Holy Trinity, Minories was a church outside the eastern boundaries 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...

; but within the Liberties of the Tower of London

Liberties of the Tower of London

The Liberties of the Tower, or the Tower Liberty was an area adjoining the Tower of London, which was outside the jurisdiction of either the City of London or the County of Middlesex....

. The liberty was incorporated in the Metropolitan Borough of Stepney

Metropolitan Borough of Stepney

The Metropolitan Borough of Stepney was a Metropolitan borough in the County of London created in 1900. In 1965 it became part of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.-Boundaries:...

 in 1899, and today is within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets

London Borough of Tower Hamlets

The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is a London borough to the east of the City of London and north of the River Thames. It is in the eastern part of London and covers much of the traditional East End. It also includes much of the redeveloped Docklands region of London, including West India Docks...

.

The district lay within the precincts of the Abbey of the Order of St Clare, founded by Edmund Crouchback

Edmund Crouchback, 1st Earl of Lancaster

Edmund of Crouchback, 1st Earl of Leicester and Lancaster , was the second surviving son of King Henry III of England and Eleanor of Provence. In his childhood he had a claim on the Kingdom of Sicily. His nickname refers to his participation in the Ninth Crusade.-Childhood:Edmund was born in London...

, in 1293, for Spanish Clare

Order of Poor Ladies

The Poor Clares also known as the Order of Saint Clare, the Order of Poor Ladies, the Poor Clare Sisters, the Clarisse, the Minoresses, the Franciscan Clarist Congregation, and the Second Order of St. Francis, , comprise several orders of nuns in the Catholic Church...

 nuns arriving with his wife. The nuns were also known as the Minoresses – which came to be adopted as the name for the district, Minories

Minories

The Minories is the name of both an area and street in the City of London close to the Tower of London. The street called Minories runs north-south between Aldgate and Tower Hill underground stations...

. The convent was surrendered in 1539, during the Dissolution of the Monasteries

Dissolution of the Monasteries

The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...

 and the buildings were used as an armoury for the Tower of London

Tower of London

Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...

, and later, as a workhouse

Workhouse

In England and Wales a workhouse, colloquially known as a spike, was a place where those unable to support themselves were offered accommodation and employment...

. Later in the sixteenth century, the parish was a Puritan stronghold, where both John Field and Thomas Wilcox

Thomas Wilcox

Thomas Wilcox was a British Puritan clergyman and controversialist.-Life:In 1571, with John Field he authored the Admonition to the Parliament, that called for the removal of Bishops and ecclesiastical hierarchy. Wilcox and Field were imprisoned for one year for this...

 preached.

The chapel reverted to a parish church, known as St Clare without Aldgate It escaped 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...

  but fell into disrepair and was rebuilt in 1706, known as Holy Trinity, Minories – this dedication may derive from the cemetery chapel of Holy Trinity Priory

Holy Trinity Priory

The Holy Trinity Priory was a priory of Austin canons founded around 1108 by Queen Matilda of England, wife of King Henry I near Aldgate in London. The queen received advice and help in the foundation from Anselm of Canterbury, the Archbishop of Canterbury. It was founded with clergy from...

, which was nearby. Until 1730, the church claimed the rights of a royal peculiar

Royal Peculiar

A Royal Peculiar is a place of worship that falls directly under the jurisdiction of the British monarch, rather than under a bishop. The concept dates from Anglo-Saxon times, when a church could ally itself with the monarch and therefore not be subject to the bishop of the area...

 – including freedom from the authority of the Bishop of London

Bishop of London

The Bishop of London is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of London in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers 458 km² of 17 boroughs of Greater London north of the River Thames and a small part of the County of Surrey...

; and the right to perform marriages 'without licence'.

In 1899, the parish was closed under the provisions of 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...

 and united with the parish of St Botolph's Aldgate

St Botolph's Aldgate

St Botolph's Church, Aldgate, St Botolph-without-Aldgate, or just Aldgate Church, is a Church of England liberal and inclusive parish church in the City of London, standing at the junction of Houndsditch and Aldgate High Street. The current 18th century church is made of brick with stone quoins...

. Partial records of births, deaths and marriages exist at IGI

International Genealogical Index

The International Genealogical Index is a database of genealogical records, compiled from several sources, and maintained by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...

.

The remains of the church were destroyed by aerial bombing

Airstrike

An air strike is an attack on a specific objective by military aircraft during an offensive mission. Air strikes are commonly delivered from aircraft such as fighters, bombers, ground attack aircraft, attack helicopters, and others...

 during the Blitz

The Blitz

The Blitz was the sustained strategic bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941, during the Second World War. The city of London was bombed by the Luftwaffe for 76 consecutive nights and many towns and cities across the country followed...

in 1940.