Parish of St Pancras, Pancras Road , Church of England x St Pancras Old Church

Parish of St Pancras, Pancras Road , Church of England x St Pancras Old Church

Saint Pancras was a parish before the Norman Conquest of 1066. It is said to occupy the site of a Roman Camp, the old church was erected around 1180. It was enlarged and almost rebuilt in 1848 and again restored in 1888. The burial ground has been a place of Christian burial for over 700 years, being at times favoured by Roman Catholics and in particular French exiles, a factor said to be attributable to the church's dedication to the Roman martyr Pancratius.

In 1822 a new parish church was completed in Euston Road, reducing the Old Church to the status of a parish chapel. In 1863 the latter regained its status as the principal church of a new parish. The two parishes are referred to separately as Saint Pancras, Pancras Road (ie the Old Church, but a new parish) and Saint Pancras, Euston Road (ie the new church completed in 1822, but the old parish). Records dated 1660-1822 therefore relate to Saint Pancras Old Church when it was the main parish church of the ancient parish of Saint Pancras. Records of Saint Pancras Old Church dated 1863 onwards refer to the new, smaller and separate parish assigned to this church after that date. See also P90/PAN1.