St Peter le Poer

St. Peter Le Poer

Current photo of site
Country United Kingdom
Denomination Church of England, earlier Roman Catholic

St Peter le Poer was a church on the west side of Broad Street in the City of London. The church, often spelt "St Peter le Poor" was in existence by the end of the twelfth century. The name was traditionally explained as a reference to the poverty of the area - although by the beginning of the nineteenth century it was one of the richest in the City - or it’s proximity to the monastery of St Augustine, whose monks professed indigence. It was rebuilt in 1540, and enlarged on the north side in 1615. In 1630 the steeple was rebuilt.[1]

The church escaped destruction in the Great Fire of 1666, but had fallen into such poor condition by 1788, that the parishioners obtained an act of parliament to demolish the old church and rebuild it. The new building, to the designs of Jesse Gibson, was completed in 1791. The old church had projected into Broad Street, but the new one was placed further back, over the old cemetery.[1]

The main body of the new church was circular in plan, about 54 feet across, with a circular niche on the western side for the altar, and a porch and vestry on the east side. A wooden gallery ran all around the church, except at the altar end. The coved ceiling was ornamented with panels, each decorated with a flower. The centre of the ceiling rose into a large lantern, with glass sides. [1] There were no side windows. The interior was described in Britton's Illustrations of the Public Buildings of London as having "more the air of a lecture room than a church".[2]

The church was surrounded by houses, except for the east front in Broad Street, which had four attached columns supporting an entablature and pediment, behind which rose a low square tower, ornamented with pilasters and urns. The round form of the church was not evident from the street.[2]

As late as 1884 it received a new Henry Willis organ[3] but, as the City’s resident population declined, it was deemed surplus to requirements and demolished in 1907,[4] utilising the Union of Benefices Act of 1860. [5] The parish was united with that of St Michael, Cornhill[6].

The proceeds from the sale of the site were used to build St Peter-le-Poer in Barnet, which also received the City church's font, pulpit and panelling. [7]

References

  1. ^ a b c Godwin, George; John Britton (1839). The Churches of London: A History and Description of the Ecclesiastical Edifices of the Metropolis. London: C. Tilt. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=AtI9AAAAcAAJ&printsec=frontcover. Retrieved 19 September 2011. 
  2. ^ a b Britton, John; Pugin, A. (1828). Illustrations of the Public Buildings of London: With Historical and Descriptive Accounts of each Edifice. 2. London. pp. 72–6. 
  3. ^ Notes on Old City Churches: their organs, organists and musical associations” Pearce,C.W. London, Winthrop Rogers Ltd 1909
  4. ^ "The London Encyclopaedia" Hibbert,C;Weinreb,D;Keay,J: London, Pan Macmillan, 1983 (rev 1993,2008) ISBN 978-1-4050-4924-5
  5. ^ Sale Of A City Church Site. (News) The Times Wednesday, Jul 03, 1907; pg. 4; Issue 38375; col F
  6. ^ Church of England, Parish of St. Michael Cornhill. - Vestry minute books, including joint meetings for the united parishes 1907. - M0011813CL cited in “City of London Parish Registers Guide 4” Hallows,A.(Ed): London, Guildhall Library Research, 1974 ISBN 0900422300
  7. ^ Davies, Philip (2009). Lost London. London: Transatlantic Press. p. 78.