood screen of the nearby St. Martin Vintry was dismantled and fashioned into pews for St. James. At the same time, the choir was provided with song books.