Parish of St Luke, Chelsea , Church of England Chelsea Old Church , Church of EnglandAll Saints Church, Chelsea , Church of England

Parish of St Luke, Chelsea , Church of England Chelsea Old Church , Church of EnglandAll Saints Church, Chelsea , Church of England

The parish church of Chelsea was known originally as All Saints, but from the late 17th century it became known as St Luke's, although there was never a formal rededication. In 1819 a new church was built in a more central location, which was dedicated to Saint Luke and which became the new parish church. The old church was used as a chapel of ease, known as Chelsea Old Church. The incumbent of the Old Church was known as the assistant minister of the Parish Chapel. The Old Church building was ruined by bombing in 1941, but was restored between 1947 and 1958. A parish was assigned to the Old Church in 1951, called All Saints (Chelsea Old Church).

The new parish church of Saint Luke was built on Robert Street (later renamed Sydney Street). The foundation stone was laid in 1820 and the church was consecrated in 1824. It was built at great expense in an English Perpendicular style; with the tallest nave in London (bar those of Saint Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey). The parish of Saint Luke was divided into smaller parishes from 1831 onwards with the construction of Holy Trinity, Christ Church, Saint Saviour, Saint Jude, Saint Matthew and Saint Simon Zelotes.

In 1727 the churchwardens set up a house for the poor, and from 1735 a workhouse was opened on land given by Sir Hans Sloane north of the King's Road. The workhouse was managed by a Vestry committee founded in 1735, the committee usually included the rector, both churchwardens, at least one overseer, the doctor and the constable.

Source of information: A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 12: Chelsea (2004), pp. 206-258.