St Thomas the Apostle, London

St Thomas the Apostle was a parish church in St Thomas Apostle Street[1] in the City of London. In existence by the late twelfth century, it was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666[2] and not rebuilt.

For other churches with the same name, see St. Thomas the Apostle Church (disambiguation).

St Thomas the Apostle
Plaque marking the site of the church
LocationLondon
CountryEngland
DenominationAnglican
History
Founded12th century
Architecture
Demolished1666

History

The patronage of the church belonged to the canons of St Paul's and it is mentioned in the register of the Dean and Chapter as early as 1181.[1] John Stow implies that was rebuilt some time in the late fourteenth century, describing John Barnes, Lord Mayor in 1371 as "a great builder of S. Thomas Apostles parish church as appeareth by his armes there both in stone and glasse".[1]

The parish was staunchly Royalist[3] in the years leading up to the Civil War[4] In 1642, the rector, named Cooper, was sequestered and imprisoned in Leeds Castle owing to his loyalty to the king.[1]

St Thomas' was destroyed by the Great fire in 1666. Following the fire, a Rebuilding Act was passed and a committee set up under Sir Christopher Wren to decide which buildings would be rebuilt.[5] Fifty-one were chosen, but St Thomas the Apostle was not among those chosen.[6] Instead, the parish was united with that of St Mary Aldermary. Part of the site was used for the creation of Queen Street, though a small portion of the churchyard survived.[1]

The site of the church is marked by a plaque in Great St Thomas Apostle Street near Mansion House tube station.

Edmund Allen (died 1559), Bishop of Rochester, is said to have been buried in the church.

References
  1. Jenkinson, Wilberforce (1917). London Churches Before the Great Fire. London: Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge. p. 171.
  2. "The Survey of Building Sites in London after the Great Fire of 1666" Mills, P/ Oliver, J Vol I pp31-35: Guildhall Library MS. 84 reproduced in facsimile, London, London Topographical Society, 1946
  3. Hibbert,C; Weinreb,D; Keay,J (2008) [1983]. The London Encyclopaedia (Revised ed.). London: Pan Macmillan. ISBN 978-1-4050-4924-5.
  4. Borer, M.I.C (1978). The City of London – a history. New York: D.McKay Co. ISBN 0094618801.
  5. Whinney, Margaret (1971). Wren. London: Thames & Hudson. ISBN 0500201129.
  6. "The City of London Churches" Betjeman, J. Andover, Pitkin, 1967 (rpnt 1992) ISBN 0853725659

51°30′42.9582″N 0°5′35.0448″W


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