St Paul's Cathedral , London

Details of "The Ritual and Religious Services of the Cathedral" are given by W Sparrow Simpson in Chapter in the History of Old St Paul's (1881), pp.41-58. Certain "Ceremonials at, and Processions to St Paul's" are recorded in Dugdale (1818 edn), pp.431-66, including the funeral of Lord Nelson in 1806, pp.455-63. For papers concerning the Duke of Wellington's funeral at St Paul's, 1852-3, see Ms 25783/368 (among the "Shenley deeds", see section CLC/313/L/H).

For music at the cathedral, see W Sparrow Simpson, Gleanings from Old St Paul's (1889), pp.155-244; JS Bumpus, The Organists and Composers of St Paul's Cathedral (1891); and Watkins Shaw, The Succession of Organists: of the Chapel Royal and the Cathedrals of England and Wales from c. 1538 (1991). For the cathedral's organ and bells, see section CLC/313/I. The performances of cathedral choir boys in the "Paul's playhouse" are described by Reavley Gair, The Children of St Paul's: The Story of a Theatre Company, 1553-1608 (1982), which lists the Masters of the Choristers, choristers/actors and playhouse managers (pp.184-185), as well as plays known to have been performed in the period (pp.186-187). NB: Gair appears to have found little of relevance in the cathedral archives. See section CLC/313/H for details of an article about the site of the playhouse.

For details of the medieval "Boy Bishop" Ceremony held at Old St Paul's on St Nicholas' Day (6th December), and an edition of a sermon preached at St Paul's by a Boy Bishop, c 1490-6, see Camden Miscellany, vol.7 (1875), introduction and pp.1-13. The sermon was usually prepared by the cathedral's almoner. A statute of 1263 concerning the ceremony is edited by W Sparrow Simpson, Registrum, pp.91-94.

The Guildhall Library Printed Books Section has a number of printed sermons delivered at St Paul's, which can be found using a classification search for "L 12.75", as well as service sheets for certain important cathedral occasions which can be found using a classification search for " L 12.71". Printed sermons held by St Paul's Cathedral Library are described in W Sparrow Simpson's St Paul's Cathedral Library: A Catalogue, pp.48-55 & 85-120.

For sermons and other (civic, papal or political) pronouncements delivered at Paul's Cross, see W Sparrow Simpson Chapters in the History of Old St Paul's, pp.149-232; ME Cornford, Paul's Cross: A History (1910); PE Jones "St Paul's Cross" in Guildhall Historical Association Transactions, vol.2 (1957), pop.14-22; and M Maclure, The Paul's Cross Sermons 1534-1642 (1958). The current cross in the cathedral courtyard is a 20th century memorial of the famous preaching cross first recorded in the late 12th century. The cross was originally built in stone, but was replaced ca. 1450 by wooden cross with a covered pulpit. These were destroyed in 1643 by order of Parliament. During the medieval period, in bad weather, Paul's Cross sermons were often delivered in the cathedral crypt ("Shrouds"). From the 17th century the Paul's Cross sermons were delivered in the cathedral itself, the Corporation of London extending hospitality to the preachers: see PE Jones, "St Paul's Cross" in Guildhall Historical Association Transactions, vol.2 (1957), pp.14-22. For payments to Paul's Cross preachers, see section CLC/313/G.

Meetings of Convocation of the southern province were regularly held at St Paul's.