All-Hallows-the-Less

All-Hallows-the-Less

Current photo of site
Country England
Denomination Roman Catholic, Anglican

All-Hallows-the-Less (also known as All-Hallows-upon-the-Cellar[1]) was a church in London.

History

All-Hallows-the-Less was situated on the south side of Thames StreetThames Street[2], and built above an arch[3] leading to a grand house known as Cold Harbour[4] which lead to the river, east of All-Hallows-the-Great[5] in a district known as The Ropery[6].

The first mention of the church is from 1216,[7] and in 1387 two adjacent houses were given to expand the church[1]. In 1594, the parishioners were able to begin a building programme which lasted over 30 years which transformed the formerly gloomy interior[8], with the addition of galleries in 1633[1].

The church was one of 86 that were destroyed during the Great Fire of London[9], out of a total 97 parishes within the City of London, shown in the Mortality Bill for the year 1665[10]. In 1670 Parliament passed a Rebuilding Act and a committee was set up under the stewardship of Sir Christopher Wren to decide which churches would be rebuilt[11]. Fifty-one were chosen, but All-Hallows-the-Less was among those never rebuilt[12], the parish instead united to All-Hallows-the-Great[1].

The Union of Benefices Act 1860 deemed All-Hallows-the-Great surplus to requirements[13] and merged it, along with the remains of All-Hallows-the-Less, into St Michael Paternoster Royal. In 1896 many bodies were disinterred from the churchyard and reburied at Brookwood Cemetery[14]. The final physical evidence that the church had ever existed, an old watch house[15] was destroyed during the Second World war although partial records[16] still survive and are available at IGI[17].

Postcode Grid reference Bartholemew's Co-ordinates
EC4R 3TD TQ 325 807 E:532500 N:180700

References

  1. ^ a b c d ***Harben Dictionary Window***
  2. ^ What is now known as Upper Thames Street
  3. ^ “The Old Churches of London” Cobb,G: London, Batsford, 1942
  4. ^ “A Survey of London, Vol I” Stow,J (Originally,1598: this edn-London, A.Fullarton & Co,1890)
  5. ^ ”A Dictionary of London” Harben, H.: London, Herbert Jenkins, 1918
  6. ^ “Notes on Old City Churches” Pearce, C.W. (Winthrop Rogers Ltd 1909)
  7. ^ "The London Encyclopaedia" Hibbert,C;Weinreb,D;Keay,J: London, Pan Macmillan, 1983 (rev 1993,2008) ISBN 978-1-4050-4924-5
  8. ^ “Vanished Churches of the City of London” Huelin,G London Guildhall Library Publishing 1996 ISBN 0-900422-42-4
  9. ^ Reynolds,H. The Churches of the City of London: London, Bodley Head, 1922
  10. ^ “The ancient office of Parish Clerk and the Parish Clerks Company of London” Clark, O :London, Journal of the Ecclesiastical Law Society Vol 8, January 2006 ISSN: 0956-618X
  11. ^ “Wren” Whinney,M London Thames & Hudson, 1971 ISBN 0-500-20112-9
  12. ^ “The City of London Churches” Betjeman, J. Andover, Pitkin, 1967 (rpnt 1992) ISBN 0-85372-565-9
  13. ^ The City of London-a history Borer,M.I.C. : New York,D.McKay Co, 1978 ISBN 0-09-461880-1
  14. ^ "The Brookwood Necroplois Railway" Clarke,J.M: Oasdale, Usk, 2006 ISBN 978-0-85361-655-9
  15. ^ Clark, William A. - Watch house of Allhallows the Less, Upper Thames Street-1930 photograph p5355937 cited in "City of London Parish Registers Guide 4" Hallows,A.(Ed) : London, Guildhall Library Research, 1974 ISBN 0-900422-30-0
  16. ^ Of births, marriages and deaths
  17. ^ Genealogical Web-Site

External links