St Peter upon Cornhill

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St. Peter upon Cornhill
Photo from corner of Cornhill and Gracechurch Street
Information
Denomination	Church of England, earlier Roman Catholic
Parish	St Helen's Bishopsgate
Contact particulars
Address	Gracechurch Street, City of London
Country	United Kingdom
Portal:Christianity

St Peter upon Cornhill (1687) is an Anglican church in the City of London, located on the corner of Cornhill and Gracechurch Street. It is currently a satellite church in the parish of St Helen's Bishopsgate, and is used for staff training, bible studies and a youth club.

1 The oldest church?
2 The current building
3 Features and points of interest
- 3.1 The Three Devils of St Peter
- 3.2 Mendelssohn's autograph
4 See also
5 Notes

[edit] The oldest church?

An inscription in the churchyard claims that St Peter upon Cornhill is the earliest Christianised site in Britain^[1], founded by the first Christian King, Lucius in 187. There is no solid archeological evidence of any Christian church in the UK during Roman times. However, the Welsh version of King Lucius, Llewrug Mawr is mentioned in Liber Pontificalis (c. 685). Bede mentions the legend of the founding of St Peter upon Cornhill in the Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum (731). The is further support for an early church in London, by the fact that at the Council of Arles in 314, the Bishops of London, York and Lincoln were present. One source says that King Lucius was buried in Chur, Switzerland. Another says that his grave is in Gloucester. There is a dedication stone in the vestery of the current building, unfortunately undateable.

The myth of Lucius is said to be based on a mistranslated text - the original was to King Lucius of Edessa, not an unknown British king. see ^[2]

Those who are looking for the earliest surviving Christian church in Britain should visit St Peter-on-the-Wall in Bradwell-on-Sea, Essex. The church was used by the Tank Regiment after the second world war, subsumed under St Helen's Bishopsgate.

[edit] The current building

In 1444 a "horsemill" (a millstone pulled by horses?) was given to St Peter's. The bells of St Peters are mentioned in 1552, when a bell foundry in Aldgate was asked to cast a new bell. This church was destroyed in the Great Fire of London. It was replaced by the current structure, built by Christopher Wren in 1677 - 1687. The chancel screen was designed by Wren's daughter. On top of the tower is a dome, and on top of that is a spire, creating a curious hybrid scructure. On top of that is a representation of the key of St Peter, ten feet high. Dickens mentions the churchyard in "Our Mutual Friend". A theatre group called The Players of St Peter were formed here in 1946 and performed here until 1987.^[3] They are now based at St Clement Eastcheap where its members perform medieval mystery plays each November.

[edit] Features and points of interest

[edit] The Three Devils of St Peter

In the nineteenth century a very observant vicar at this church noticed that plans for building a new structure next door intruded by one foot onto church territory. He raised legal objections ane forced the architect to redraw the plans. In gleeful triumph he added three terracotta devils to the building facing Cornhill from the South. These can easily be seen silhouetted against the sky if you stand on the north side.

[edit] Mendelssohn's autograph

The organ in the gallery of St Peter's has an old piece of manuscript on display. This manuscript has been autographed by Felix Mendelssohn. The St Helen's church office controls access to St Peter's for more information (St Helen's website).