Southwark Cathedral was built in the 13th and 14th centuries as the Augustinian Priory Church of St Mary Overie. The church was then given Cathedral status in 1905. The cathedral contains many monuments including a 13th century effigy of a knight, the memorial of the marchioness pleasure boat, the poet John Gower, and possibly the most popular is William Shakespeare who lived and died in the Southwark area.