All Hallows Bread Street
Encyclopedia
All Hallows Bread Street was a church in the Bread Street ward
of the City of London
on the south side of Watling Street. First mentioned in the 13th century, the church was destroyed in the Great Fire of London
in 1666. The church was rebuilt by the office of Sir Christopher Wren and demolished in 1878.
, the main street and market place of medieval London (Cheap means market) – Bread Street was the site of the bread market.
Two separate land grants to the church are recorded in 1349 and 1350, allowing the church to be expanded. The pre-Fire church had a stone steeple, which was struck by lightning in 1559. Part of the steeple fell to the ground, killing a dog. The remainder of the steeple was taken down to save money on repairs.
During the reign of Henry VIII, the church was closed for a month following a bloody fight between two priests. They were obliged to walk in penance from St Paul’s to Cheapside.
In 1555, during the reign of Mary I, the rector, Laurence Saunders
, was burnt at the stake for preaching Protestant doctrine.
A stone plaque now in Bow Churchyard, commemorates the christening of John Milton
in All Hallows Bread Street in 1608.
After the church’s destruction in the Great Fire, the parish was combined with that of St John the Evangelist Friday Street, also destroyed in the Fire, but not rebuilt. Reconstruction began in 1681 and by 1684 the body of the church was complete. The unfinished tower was boarded over and work then stopped, due to the difficulty Wren experienced in paying for the simultaneous completion of several dozen churches, as well as the ongoing construction of St Paul's Cathedral
, from the Coal Tax receipts.
A letter from 1697 survives from the then Lord Mayor, Edward Clarke, lobbying Wren to complete the steeple. Coincidentally or not, work recommenced and the tower was finished in 1698. The total cost of the church and tower was £4881. Among the vestry records are accounts for £12 of ‘florence’ wine (probably Chianti) for Wren and £11 for his assistant Nicholas Hawksmoor
.
By the late nineteenth century, the number of parishioners had declined due to the move of the population to the suburbs. The parish of All Hallows Bread Street was combined with that of St Mary-le-Bow
in 1876 and the church demolished in 1878, under the Union of Benefices Act 1860
. The site and materials were sold for £32,254 and the proceeds used to build All Hallows East India Dock Road. The furnishings were dispersed to several churches – the pulpit is now in St Vedast alias Foster, the organ case in St Mary Abchurch
and the font cover in St Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe.
Initially occupied by warehouses, the site is now covered by the Watling Court development of 1977–81.
.
The steeple, completed 14 years later, is the work of Nicholas Hawksmoor. This comprised four obelisks on corner plinths of a balustraded tower, atop an arcade of 3 arches on 4 sides, each with a finely carved mask keystone. Beneath this was the bell stage with round headed windows framed by swags. The stage below, marking the limit of building in 1684, had round windows.
Bread Street
Bread Street is a ward of the City of London and is named from its principal street, which was anciently the bread market; for by the records it appears that in 1302, the bakers of London were ordered to sell no bread at their houses but in the open market...
of the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
on the south side of Watling Street. First mentioned in the 13th century, the church was destroyed in the Great Fire of London
Great Fire of London
The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through the central parts of the English city of London, from Sunday, 2 September to Wednesday, 5 September 1666. The fire gutted the medieval City of London inside the old Roman City Wall...
in 1666. The church was rebuilt by the office of Sir Christopher Wren and demolished in 1878.
History
The dedication All Hallows, meaning all saints, suggests a Saxon foundation, although the earliest surviving reference is in a document of 1227. Bread Street runs from CheapsideCheapside
Cheapside is a street in the City of London that links Newgate Street with the junction of Queen Victoria Street and Mansion House Street. To the east is Mansion House, the Bank of England, and the major road junction above Bank tube station. To the west is St. Paul's Cathedral, St...
, the main street and market place of medieval London (Cheap means market) – Bread Street was the site of the bread market.
Two separate land grants to the church are recorded in 1349 and 1350, allowing the church to be expanded. The pre-Fire church had a stone steeple, which was struck by lightning in 1559. Part of the steeple fell to the ground, killing a dog. The remainder of the steeple was taken down to save money on repairs.
During the reign of Henry VIII, the church was closed for a month following a bloody fight between two priests. They were obliged to walk in penance from St Paul’s to Cheapside.
In 1555, during the reign of Mary I, the rector, Laurence Saunders
Laurence Saunders
Laurence Saunders England was an English Protestant martyr, whose story is recorded in Foxe's Book of Martyrs...
, was burnt at the stake for preaching Protestant doctrine.
A stone plaque now in Bow Churchyard, commemorates the christening of John Milton
John Milton
John Milton was an English poet, polemicist, a scholarly man of letters, and a civil servant for the Commonwealth of England under Oliver Cromwell...
in All Hallows Bread Street in 1608.
After the church’s destruction in the Great Fire, the parish was combined with that of St John the Evangelist Friday Street, also destroyed in the Fire, but not rebuilt. Reconstruction began in 1681 and by 1684 the body of the church was complete. The unfinished tower was boarded over and work then stopped, due to the difficulty Wren experienced in paying for the simultaneous completion of several dozen churches, as well as the ongoing construction of St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...
, from the Coal Tax receipts.
A letter from 1697 survives from the then Lord Mayor, Edward Clarke, lobbying Wren to complete the steeple. Coincidentally or not, work recommenced and the tower was finished in 1698. The total cost of the church and tower was £4881. Among the vestry records are accounts for £12 of ‘florence’ wine (probably Chianti) for Wren and £11 for his assistant Nicholas Hawksmoor
Nicholas Hawksmoor
Nicholas Hawksmoor was a British architect born in Nottinghamshire, probably in East Drayton.-Life:Hawksmoor was born in Nottinghamshire in 1661, into a yeoman farming family, almost certainly in East Drayton, Nottinghamshire. On his death he was to leave property at nearby Ragnall, Dunham and a...
.
By the late nineteenth century, the number of parishioners had declined due to the move of the population to the suburbs. The parish of All Hallows Bread Street was combined with that of St Mary-le-Bow
St Mary-le-Bow
St Mary-le-Bow is an historic church in the City of London, off Cheapside. According to tradition, a true Cockney must be born within earshot of the sound of the church's bells.-Bells:...
in 1876 and the church demolished in 1878, under the Union of Benefices Act 1860
Union of Benefices Act 1860
The Union of Benefices Act was a necessary piece of legislation to reduce the number of parish churches in the City of London as the residential population declined in the second half of the 19th century.Churches affected were...
. The site and materials were sold for £32,254 and the proceeds used to build All Hallows East India Dock Road. The furnishings were dispersed to several churches – the pulpit is now in St Vedast alias Foster, the organ case in St Mary Abchurch
St Mary Abchurch
St Mary Abchurch is a Church of England church on Cannon Street in the City of London. Dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, it is first mentioned in 1198-99.-History:The church dates back to the twelfth century...
and the font cover in St Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe.
Initially occupied by warehouses, the site is now covered by the Watling Court development of 1977–81.
Architecture
The main frontage of the church faced north onto Watling Street. It had eight round-headed windows (one of them blind) decorated with carved keystones. The church was in the shape of a slightly irregular quadrilateral with an annex protruding on the south. There was a balustrade on top. Stylistic evidence suggests that the design was by Robert HookeRobert Hooke
Robert Hooke FRS was an English natural philosopher, architect and polymath.His adult life comprised three distinct periods: as a scientific inquirer lacking money; achieving great wealth and standing through his reputation for hard work and scrupulous honesty following the great fire of 1666, but...
.
The steeple, completed 14 years later, is the work of Nicholas Hawksmoor. This comprised four obelisks on corner plinths of a balustraded tower, atop an arcade of 3 arches on 4 sides, each with a finely carved mask keystone. Beneath this was the bell stage with round headed windows framed by swags. The stage below, marking the limit of building in 1684, had round windows.
See also
- List of Christopher Wren churches in London
- List of churches rebuilt after the Great Fire but since demolished