St Mary’s at Lambeth reveals a hidden world of occultists, curiosities and bizarre legends, writes David Turnbull
On June 1, 1967, on the same day that the Beatles released Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club BandBrixton-born David Bowie published his debut Solo album David Bowie.
The last number on the side two, Please Mr. GravediggerIs a rather scary and disturbing piece. Half spoken, half sung in the Anthony Newley -Style Bowie experimented with the song, the song describes a child murderer who watches a graviger who belongs to a medallion of one of his victims. He threatens the man in silence.
It mentions a “small church on the road that used to be the best array of Lambeth”, bombed during the Blitz in the Second World War. St Mary’s Church, on Lambeth Palace Road, fits in the description, with heavy bomb damage and the loss of the stained glass windows.
The church and its garden were deconated in 1973 and are now the home of the Garden Museum. For that transformation, the atmospheric interior was used in Richard Donner The omen (1976) To depict the Italian monastery where the character of Gregory Peck discovers the satanic origin of his son, Damien.
The first wooden church on the site was built in 1062 by Goda, sister of Edward de Confessor. Later replaced by a stone structure, the proximity of Lambeth Palace made it the last resting place of various archbishops in Canterbury.
Captain (later Admiraal) Bligh, from Mutiny Fame, is also buried there. His grave celebrates his role in introducing bread fruits in the West -India, but lets he was hired to feed slaves to slave and that his crew mutting against him.
Another remarkable funeral is Jeanne de Valois-Saint-Rémy, a French aristocrat linked to the infamous affair of the Diamond Necklace, a scandal that contributes to the fall of Marie Antoinette and the French monarchy.
For readers of Ghostly islandsIt is the occult connections of the site that are most attractive.
In 1611, Simon Forman, an astrologer and occultist who was active during the reign of Elizabeth I and James I, was buried here. Born near Salisbury, he was apprenticed to a trader who acted in salt and herbal medicine, who aroused his interest in healing, astronomy and the occult.
He acquired a copy of the PicatrixA 400 -page grimoire of astrology and talismanic magic, originally written in Arabic. After his internship, he moved to London to practice medicines. He claimed to have taken the plague in 1592 with the help of a secret formula and claimed to diagnose and treat diseases by reading the stars.
This brought him into conflict with the Royal College of Surgeons.
He spent his last decade in Lambeth with his much younger woman, keeping detailed casebooks for more than 2,000 customers. These notes contain everything, from starvaartjes to advice on romance, correspondence, even finding lost socks.
Forman’s most hair -raising prediction was of his own death: he provided himself with the Thames, and he did – capsized his boat and he was housed.
Death did not close his story. He was later involved in the poisoning of Sir Thomas Overbury. Forman was accused of creating magical means to help Frances Howard, Countess of Essex, to win the affections of Robert Carr. During the process he was labeled as an “agent of the devil”, a name that pursued his reputation.
The Tradescants – three generations of John Tradescants – are also buried in St. Mary’s for their contributions to botany and collecting curiosities.
Their family grave, near Blighs, wears occult symbols, including skulls and a five -member Hydra. The older tradescants traveled around the world and gathered rare plants and unusual artifacts, many with esoteric or mystical associations.
Their house, Turret House, renamed ‘The Ark’, became the first public museum in England – the Musaeum Tradescantianum. The building was demolished in 1881, but Tradescant Road is still wearing the family name.
Although the Tradescants themselves were not occultists, their collection included one of the strangest curiosities ever assembled: the Barometz or Vegetal Lame from Tartary.
Allegedly grow from the earth, bound by a stem, this mythical creature would graze his environment until it died of hunger. It inspired poetic tribute, including one of Cannobia Florum (1791) By D. de la Croix:
‘Because on his path he sees a monstrous birth,
The Borametz comes from the earth
On a stem, a living brutal, solved,
A rooted plant Beert four -time for fruit … “
You can view the Barometz and the story on the website of the Garden Museum:
https://gardenmuseum.org.uk/collection/barometz-or-veetable-lamb
Elias Ashmole, founder of the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, is closely linked to Tradescants and Lambeth. Ashmole was born in 1617 and was a lawyer, freemason, royalist, astrologer and avid collector.
He cataloged the Tradescant collection, moved next to the Ark and began to acquire his own artifacts, including Forman’s Casebooks and his copy of the Picatrix. Unlike the tradescants, Ashmole had deep ties with Alchemy.
Central by alchemist William Backhouse, who claimed origin of Hermes Trismegistus, Ashmole was adopted spiritually and was probably gained access to old esoteric knowledge.
In 1650 he published Fasciculus chemistand in 1652, Theatrum Chemicum BritannicumA great alchemical work.
Ashmole Felde Felde the Tradescant collection and, John Tradescant took over the young person to leave it to him – reportedly under the influence of a drink. After the death of Tradescant in 1662, his widow Hester disputed the agreement, but a court confirmed it.
In 1678 Hester was drowned in her garden pond. Ashmole took possession of the collection and later donated it to Oxford University in 1677. It took eight cars to move it from Lambeth.
When Ashmole died in 1692, he was also buried in St Mary’s.
More information about the Ashmolean Museum: https://www.ashmolean.org
After filming The omenSt Mary’s fell into disrepair. The cemetery was overgrown by 1977. Rosemary and John Nichols, enthusiastic gardeners and tradescant enthusiasts, visited the neglected site. Shocked, they founded the Tradescant Trust to preserve the church and the grave.
They managed to save both and in 1980 the Garden Museum opened its doors.
Nowadays, visitors can see part of the Tradescant collection that can be seen. Admission is free and the Tradescant Tomb can be found in the courtyard next to the Museum Café.
Plan your visit here: https://gardenmuseum.org.uk/visit
Have you explored the Garden Museum or discovered stories at St Mary’s at Lambeth? Share your thoughts in the responses!
Listen to David Turnbull talks about St. Mary’s in Lambeth
