Comments on: Samuel Pepys At St Olave’s

By: the gentle author

the gentle author — Fri, 13 May 2022 06:32:46 +0000

In reply to dr.avid ford. Be my guest, David...

By: dr.avid ford

dr.avid ford — Thu, 12 May 2022 23:17:25 +0000

What a beautiful tribute to Pepyp’s. I do miss eploring Old London. I have a small favour to ask I have spent many years to complete a Literary Atlas of Great Britain. Could I please include some of your images ? The completed work is an honest attempt to share the joys of literature with lively Youngsters – a sort of pictorial journey. I will of course give you full credit and attributes. Keep up the excellent work, and keep safe. Dr. David Ford in Canada, Alberta.

By: brendan sparks

brendan sparks — Fri, 30 Nov 2018 22:07:58 +0000

I recall visiting St Olaves back in the 80’s and seeing a tiny museum in the crypt containing, among other things, a small baby’s shoe from the 18c I think, a baby of the parish was wearing when she fell from an upstairs window somewhere locally and survived. I wonder what became of the exhibits? The skulls over the entrance to the church yard was mentioned by Dickens in an essay or something of the like, just the sort of thing he had a yen for noticing.

By: K.Cresswell

K.Cresswell — Mon, 10 Jul 2017 14:15:26 +0000

Do you have the translation into English of the words under Elizabeth Pepys
statue at ST Olave’s

By: Shawdian

Shawdian — Thu, 01 Dec 2016 11:48:16 +0000

“Shaw did not wish his home to be a museum”

By: Shawdian

Shawdian — Thu, 01 Dec 2016 11:45:57 +0000

As a Custodian of playwright George Bernard Shaw’s house Shaw’s Corner, of which Bernard Shaw bequeathed to the National Trust, on first glance I too was aghast seeing Samuel Pepys Prayer Book held without wearing the conservation gloves, but as (conservationist ) I did not wear gloves when displaying Bernard Shaw’s books to the public nor for photographic sessions for Television nor Magazenes etc. simply because this leant a more natural appeal for the viewer. I followed the instructions of Bernard Shaw himself whom did wish for his home and its contents to be viewed as that of a museum. The once a year cleaning of the hundreds of books Bernard Shaw loved, was a joy to behold and for this delicate operation I proudly covered my hands with the said little white gloves.

Gentle Author thank you for sharing these lovely photographs of the Church Samuel Pepys did love which I have visited several times in my pilgrimage of the fascinating Diarist. I have several 1st editions of Pepys Diaries and of Bernard Shaw which are conserved with the specialist of care for we as owners of books are only the Custodians of these treasures which hopefuly one day Custodians of Centuries to come will conserve for their future generations.

By: Phil Manning

Phil Manning — Wed, 30 Sep 2015 21:50:23 +0000

To Susan Thomas:
I wish we had (and I could offer you) more information about the temporary passageway made in the 1930s through the rubble filling St Olave’s crypt. The opportunity to make the passage under the nave to the east end arose when the crypt chapel at the west end of the church was created. The crypt had been filled with rubble and closed off in the 1850s when the practice of intramural burial was discontinued by law.
All the church records contain is a very short handwritten account by a woman who was able to make her way along the passageway where builders shone a torch into the Pepys burial site.
As for white gloves, I can only plead in my defence that I have consulted a number of archivists, librarians and historians about the handling of the prayerbook and that the opinion in the UK is that, in the case of books, such gloves are at best unnecessary and at worst (if they encourage insensitive handling of a delicate artefact) harmful.
With kind regards – Phil

By: Susan Thomas

Susan Thomas — Tue, 29 Sep 2015 07:26:46 +0000

Lovely photos! Many thanks! I came to this via a posting from the Pepys diary online community (where I post as Australian Susan). Wonderful to see such superior photos of this church, which was so integral to Pepys’s life (even if the gallery is long gone). So poignant to think of him looking from the gallery to the bust of his wife. The librarian in me was horrified to think that people are allowed to handle such a precious artefact as Pepys’s Book of Common Prayer without white gloves on!! Please supply them!! I had not heard about the intriguing story of a tunnel being dug to the Pepys vault : more about this would be fascinating. Thanks again for the photos.

By: Phil Manning

Phil Manning — Mon, 28 Sep 2015 15:23:04 +0000

Wonderful to welcome The Gentle Author to St Olave’s. For any readers wanting to visit the church, we are open from 10am until 5pm on weekdays and there are regular events at lunchtime on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. If you are travelling any appreciable distance to visit us, and certainly if you are in a group of more than five people, it would be good to check with the church office first that there will not be any restrictions on your ability to explore the church freely because of an event or church service (unless of course you would like to attend!). Contact details and further information are on our website at http://www.sanctuaryinthecity.net
Regards,
Phil Manning
Church Manager – St Olave Hart Street

By: Annie G

Annie G — Fri, 25 Sep 2015 18:31:21 +0000

I love this; the few medieval churches in London provide a genuine link with Londoners of many centuries ago. I think it is to do with scale – so much of London is huge now that we forget the smaller city that must have existed pre-Fire. Something about the monuments is unbearably poignant.