Union of Benefices Act 1860
Encyclopedia
The Union of Benefices Act was a necessary piece of legislation to reduce the number of parish churches in the City of London
as the residential population declined in the second half of the 19th century.
Churches affected were
As churchyards were emptied for construction projects, such as the new railway stations, many remains were exhumed and re-interred in the City of London Cemetery.
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
as the residential population declined in the second half of the 19th century.
Churches affected were
Church | Fate | Year | United with |
---|---|---|---|
All Hallows Bread Street All Hallows Bread Street All Hallows Bread Street was a church in the Bread Street ward of the City of London on the south side of Watling Street. First mentioned in the 13th century, the church was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666... |
Demolished | 1876 | St Mary-le-Bow St Mary-le-Bow St Mary-le-Bow is an historic church in the City of London, off Cheapside. According to tradition, a true Cockney must be born within earshot of the sound of the church's bells.-Bells:... |
All-Hallows-the-Great All-Hallows-the-Great All-Hallows-the-Great was a church in the City of London, located on what is now Upper Thames Street, first mentioned in 1235. Destroyed in the Great Fire of London of 1666, the church was rebuilt by the office of Sir Christopher Wren... |
Tower demolished first; then main body | 1876/1894 | St Michael Paternoster Royal |
All Hallows Lombard Street All Hallows Lombard Street Coordinates: All Hallows Lombard Street was a City church in Langbourn Ward on the corner of Lombard Street and Gracechurch Street, London. Its tower, bells and complete interior fittings are now part of All Hallows Twickenham.-History:... |
Demolished | 1938 | St Edmund the King and Martyr St Edmund the King and Martyr St Edmund, King and Martyr is an Anglican church in Lombard Street, in the City of London dedicated to St Edmund the Martyr.-History:In 1292, the church is first recorded as 'Saint Edmund towards Garcherche', and it reappears in 1348 as 'Saint Edmund in Lombardestrete'... |
All Hallows Staining All Hallows Staining All Hallows Staining was a Church of England church located at the junction of Fenchurch Avenue and Billiter Street in the north-eastern corner of Langbourn ward in the City of London, close to Fenchurch Street railway station. All that remains of the church is the tower, built around 1320 AD as... |
Demolished | 1870 | St Olave Hart Street St Olave Hart Street St Olave Hart Street is a Church of England church in the City of London, located on the corner of Hart Street and Seething Lane near Fenchurch Street railway station.... |
Holy Trinity Gough Square Holy Trinity Gough Square Holy Trinity Gough Square was a Victorian parish church in the City of London.-History:Trinity Church was built in the parish of St Bride's in the City of London, on the initiative of the vicar, the Reverend Thomas Dale, who felt that the parish church was inadequate for the size of the population... |
Demolished | 1906 | St Bride, Fleet Street St Bride's Church St Bride's Church is a church in the City of London, England. The building's most recent incarnation was designed by Sir Christopher Wren in 1672 on Fleet Street in the City of London, though Wren's original building was largely gutted by fire during the London Blitz in 1940. Due to its location on... |
Holy Trinity, Minories Holy Trinity, Minories Holy Trinity, Minories was a church outside the eastern boundaries of the City of London; but within the Liberties of the Tower of London. The liberty was incorporated in the Metropolitan Borough of Stepney in 1899, and today is within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.The district lay within the... |
Closed(destroyed 1940) | 1899 | St Botolph's Aldgate St Botolph's Aldgate St Botolph's Church, Aldgate, St Botolph-without-Aldgate, or just Aldgate Church, is a Church of England liberal and inclusive parish church in the City of London, standing at the junction of Houndsditch and Aldgate High Street. The current 18th century church is made of brick with stone quoins... |
St Alphage London Wall St Alphage London Wall St Alphage London Wall, so called because it sat right on London Wall, the City of London boundary, was a church in Bassishaw Ward in the City of London... |
Demolished | 1924 | St Mary Aldermanbury St Mary Aldermanbury St Mary Aldermanbury church in the City of London, is first mentioned in 1181 but was destroyed by the Great fire of London in 1666. Rebuilt in Portland stone by Sir Christopher Wren, it was again gutted by the Blitz in 1940, leaving only the walls... |
St Antholin, Budge Row St Antholin, Budge Row St Antholin, Budge Row, or St Antholin, Watling Street, was a former church in the City of London, demolished in 1874. Its successor church is still in existence as St Anthony and St Silas, Nunhead..-History:... |
Demolished | 1875 | St Mary Aldermary St Mary Aldermary Ashlar-faced outside and Gothic throughout, St Mary Aldermary is an Anglican church in Bow Lane in the City of London. The church was badly damaged in the Great Fire of London in 1666, and rebuilt by Sir Christopher Wren.-History:... |
St Benet Gracechurch | Demolished | 1867 | All Hallows Lombard Street All Hallows Lombard Street Coordinates: All Hallows Lombard Street was a City church in Langbourn Ward on the corner of Lombard Street and Gracechurch Street, London. Its tower, bells and complete interior fittings are now part of All Hallows Twickenham.-History:... |
St Dionis Backchurch St Dionis Backchurch St Dionis Backchurch was a parish church in the Langbourn ward of the City of London.-History:The church of St Dionis was dedicated to Dionysus the Areopagite, a follower of St Paul, said to have converted the French to Christianity. He became the patron saint of France, where he is known as St Denis... |
Demolished | 1878 | All Hallows Lombard Street All Hallows Lombard Street Coordinates: All Hallows Lombard Street was a City church in Langbourn Ward on the corner of Lombard Street and Gracechurch Street, London. Its tower, bells and complete interior fittings are now part of All Hallows Twickenham.-History:... |
St George Botolph Lane | Demolished | 1901-04 | St Mary-at-Hill St Mary-at-Hill St. Mary-at-Hill is a Church of England church on Lovat Lane, a cobbled street off Eastcheap in the ward of Billingsgate, London, England. Rebuilt many times, St Mary-at-Hill was originally founded in the 12th Century, where it was first known as "St. Mary de Hull" or " St... |
St James Duke's Place St James Duke's Place St James Duke's Placewas an Anglican parish church in the eponymous City of London precinct from 1622 until 1874. It replaced the ruined Priory of the Holy Trinity when the area was settled by poor workmen.They found St Katherine Cree "uncongenial" and sought permission from the king to build a... |
Demolished | 1874 | St Katherine Cree St Katherine Cree St Katharine Cree is a Church of England church in the Aldgate ward of the City of London, located on Leadenhall Street near Leadenhall Market.-History:... |
St Katherine Coleman St Katherine Coleman St Katherine Coleman, known earlier as "All Hallows Coleman-church", was an historic church in the City of London, situated in Magpie Alley in Aldgate Ward that narrowly escaped the Great Fire of London, and was extensively rebuilt in 1741... |
Demolished | 1926 | St Olave Hart Street St Olave Hart Street St Olave Hart Street is a Church of England church in the City of London, located on the corner of Hart Street and Seething Lane near Fenchurch Street railway station.... |
St Martin Outwich St Martin Outwich St Martin Outwich was a medieval parish church in the City of London, on the corner of Threadneedle Street and Bishopsgate.-History:A church of St Martin was built in the fourteenth century at the expense of members of the Oteswich family, from whom the church derives its name... |
Demolished | 1874 | St Helen's Bishopsgate St Helen's Bishopsgate St Helen's Bishopsgate is a large conservative evangelical Anglican church, in Lime Street ward, in the City of London, close to the Lloyd's building and the 'Gherkin'.-History:... |
St Mary Somerset | Demolished | 1872 | St Nicholas Cole Abbey |
St. Mary Magdalen Old Fish Street St. Mary Magdalen Old Fish Street St. Mary Magdalen Old Fish Street was a church in Castle Baynard ward of the City of London, England, located on the corner of Old Fish Street and Old Change, on land now covered by post-War development. Recorded since the 12th century, the church was destroyed in the Great Fire of London of... |
Caught fire, subsequently pulled down | 1887 | St Martin Ludgate |
St Matthew Friday Street | Demolished | 1885 | St Vedast alias Foster St Vedast Foster Lane Saint Vedast-alias-Foster, a church in Foster Lane, in the City of London, is dedicated to Vedast , a French saint whose cult came to England through contacts with Augustinian clergy.-History:... |
St Michael Bassishaw | Demolished | 1900 | St Lawrence Jewry St Lawrence Jewry St Lawrence Jewry is a Church of England guild church in the City of London on Gresham Street, next to the Guildhall.-History:The church was originally built in the twelfth century and dedicated to St Lawrence The church is near the former medieval Jewish ghetto, which was centred... |
St Michael Queenhithe | Demolished | 1875 | St James Garlickhythe St James Garlickhythe St. James Garlickhythe is a Church of England parish church in Vintry ward of the City of London, nicknamed ‘Wren’s lantern’ owing to its profusion of windows. Recorded since the 12th century, the church was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666 and rebuilt by the office of Sir Christopher... |
St Michael Wood Street St Michael Wood Street Described by Stow as a “proper thing” St Michael’s Wood Street in Cripplegate Ward was the hurried burial site for the head of King James IV of Scotland... |
Demolished | 1895 | St Alban, Wood Street St Alban, Wood Street St Alban's was a church in Wood Street, City of London. It was dedicated to Saint Alban. Only its tower now remains.-History:Some argue that it dated back to King Offa of Mercia, who is believed to have had a palace on the site which included a chapel... |
St Mildred, Poultry St Mildred, Poultry St Mildred, Poultry was a parish church in the Cheap ward, of the City of London. It was rebuilt after the Great Fire of London and demolished in 1872.-History:... |
Demolished | 1872 | St Olave Jewry |
St Olave Jewry | Demolished | 1888-91 | St Margaret Lothbury St Margaret Lothbury St. Margaret Lothbury is a Church of England parish church in the City of London; it spans the boundary between Coleman Street Ward and Broad Street Ward. Recorded since the 12th century, the church was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666 and rebuilt by the office of Sir Christopher Wren.... |
St Peter Le Poer St Peter Le Poer 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... |
Demolished | 1907 | St Michael, Cornhill St Michael, Cornhill St Michael, Cornhill is a medieval parish church in the City of London with pre-Norman Conquest parochial foundation. The medieval structure was lost in the Great Fire of London and the current church was designed by Sir Christopher Wren between 1670-1677.... |
As churchyards were emptied for construction projects, such as the new railway stations, many remains were exhumed and re-interred in the City of London Cemetery.