St Mary's Church, Battersea

What it is

St Mary's Church, Battersea, is an Anglican church whose present building dates from 1777, built on a site used for Christian worship since around 800 AD. Among its modern stained-glass windows, installed between 1976 and 1982 by John Hayward, is one dedicated to Benedict Arnold, showing him in uniform beneath symbols of the American Revolution including George Washington's arms and early American flags.

Why it matters

The church connects to Arnold's life after his defection: having fought for Washington and the American cause, he became a British officer and eventually died in England. The window, created nearly two centuries later, reflects how his dramatic change of allegiance was still remembered and memorialized at the place associated with his later life.

Look closer

• Why might a church in London choose to commemorate an American figure like Arnold?
• What symbols in the window represent Arnold's earlier American allegiance, and what might that choice mean?
• How does commemorating someone in a stained-glass window differ from commemorating them in a statue or plaque?