This church is dedicated to Olave Haraldson (995-1030), king and national patron saint of Norway. (His first name is also spelled Olaf or Olav.) Even though he was ruler of a foreign country, St Olave is a very popular saint in Britain. Ancient churches dedicated to him are found in eastern England and in the northern isles of Scotland. His popularity derives from the military assistance he provided to King Ethelred II of England in his battles against the Danes.

Olave became king of Norway in 1015. He brought peace and security to his land, but he was at times a harsh ruler. Under his kingship, Norway became at least nominally a Christian nation, although he used force as well as persuasion to accomplish this. A rebellion forced him into exile and he died in battle in 1030 attempting to regain his throne. Subsequently, he was regarded as a patriot and, more than that, a martyr and a saint.

It is believed that a church has existed here since the 11th century, soon after the death of St Olave. Some confusion exists about this because there were two other churches dedicated to Olave in the City of London around that time. Historical records refer to this church as St-Olave-towards-the-Tower in 1222, but by 1405 it had become St-Olave-in-Hertstrete. The present church was constructed around 1450 and is one of eight London churches that survived the Great Fire of 1666 and remain standing today. At the time of the Great Fire, the famous diarist Samuel Pepys (1633-1703) and his wife Elizabeth were parishioners; in his diaries, St Olave's is referred as "our own church". When Samuel Pepys was promoted to Admiralty Secretary, his place of work was the Navy Office in Seething Lane, close by St Olave’s Church. Samuel and Elizabeth joined the parish about six months after he began his diary on 1 January 1660. Both are buried at the church. Also buried here are Mary Ramsey, who reportedly brought the Plague to London, and an eccentric woman known as "Mother Goose" who died in 1586 (her real name is uncertain).

St Olave’s survived the Great Fire due to the efforts of Admiral William Penn and Samuel Pepys who, as the blaze approached, had houses blown up to save the Navy Office. The church suffered heavy damage during World War II, but was later fully restored. King Haakon VII of Norway, who lived in the parish during the war years, laid the new foundation stone in 1951.

One of the smallest churches in the City of London, St Olave’s was described by John Betjeman as "a country church in the world of Seething Lane".

At left is a photo of the post-war east window. The centre-left panel shows Christ crucified; the centre-right, Christ in majesty. In the lower-left corner, St Olave stands with King Haakon VII’s arms below. In the lower right, St George over Queen Elizabeth II’s arms.

(As always, click on photos for larger views.)

 

 

The photo at right shows the east window from farther away, so that part of the new wooden ceiling is visible along with upper windows and wall decorations. This site has a picture of the interior of the church with its original ceiling.

Shown at left is the memorial to Samuel Pepys, set high on the south wall. The interior of the church once contained massive galleries that were removed in 1853. The south gallery included a special Navy Office pew where Pepys sat. The entrance to the south gallery was reached by a staircase (since removed) from the churchyard and is marked on the outer wall by an inscription. The Pepys Memorial was placed in 1863 on the wall nearest the place where he used to sit in church.

St Olave’s, Hart Street, apparently does not have its own web page. This site has more historical information on the church. The customary map is here.

There are many Samuel Pepys sites on the internet. Here are three links in increasing level of detail: one, two, three. A fellow named Phil Gyford has had the ingenious idea of posting Samuel Pepys’ Diary as a weblog.

Links to all my blog posts about British churches and Christian sites can be accessed through the box located at the top of the page.