Probate (also called proving a will) is the process of establishing the validity of a will, which was recorded in the grant of probate.
A marriage settlement was a legal agreement drawn up before a marriage by the two parties, setting out terms with respect to rights of property and succession.
From the British Records Association "Guidelines 3 - Interpreting Deeds: How To Interpret Deeds - A Simple Guide And Glossary".
A demise is a conveyance or transfer of an estate by will, mortgage or lease. Conveyances are transfers of land from one party to another, usually for money. Early forms of conveyance include feoffments, surrenders and admissions at manor courts (if the property was copyhold), final concords, common recoveries, bargains and sales and leases and releases.
From the British Records Association "Guidelines 3 - Interpreting Deeds: How To Interpret Deeds - A Simple Guide And Glossary".
H.P. Truefitt Limited, hairdressers, were based at 13 and 14 Old Bond Street, London. They were founded in 1805 and, as Truefitt and Hill, still run a gentleman's hairdressers in Saint James's.
Periodic bursts of activity in house building had been common in the western suburbs of London since the Restoration. Within a dozen years builders had moved from Hanover Square through the City of London's Conduit Mead estate well into the Grosvenor estate and even north of Oxford Street, in the vicinity of Cavendish Square. On the Grosvenor estate, where development began in 1720, only a handful of houses were occupied before 1725, but in that year the parish ratebooks show many more houses filling up and the new streets on the estate were formally named, an occasion marked by a 'very splendid Entertainment' given by Sir Richard Grosvenor.
The relative stability which followed the Peace of Utrecht and the crushing of the Jacobite rebellion provided a favourable climate in which building developments could be undertaken, and there seems to have been plenty of capital available for mortgages even during the years of the South Sea Bubble. Against this background the decision of the Grosvenor family in 1720 to lay out The Hundred Acres in Mayfair for building is not a particularly remarkable one.
From: 'The Development of the Estate 1720-1785: Introduction', Survey of London: volume 39: The Grosvenor Estate in Mayfair, Part 1 (General History) (1977), pp. 6.
The church of Saint Alban was constructed in 1887, while the parish was established a year later.
Alan Ridge (1926-1997) was born in Brighton and attended the University of London, studying history and archives administration. He worked at the London County Council Archives and as Head of the Records and Registry Service of the National Coal Board.
In 1962 Ridge moved to Canada to establish the archival course at McGill University. He became Provincial Archivist of Alberta in 1968, serving for 16 years. He participated in many professional associations, including the Association of Canadian Archivists, the Alberta Society of Archivists, and the Historical Society of Alberta. In 1985 he was invested in the Order of Canada.
He died in 1997 and is commemorated in the Alan Ridge Publications Award of the Association of Canadian Archivists.
Information from the Association of Canadian Archivists at http://archivists.ca/content/aca-award-recipient-biographies [accessed Sep 2011].
A deed is any document affecting title, that is, proof of ownership, of the land in question. The land may or may not have buildings upon it. Common types of deed include conveyances, mortgages, bonds, grants of easements, wills and administrations.
An assignment of term, or assignment to attend the inheritance, was an assignment of the remaining term of years in a mortgage to a trustee after the mortgage itself has been redeemed. An assignment of a lease is the transfer of the rights laid out in the lease to another party, usually for a consideration (a sum of money).
Lease and release was the most common method of conveying freehold property from the later seventeenth century onwards, before the introduction of the modern conveyance in the late nineteenth century. The lease was granted for a year (sometimes six months), then on the following day the lessor released their right of ownership in return for the consideration (the thing for which land was transferred from one party to another, usually, of course, a sum of money).
Abstract of title is a summary of prior ownership of a property, drawn up by solicitors. Such an abstract may go back several hundred years or just a few months, and was usually drawn up just prior to a sale.
From the British Records Association "Guidelines 3 - Interpreting Deeds: How To Interpret Deeds - A Simple Guide And Glossary".
The Grand Surrey Canal was the chief London canal south of the Thames, extending from Surrey Commercial Docks to Camberwell and was originally intended to go as far as Mitcham when it was first authorised in 1801. Ralph Dodd was the first engineer and the entrance lock into the Thames was opened in 1807. The canal's use for transport ceased in 1836 and it became a line of wharves. The company combined with the Commercial Docks Company to take over Surrey Commercial Docks in 1864, but in 1908 it was transferred to the Port of London authority who closed it in 1971 when it was subsequently drained.
Miss Millman's School for young girls was situated at 127 Westbourne Terrace, Paddington, north of Hyde Park.
The Saint Marylebone Charity School was founded in 1750.
The complaint was lodged by John van Zoom Nicholas of Amsterdam against Sir Goddard Nelthropp of Clerkenwell Green, concerning an alleged breach of contract in the sale to him of seven rough diamonds for the sum of £17,600; and seeking to recover £2000 wrongfully withheld from him by Sir Goddard.
Kirby and Brown was based at 17 Hanover Street, Hanover Square.
The charitable society to which these applications are addressed is unknown.
Wakenaam is an island at the mouth of the Essequibo River of Guyana, South America.
Parties named in the conveyance are: 1. John Turnbull, John Forbes, Broad St., City, merchants and co-partners; 2. Thomas Hussey, late of Demerary, now Manchester St, Manchester Sq., St. Marylebone, esq; 3. John McArthur, York Pl., Portman Sq., St. Marylebone, esq; 4. John McKirdy, F. Schovers, Demerary, esqs; 5. Tully Higgins, J. H. Horkel, Island of Wakenaam, esqs.
William Harris was the stepson of James Crowcher of Portsea, Hampshire, a labourer. He was apprenticed to Thomas Ellyett of Portsea, hatter, for seven years. He subsequently leased a house and workshop at 5 Upper Ashby Street, Northampton Square, Finsbury.
According to the Post Office London Directory, 1889, Erdmann and Schanz were "boot and shoe importers and photo publishers".
According to the Post Office London Commercial Directory for 1935, Harold Williams, Holliday and Partners, auctioneers, surveyors and solicitors, had offices at Chancery Lane and Croydon.
The Princess was Frances, only child and heiress of Fleetwood Wilson of Wappenham Manor, Northants, who was married to Russian Prince Alexis Dolgorouki. Alfred de Rothschild was the second son of Baron Lionel de Rothschild, and was, at various times, a director of the Bank of England and a trustee of the National Gallery.
An assignment of term, or assignment to attend the inheritance, was an assignment of the remaining term of years in a mortgage to a trustee after the mortgage itself has been redeemed. An assignment of a lease is the transfer of the rights laid out in the lease to another party, usually for a consideration (a sum of money).
From the British Records Association "Guidelines 3 - Interpreting Deeds: How To Interpret Deeds - A Simple Guide And Glossary".
In 1977 E Lambert and Son was operating as A Lambert and Company. They were based in Dalston, Hackney.
A deed is any document affecting title, that is, proof of ownership, of the land in question. The land may or may not have buildings upon it. Common types of deed include conveyances, mortgages, bonds, grants of easements, wills and administrations.
An assignment of term, or assignment to attend the inheritance, was an assignment of the remaining term of years in a mortgage to a trustee after the mortgage itself has been redeemed. An assignment of a lease is the transfer of the rights laid out in the lease to another party, usually for a consideration (a sum of money).
From the British Records Association "Guidelines 3 - Interpreting Deeds: How To Interpret Deeds - A Simple Guide And Glossary".
A deed of settlement for the Company was recorded in 1824. It was incorporated in 1829 by the Act of Parliament. The Company amalgamated with the (Chartered) Gas Light and Coke Company in 1876.
The ships represented in this collection are:
Waterloo Bridge, designed by Rennie, was built by a private company which obtained an act of Parliament for that purpose in 1809. Work began in 1811 and the original intention was to use the name 'Strand Bridge'. The project was renamed 'Waterloo Bridge' in 1816, a year before it opened in 1817.
In 1878 it was acquired by the Metropolitan Board of Works and the existing tolls were abandoned. Structural defects were soon discovered and repaired, but in the 1920's, the bridge was declared unsafe. The London County Council replaced it with a design by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott which was erected 1939-1944.
Bridge House Estates was established by Royal Charter in 1282 with responsibility for the maintenance of London Bridge, and subsequently built Blackfriars Bridge and Tower Bridge and bought Southwark Bridge and the pedestrian-only Millennium Bridge. Bridge House Estates are run by a committee of the City of London Corporation.
Bridge House was the administrative headquarters of the old London Bridge, situated near St Olave's Church. It was formed of properties bequeathed by Peter de Colechurch, the warden of the bridge from 1163, and Henry Fitz Ailwyn, the first Mayor of London in 1189.
The Bridge House Committee was originally part of the City Lands Committee, founded in 1592, but separated in 1818.
Bridge House Estates was originally funded by tolls on London Bridge as well as rents and leases of the buildings along the bridge. It soon acquired extensive property which made it financially self-sufficient. These funds are used to maintain the City bridges, while surplus monies are used to make charitable grants under the City Bridge Trust, established in 1995.
In 1885 the Albert Palace from the Dublin Exhibition of 1872 was erected in Battersea Park for public entertainments. The building was demolished in 1894.
The first benefit society in England was established in 1775. Initially unrecognised by English law, benefit societies were co-operative savings clubs that facilitated their members buying houses. The Regulation of Benefit Building Societies Act was passed by Parliament in 1836, granting official recognition to these societies for the first time. By 1860 there were over 27,500 building societies around the country.
The origins of the name "Saint Clement Danes" remains unclear; any connection with Danish peoples is uncertain although an account by John Stow suggests that "Harold [Harefoot], a Danish king and other Danes were buried here". Another tradition holds that it became the church of the Danish community in the ninth century who had been expelled from the City of London - the church stands at the entrance to the City at the end of Fleet Street. Between 1170 and 1312 it was in the care of the Knights Templar. The church survived the Great Fire but shortly afterwards it became so decayed that rebuilding became essential. A new church by Sir Christopher Wren was completed by 1682, with a steeple added by James Gibbs in 1719.
In 1941, extensive bomb damage gutted the church. It was restored between 1953 and 1958 by WAS Lloyd, paid for with contributions from the Royal Air Force and Allied Forces. It became the Central Church of the Royal Air Force. Inside the church there are many items relating to the air-force including Remembrance Books, colours and standards, and the names of 19,000 American airmen based here during the war, commemorated in a special shrine.
Saint Clements Danes is one of the churches referred to in the popular nursery-rhyme 'Oranges and Lemons'.
Information from The London Encyclopaedia, eds. Weinreb and Hibbert (LMA Library Reference 67.2 WEI).
The Marshalsea was a prison on the south bank of the River Thames in Southwark. From at least 1329 until it closed in 1842, it housed men under court martial for crimes at sea, political figures and intellectuals accused of sedition or other inappropriate behaviour, and London's debtors, the length of their stay determined largely by the whim of their creditors.
A Bill to enable a bridge to be constructed across the Thames from Westminster to Lambeth became law in May 1736. Commissioners to oversee the project were appointed with powers to acquire land and clear property to make way for the bridge. On the Westminster side, streets were very narrow and the land ownership pattern was very complex with many leases and subleases. Juries were thus necessary to decide on acquisition and compensation. Construction began in 1738 and the bridge was opened in 1750.
The church of Saint Alban, Wood Street, was constructed on the supposed site of the chapel of King Offa, the 8th century ruler of Mercia, who founded Saint Alban's Abbey. The churchyard was used by the Barber-Surgeons' Company for the burial of dissected felons. The church was rebuilt in 1633 but burned down during the Great Fire of 1666. It was reconstructed by Wren to the same design in 1685-85, although a tower was added in 1697. After a bombing raid in 1940 everything except the tower was destroyed. The ruins were demolished in 1955, leaving the tower.
After the 1666 Great Fire, Saint Olave, Silver Street, was united with the parish of Saint Alban's; and in 1894 Saint Michael, Wood Street was united with Saint Alban's.
Information from The London Encyclopaedia, eds. Weinreb and Hibbert (LMA Library Reference 67.2 WEI).
All Hallows, Barking by the Tower (also known as All Hallows Berkingchirche) was founded in the Saxon period and is considered to be the oldest church in the City of London. Its title suggests that it was originally an appanage of Barking Abbey. The Abbey certainly owned the church for much of the period up to the Reformation, with the Cathedral Church of Rochester and various medieval Kings acquiring it for short phases. The church played a prominent role in medieval London, being the site of the resignation of Lord Mayor Gregory de Rokesley and part of the trial of the Knights Templar. In the churchyard was situated a Lady Chapel (known as Saint Mary's Chapel), which was erected into a royal chantry-chapel by Edward IV. Attached to this chapel, was a religious gild of the Blessed Virgin Mary founded by Thomas Chichele. In 1539, Barking Abbey and all of its property, including All Hallows, was renounced to the commissioners of Henry VIII and, in 1547, the Chapel was demolished and chantries, images and ornaments removed from the church. Shortly afterwards, the Archbishop of Canterbury acquired the advowson from the Crown.
With the abolition of chantry priests, Vicar William Dawes, who was instituted in 1542, had to individually run the parish which included approximately 800 communicants. During the reign of Queen Mary some of the old fixtures including the rood and some altars returned, but these were taken down with the accession of Queen Elizabeth I. On the whole, the church adopted the changes in ecclesiastical doctrine, although there was still some remnants of old practices.
During the sixteenth century, the parish became more actively involved with the secular affairs in the parish, when it formed a select vestry of thirty members, who chose the churchwardens, appointed parish officers, assessed church and poor rates and administered church charities. The parish was particularly concerned with the care of the poor, who were numerous in the parish.
The seventeenth century saw much restorative work to the church building which included the addition of pews. The church was reopened in 1634, and in the following year, the Archbishop of Canterbury, William Laud, appointed Edward Layfield as vicar. Layfield followed many of Laud's high church tendencies, which upset many of the more puritanical among the parishioners. These puritans complained to Bishop of London and to parliament, which may have played a role in Archbishop Laud being imprisoned in the Tower for treason, where he was later beheaded. Like many others who were beheaded in the Tower, his remains were buried in the church.
In the years that followed, the parish was run by the Puritans. As Oliver Cromwell established a Commonwealth, the church became part of civil life, with new stocks and whipping post placed in the churchyard, and the pews behind the north door removed, to create an engine room, essentially a fire station for the area. However, this did not stop an incident that hit the parish and church on 4th January 1649, when seven barrels of gunpowder exploded in a ship-chandler's house in Tower Street. The 'Great Blowe', as it is sometimes referred to, left many houses destroyed, the church damaged and 67 parishioners dead, while many others were left badly injured or destitute. Through contributions from most of the City Churches and subscriptions from parishioners, the parish and church were cleaned and repaired and the destitute cared for. The church tower, which was severely damaged in explosion, was replaced in 1659.
Edward Layfield returned to the parish as vicar in 1662, shortly after the monarchy had been restored, although there remained a strong puritan element among the Vestry. However, most of these puritans later resigned when they refused to sign the Declaration of the Act of Uniformity. The next major event to hit the parish during this period was the Great Fire in 1666. As a result of the efforts of Admiral William Penn, father of the William Penn who founded Pennsylvania, the church escaped the fire but the vicarage was destroyed. Famously, Samuel Pepys climbed up the tower of the church to view the devastation caused by the fire.
The Vestry remained active in civil functions until the nineteenth century. In 1808, the select vestry was replaced by a general vestry which opened election of members to parishioners. However, the powers of the vestry were gradually reduced and it was eventually replaced by a parochial church council, who were more concerned with church matters rather than secular affairs. The period from the nineteenth to twentieth centuries also saw the population of the parish dwindle, which changed the focus of work. In 1884, All Hallows became the mission church of a small college of priests in Trinity Square. In 1922, it became the Guild Church of Toc H, which was an organisation for Christian fellowship founded by Reverend Philip 'Tubby' Clayton, who was later vicar at All Hallows.
In 1940, the church was badly bombed and only the tower and walls remained. It was extensively restored in period after the war and rededicated in 1957. Saint Dunstan in the East was also badly damaged during the war, but a decision was made not to rebuild it. It became part of the parish of All Hallows in 1960 and was subsequently used for occasional open air services. From 1977 until the 1990s, the parish ran a multi-faith chapel situated in Saint Katharine's Dock. By the end of the twentieth century, the parish became very active as an international ministry with strong links to The Church of the Epiphany, New York; Christ Church, Philadelphia; and the Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf.
Since its foundation, All Hallows has had many famous connections. William Penn, founder of Pennsylvania, was baptised at the church in 1644. Marriages have included Judge Jeffreys 'The Hanging Judge' and Sarah Needham in 1667, and John Quincy Adams, Sixth President of United States and Louisa Johnson in 1797. One notable burial was William Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury in 1645.
Information from: 'An account of the parish church of All Hallows Barking', Survey of London: volume 12: The parish of All Hallows Barking, part I: The Church of All Hallows (1929), pp. 1-90.
All Saints Skinner Street was a district chapelry constituted in 1864, which was united with the parish of Saint Botolph Bishopsgate (P69/BOT4) in 1869.
The earliest church building in the parish of Saint Alphage London Wall was attached to the old Roman city walls. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the nearby Augustinian priory was adapted for use as a parish church. This building was damaged by the Great Fire of 1666, and rebuilt in 1777. The parish of Saint Alphage London Wall was united to the parish of Saint Mary Aldermanbury (P69/MRY2) in 1917. The church of Saint Alphage London Wall was demolished in 1923, with the bells going to Saint Peter Acton. In 1954, the united parishes of Saint Alphage London Wall and Saint Mary Aldermanbury were united to the parish of Saint Giles Cripplegate.
The church of Saint Andrew by the Wardrobe is situated on Queen Victoria Street. It is first mentioned in records in 1244 and was also known as Saint Andre de Castello. The current name was first used from 1361 and refers to the nearby King's Wardrobe where ceremonial robes were stored. The church building was repaired in 1627 only to be destroyed during the Great Fire of London in 1666. It was rebuilt by Wren in 1685-1695. The laying out of Queen Victoria Street in 1871 destroyed much of the churchyard. The church was destroyed by incendiary bombs during the Second World War but was rebuilt in 1959-1961.
The churches of Saint Ann Blackfriars, Saint Peter Paul's Wharf, Saint Benet Paul's Wharf, Saint Mary Mounthaw, Saint Nicholas Cole Abbey and Saint Nicholas Olave were all destroyed in the Great Fire. Saint Ann Blackfriars was not rebuilt and the parish was united to Saint Andrew by the Wardrobe in 1670. Similarly, Saint Peter Paul's Wharf was united to Saint Benet Paul's Wharf Wharf in 1670, and Saint Nicholas Olave was united to Saint Nicholas Cole Abbey in 1670. Saint Mary Mounthaw was united to Saint Mary Somerset in 1670 and the parishes were united to Saint Nicholas Cole Abbey in 1866. Saint Benet Paul's Wharf was rebuilt by Wren, 1677-83 and the parish united to Saint Nicholas Cole Abbey in 1879, when the church became the London church of the Welsh Episcopalians. Saint Nicholas Cole Abbey was rebuilt by Wren in 1677, gutted in 1941 and restored in 1962. The parish was united to Saint Andrew by the Wardrobe in 1954.
Some information from The London Encyclopaedia, eds. Weinreb and Hibbert (LMA Library Reference 67.2 WEI).
Saint Christopher Le Stocks was constructed before 1225 on the banks of the Walbrook stream, which used to run through the City from Finsbury to the Thames. It was also known as Saint Christopher on Cornhill and Saint Christopher on Bread Street; but later came to be known after the nearby Stocks Market. The church was damaged during the Great Fire in 1666 but was rebuilt by Wren in 1670-71. Much of the older church was saved and incorporated into the new design. The church was demolished in 1781-82 and the Dividend Warrant Office was built on the site.
History of the united parishes of Saint Margaret Lothbury, Saint Martin Pomeroy, Saint Bartholomew by the Exchange, Saint Mildred Poultry, Saint Mary Colechurch, Saint Olave Jewry and Saint Christopher le Stocks:
The church of Saint Margaret Lothbury was first mentioned in the 12th century. It was destroyed in the Great Fire and was rebuilt in 1690. The parish of Saint Christopher le Stocks was united to Saint Margaret Lothbury on the demolition of the church in 1781. In 1839 Saint Bartholomew by the Exchange was added when its church was also demolished. The parishes of Saint Martin Pomeroy, Saint Mary Colechurch and Saint Olave Jewry, united to each other in 1670, and Saint Mildred Poultry (united to them in 1871) were added in 1886.
Information from The London Encyclopaedia, eds. Weinreb and Hibbert (LMA Library Reference 67.2 WEI).
History of the united parishes of Christchurch Newgate Street and Saint Leonard Foster Lane, and the former parish of Saint Nicholas Shambles:
The church of Saint Nicholas Shambles was built some time before 1196. It was demolished in 1547 and the parish dissolved. The parish of Christchurch Newgate Street (also known as Christchurch Greyfriars) was formed in the same year to replace the parish of Saint Nicholas Shambles and also that of Saint Ewin. Very little is known about the parish of Saint Ewin, and no records are known to have survived.
The church of the former monastery of the Friars Minor, or Grey Friars, became the parish church of the new parish of Christchurch Newgate Street. The first church built on the site in 1225 was for the Friars, but it was rebuilt by 1348. In turn this was destroyed by the Great Fire and was rebuilt by Wren in 1687-1704. Apart from the steeple this church was destroyed in the Blitz. The steeple tower and vestry have been restored and the rest of the site turned into a garden. The church of Saint Leonard Foster Lane was destroyed in the Great Fire and not rebuilt and in 1670 the parish was united to Christchurch Newgate Street.
Saint Dionis Backchurch is first mentioned in records in 1098. 'Dionis' is a version of Denys, the patron saint of France. 'Backchurch' is thought to refer to a benefactor named 'Bac'. The church was rebuilt in 1450, with a chapel added in 1466 and a spire in 1632.
History of the united parish:
The parish of Saint Edmund the King and Martyr was united to the parish of Saint Nicholas Acons in 1670. The parish of Saint Benet Gracechurch was united to the parish of Saint Leonard Eastcheap in 1670. The united parishes of Saint Benet Gracechurch and Saint Leonard Eastcheap were united to the parish of All Hallows Lombard Street in 1864. The parish of Saint Dionis Backchurch was joined to All Hallows Lombard Street and united parishes in 1876. These united parishes were joined to the united parishes of Saint Edmund the King and Martyr and Saint Nicholas Acons in 1937 to form Saint Edmund the King and Martyr and united parishes.
The churches of All Hallows Lombard Street, Saint Benet Gracechurch, Saint Dionis Backchurch, Saint Edmund the King and Martyr, Saint Leonard Eastcheap and Saint Nicholas Acons were all destroyed in the Great Fire in 1666. Saint Edmund the King and Martyr was rebuilt by Wren and Robert Hooke in 1670-9 and the spire completed in 1708. Saint Dionis Backchurch was rebuilt by Wren in 1670-84, Saint Benet Gracechurch Street in 1681-87 and All Hallows Lombard Street in 1686-94. The churches of Saint Leonard Eastcheap and Saint Nicholas Acons were not rebuilt; however, the site of the former was retained as a burial ground until 1882.
The church of Saint Benet Gracechurch was demolished in 1867, the church of Saint Dionis Backchurch in 1878 and the church of All Hallows Lombard Street in 1938 and the sites sold off. The proceeds of these sales were used to fund the building of new churches namely Saint Benet Mile End Road, Saint Dionis Parsons Green, and All Hallows, Chertsey Road, Twickenham and All Saints Queensbury. The tower of All Hallows Lombard Street was reconstructed as part of All Hallows, Chertsey Road. Saint Edmund the King and Martyr remains the parish church.
Some information from The London Encyclopaedia, eds. Weinreb and Hibbert (LMA Library Reference 67.2 WEI).
The parish of St Dunstan in the West was first mentioned in 1185. The church escaped the Great Fire of London and in commemoration of its survival the famous clock, with its two figures with clubs who strike the hour, was erected. In 1760, when the nearby Ludgate was demolished, the statue of Queen Elizabeth I which had stood on the gate was placed above the church door. The church was taken down in 1830 so that Fleet Street could be widened, and was replaced the following year by the present building, an octagonal design by John Shaw, in gothic style. The clock was sold to the Marquess of Hertford, but was restored to the church in 1935 by Lord Rothermere. In 1954 Saint Dunstan's became a guild church, with one chapel reserved for use by the Russian Orthodox Church.
Information from The London Encyclopaedia, eds. Weinreb and Hibbert (LMA Library Reference 67.2 WEI).
The medieval parish church of Saint Helen Bishopsgate was attached to a Benedictine nunnery, founded on the site in around 1204. When the religious house was dissolved in 1538, the church reverted to its parochial use.
The parish of Saint Martin Outwich was united with Saint Helen Bishopsgate in 1873, and its church, which had been destroyed by fire in 1765 and rebuilt in 1796, was pulled down in 1874.
History of the united parishes of Saint Mary le Bow, Saint Pancras Soper Lane, All Hallows Honey Lane, Saint John the Evangelist Friday Street and All Hallows Bread Street:
Saint John the Evangelist, Friday Street, was originally dedicated to Saint Werburga, a Princess of Mercia and Abbess of Ely. The parish was the smallest in the City, less than an acre in size. By the middle of the 14th century the dedication was changed to Saint John the Evangelist.
The churches of All Hallows Honey Lane, Saint Pancras, Soper Lane, and Saint John the Evangelist, Friday Street, were destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666. The parish of Saint Mary le Bow was united to the parishes of All Hallows Honey Lane and Saint Pancras Soper Lane in 1670. The parish of All Hallows Bread Street was united to the parish of St John the Evangelist in 1670.
The church of All Hallows Bread Street was demolished in 1876. The united parishes of Saint John and All Hallows were joined with the united parishes of Saint Mary, Saint Pancras and All Hallows Honey Lane in 1876. The church of St Mary remains a parish church.
Some information from The London Encyclopaedia, eds. Weinreb and Hibbert (LMA Library Reference 67.2 WEI).
Saint James, Duke's Place, was established in 1622. Unlike the parish jurisdictions of Saint Andrew Undershaft and Saint Katherine Cree, that of Saint James Duke's Place was unusual. In 1623 the parish church was consecrated on a site in Aldgate Ward in the City of London. This area, until the Reformation, had been part of the monastic precinct of Holy Trinity Aldgate, and had a semi-manorial leet jury (with powers of paving etc.) and thus claimed the status of "liberty", and a partial exemption from Aldgate Ward In the 17th and 18th centuries, Saint James Duke's Place also claimed an exemption from ecclesiastical jurisdiction and became infamous for "irregular" marriages, where couples could be married without licence, banns or parental consent. The site of Saint James Duke's Place is now occupied by the Sir John Cass School; the church was demolished in 1874.
The parish of Saint Andrew Undershaft was united with Saint Mary Axe in 1561. In 1954 the parish was united with the parishes of Saint Katherine Cree and Saint James Duke's Place, which had united in 1873. The churches of Saint Andrew Undershaft and Saint Katherine Cree still stand.
Saint James in the Wall, Monkwell Street, was an ancient hermitage, a cell of Garadon Monastery, Leicestershire. In 1543 William Lambe purchased the chapel and it was bequeathed by him to the Clothworkers' Company in 1577, and the "reader" of the chapel appears to have acted as chaplain to the Company. It was therefore also known as Lamb's Chapel. The chapel was rebuilt in 1825, before being pulled down in 1872.
The parish church of Saint Margaret Moses, Friday Street, was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666; and the parish was united to the parish of Saint Mildred Bread Street in 1670. The parish church of Saint Mildred Bread Street was destroyed by enemy action in 1941. Both parishes are now part of the united benefice of Saint Mary le Bow.
History of the united parishes of Saint Margaret Pattens and Saint Gabriel Fenchurch:
The first recorded mention of Saint Margaret Pattens is in 1216. The church, which had been rebuilt in 1530 and repaired in 1614-32, was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666. The parish was united with the parish of Saint Gabriel Fenchurch in 1670 and the church was reconstructed by Wren in 1684-1697. The name derives from patten (wooden overshoes) making workshops situated near the church.
Saint Gabriel Fenchurch was originally known as Saint Mary Fenchurch (in 1315), but its name had changed by the end of the 16th century. It was demolished in the Great Fire and not rebuilt. A plaque marks the site, on 35 Fenchurch Street.
Saint Michael Cornhill is first mentioned in records of 1055. The church burned down during the Great Fire of London in 1666. It was rebuilt in 1670-71 by Wren, although the tower was finished in 1718-22 by Hawksmoor. The parish of Saint Michael Cornhill was united to the parishes of Saint Benet Fink and Saint Peter le Poer in 1906.
History of the united parish:
The church of Saint Mary Staining was destroyed in the Great Fire of London, 1666, and not rebuilt. The parish united with Saint Michael Wood Street in 1670 and Saint Alban Wood Street in 1894.
The church of Saint Michael Wood Street was first mentioned in 1170. It was burned down in the Great Fire, rebuilt by Wren 1670-75 and demolished in 1894 under the Union of City Benefices Act. The parish united with that of Saint Alban Wood Street.
The 11th century church of Saint Mary Woolchurch Haw stood on the site now occupied by Mansion House. Antiquarian John Stow noted that wool was weighed in the churchyard. The church escaped serious damage during the Great Fire of London, 1666, but it was demolished for building materials and the parish united to Saint Mary Woolnoth.
History of the united parishes of Saint Michael Paternoster Royal, Saint Martin Vintry, All Hallows the Great and All Hallows the Less.
Saint Michael Paternoster Royal is first recorded in 1219. The name Royal comes from the name of a nearby street, Reole. Dick Whittington, who was buried in the church in 1423, paid for the rebuilding of the church in 1409. Burnt in the Great Fire, it was restored by Wren in 1689-94. The interior was rearranged in 1866. The church was bombed in 1944 and restored in 1967.
The parish of Saint Martin Vintry was often originally referred to as Saint Martin Beremand. The church was rebuilt in 1399 by the executors of Matthew Columbar, a vintner from Bordeaux. In the 15th century the church was restored by Sir Ralph Austrie, a fishmonger. It was destroyed by the Great Fire, and the parish was united to Saint Michael Paternoster Royal in 1670.
The church of All Hallows the Great is first mentioned in 1235. It was rebuilt in 1627-9, but burnt in the Great Fire. Wren designed the new church which was built 1677-83. The tower and the north aisle were demolished in 1876 to accommodate the widening of Queen Victoria Street. The tower and vestry were rebuilt on the south side, and these were the only parts that remained after its demolition in 1893, when the parish was united to Saint Michael Paternoster Royal. The tower and vestry were bombed in 1939, and in 1969 Mondial House was built on the site of the churchyard. The church of All Hallows the Less, first mentioned in 1216, stood over the gateway to a large house. It was burnt in the Great Fire, and the parish was united to All Hallows the Great in 1670.
History of the united parishes of St Olave Hart Street, All Hallows Staining and St Katherine Coleman:
Saint Olave Hart Street is named after King Olaf of Norway who fought with Ethelred the Unready against the Danes in the Battle of London Bridge, and was canonised for his defence of Christendom. King Olaf died in 1025 and this church was founded soon after. The original church was rebuilt in the 13th century and again in 1450. Samuel Pepys and his wife worshipped here and are buried here. Restorations were needed after the Second World War.
The parish of All Hallows Staining was united to the parish of Saint Olave Hart Street in 1870 and the church of All Hallows Staining was demolished in the same year. In 1921 the parish of Saint Katherine Coleman was united to Saint Olave Hart Street (with All Hallows Staining) and the redundant church was demolished in 1926.
Information from The London Encyclopaedia, eds. Weinreb and Hibbert (LMA Library Reference 67.2 WEI).
