This
church was made a Cathedral in 1905 and is the fourth church to
stand on this site. Before that it was the church of St Mary
Overie. First founded in 1106 by the Normans and dedicated to St
Mary mother of Jesus. The Church became known as St Mary Overie—St
Mary over the river.
The
Choir and retro choir are the main surviving elements of the
13th century priory. The choir shows touches of French taste,
while the retro choir remains typically English.
The
north transept dates from the 13th century, but the crossing
tower and the south transept are 14th century. The alter screen
(early 16th century) was a gift from the Bishop of Winchester.
Among the earliest monuments is an oak effigy of a Knight
(1270s). A memorial too Shakespeare was carved (1912) in the
south aisle.
Every year a birthday service is held here in honour of
Shakespeare.
In
1989 a Thames pleasure boat (the Marchioness) sunk near
Southwark Bridge with the loss of 51 lives, you can see a
memorial stone set within the floor.
The Harvard chapel was a gift from the members of Harvard
University. John Harvard was christened here in 1607
