St Dunstan's, Stepney
Encyclopedia
St Dunstan's, Stepney is an Anglican Church which stands on a site which has been used for Christian
worship for over a thousand years. It is located in Stepney High Street, in Stepney
, London Borough of Tower Hamlets
.
— who is also Lord of the Manor
of Stepney
— replaced the existing wooden structure with a stone church dedicated to All the saints
. In 1029, when Dunstan
was canonised, the church was rededicated to St Dunstan and All Saints, a dedication it has retained.
Up until the early 14th century the church served the whole of Middlesex
east of the City of London
. Then new churches were built at Whitechapel
and Bow
. The existing building is the third on the site and was built of Kentish ragstone mainly in the 15th century (although the chancel
dates from 200 years earlier). A porch and octagonal parish room were added in 1872.
, which hang in the belfry were cast at the local Whitechapel Bell Foundry
and are tuned to C#. The seven oldest bells were recast by Thomas Mears and Son, Whitechapel, in 1806. Three were recast in 1952 when repairs were made to the tower. The bells are mentioned in the nursery rhyme Oranges and Lemons
"When will that be, say the bells of Stepney".
. In one eighteen month period 6,583 died, with 154 being buried in one day in September 1665.
The church has a long traditional link with the sea and many sailors were buried here. It was once known as the 'Church of the High Seas'. The graveyard is also where Roger Crab
the 17th-century hermit is buried after living on a diet solely of herbs, roots, leaves, grass and water.
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
worship for over a thousand years. It is located in Stepney High Street, in Stepney
Stepney
Stepney is a district of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in London's East End that grew out of a medieval village around St Dunstan's church and the 15th century ribbon development of Mile End Road...
, 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...
.
History
In about AD 952 the Bishop of LondonBishop 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...
— who is also Lord of the Manor
Lord of the Manor
The Lordship of a Manor is recognised today in England and Wales as a form of property and one of three elements of a manor that may exist separately or be combined and may be held in moieties...
of Stepney
Stepney (parish)
Stepney was an ancient civil and ecclesiastical parish in the historic county of Middlesex to the east and north east of the City of London, England.-Origins:...
— replaced the existing wooden structure with a stone church dedicated to All the saints
All Saints
All Saints' Day , often shortened to All Saints, is a solemnity celebrated on 1 November by parts of Western Christianity, and on the first Sunday after Pentecost in Eastern Christianity, in honour of all the saints, known and unknown...
. In 1029, when Dunstan
Dunstan
Dunstan was an Abbot of Glastonbury Abbey, a Bishop of Worcester, a Bishop of London, and an Archbishop of Canterbury, later canonised as a saint. His work restored monastic life in England and reformed the English Church...
was canonised, the church was rededicated to St Dunstan and All Saints, a dedication it has retained.
Up until the early 14th century the church served the whole of Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
east 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...
. Then new churches were built at Whitechapel
Whitechapel
Whitechapel is a built-up inner city district in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, London, England. It is located east of Charing Cross and roughly bounded by the Bishopsgate thoroughfare on the west, Fashion Street on the north, Brady Street and Cavell Street on the east and The Highway on the...
and Bow
Bow, London
Bow is an area of London, England, United Kingdom in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is a built-up, mostly residential district located east of Charing Cross, and is a part of the East End.-Bridges at Bowe:...
. The existing building is the third on the site and was built of Kentish ragstone mainly in the 15th century (although the chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
dates from 200 years earlier). A porch and octagonal parish room were added in 1872.
Bells
The ring of ten bells, the heaviest weighing 28.3 HundredweightHundredweight
The hundredweight or centum weight is a unit of mass defined in terms of the pound . The definition used in Britain differs from that used in North America. The two are distinguished by the terms long hundredweight and short hundredweight:* The long hundredweight is defined as 112 lb, which...
, which hang in the belfry were cast at the local Whitechapel Bell Foundry
Whitechapel Bell Foundry
The Whitechapel Bell Foundry is a bell foundry in Whitechapel in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, in the East End of London. The foundry is listed by the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest manufacturing company in Great Britain...
and are tuned to C#. The seven oldest bells were recast by Thomas Mears and Son, Whitechapel, in 1806. Three were recast in 1952 when repairs were made to the tower. The bells are mentioned in the nursery rhyme Oranges and Lemons
Oranges and Lemons
"Oranges and Lemons" is an English nursery rhyme and singing game which refers to the bells of several churches, all within or close to the City of London. It is listed in the Roud Folk Song Index as #3190.-Lyrics:Common modern versions include:...
"When will that be, say the bells of Stepney".
Churchyard
The church is surrounded by a churchyard of nearly seven acres (28,000 m²). In the 17th century the churchyard was enlarged to cope with the massive number of deaths during the Great Plague of LondonGreat Plague of London
The Great Plague was a massive outbreak of disease in the Kingdom of England that killed an estimated 100,000 people, 20% of London's population. The disease is identified as bubonic plague, an infection by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, transmitted through a flea vector...
. In one eighteen month period 6,583 died, with 154 being buried in one day in September 1665.
The church has a long traditional link with the sea and many sailors were buried here. It was once known as the 'Church of the High Seas'. The graveyard is also where Roger Crab
Roger Crab
Roger Crab was an English soldier, haberdasher, herbal doctor and writer who is best known for his ascetic lifestyle which included Christian vegetarianism. Crab fought in the Parliamentary Army in the English Civil War before becoming a haberdasher in Chesham. He later became a hermit and worked...
the 17th-century hermit is buried after living on a diet solely of herbs, roots, leaves, grass and water.