Parish of St Mary le Bow, City of London , Church of England

The church of Saint Mary le Bow is famed for housing the 'Bow Bells'; if a person is born within the sound of Bow Bells they are a true Cockney. The first mention of the church is in 1091. It was a 'peculiar', owned by the Archbishop of Canterbury and exempt from the jurisdiction of the Bishop of London. The Court of Arches (named after the arches in the Norman crypt) sat here until 1847. The church was burned down during the Great Fire of London, 1666, and rebuilt to designs by Wren, completed in 1673. Damage occurred during the Second World War and restorations took place in 1956-1962.

The parish of St Mary le Bow was united to the parishes of All Hallows Honey Lane and Saint Pancras Soper Lane in 1670. The united parishes of Saint John the Evangelist Friday Street and All Hallows Bread Street were joined with the united parishes of Saint Mary, Saint Pancras and All Hallows Honey Lane in 1876. The church of Saint Mary remains a parish church.

Information from The London Encyclopaedia, eds. Weinreb and Hibbert (LMA Library Reference 67.2 WEI).