All Hallows Lombard Street

Coordinates:

All Hallows Lombard Street

Current photo of site
Country England
Denomination Roman Catholic, Anglican

All Hallows Lombard Street was a City church in Langbourn Ward[1] on the corner of Lombard Street and Gracechurch Street, London.[2] Its tower, bells and complete interior fittings are now part of All Hallows Twickenham.[3]

Contents

History

It was mentioned in many guides as, perhaps, the supreme example of subtle beauty within the "Square Mile".[4] Hemmed in on all sides by City buildings it was known as the “Hidden Church”.[5] The church was first mentioned in 1054 as in the gift of Christchurch Canterbury.[6] The church was gradually added to until a bell tower was added in 1544.[7] The church was badly damaged in the Great Fire[8] and rebuilt in 1694 at a cost of £8,058 15s. 6d.[9] An organ built by Renatus Harris was installed in 1695, only being replaced in 1902 by one commissioned from Noble & Sons[10] An entry in the Parish record Book for 28 December 1789 states that John Wesley preached at Evensong.[11] He recalled an earlier incident where, just as he was about to preach, he realised he had forgotten his sermon, and confided this to the attendant verger.

The reply came ”What cannot you trust God for a sermon?” and upon this rebuke I went into the pulpit and preached with much freedom and acceptance; and from that time I have never taken a manuscript with me.

In 1879 ten bells from St Dionis Backchurch were hung at the church,[12] but such optimism could not disguise the stark fact that the residential population of the City was falling, year on year.[13] After the first world war the church was earmarked, despite fierce opposition,[14] for demolition. In 1937 the church was found to be unsafe and demolished,[15] the tower, porch and furnishings recycled in the construction of All Hallows Twickenham.[16] The Parish, as stipulated under the Union of Benefices Act 1860[17] was adjoined to a suitably near neighbour St Edmund the King and Martyr, now a Centre for Spirituality. The site is now occupied by the offices of a financial institution. A Parish Boundary Mark can be seen in Lombard Street[18]

See also

References

  1. ^ 'Book 2, Ch. 23: Langbourn Ward', A New History of London: Including Westminster and Southwark (1773), pp. 656-661 accessed: 11 January 2009]
  2. ^ "The London Encyclopaedia" Hibbert,C;Weinreb,D;Keay,J: London, Pan Macmillan, 1983 (rev 1993,2008) ISBN 978-1-4050-4924-5
  3. ^ All Hallows Twickenham: History
  4. ^ “The London City Churches”, Norman,P. London, The London Society, 1929
  5. ^ “Sovreign City of London Churches”, Betjeman,J. : Pitkin, Andover, 1967 (rpnt 1992) ISBN 0-85372-565-9 p45
  6. ^ “Vanished churches of the City of London” Huelin, G: London, Guildhall Library Publishing 1996ISBN 0-900422-42-4 pp30-31
  7. ^ “A Survey of London, Vol I” Stow,J p427 : Originally,1598: this edn-London, A.Fullarton & Co,1890
  8. ^ Church Chronology
  9. ^ “Churches of the City of London” Reynolds, H: London, Bodley Head, 1922 p120
  10. ^ “Notes on Old City Churches: their organs, organists and musical associations” Pearce,C.W. London, Winthrop Rogers Ltd 1909
  11. ^ “City of London Parish Registers Guide 4” Hallows,A.(Ed) - M0023878CL( Parish Record Book,1782-1789): London, Guildhall Library Research, 1974 ISBN 0-900422-30-0
  12. ^ “The Old Churches of London” Cobb,G: London, Batsford, 1942
  13. ^ “The City of London-a history” Borer,M.I.C. : New York,D.McKay Co, 1978 ISBN 0-09-461880-1
  14. ^ “Should All Hallows Lombard Street be destroyed: the case for preservation” Bell,W(Ed) London, W.H & L.Collingridge Ltd, 1936
  15. ^ Church History
  16. ^ All Hallows Twickenham web site
  17. ^ which permitted the demolition of City churches and mandated the sale of land to build churches in the suburbs
  18. ^ See below

External links