Christ Church, Newgate Street

A Dictionary of London by Henry A Harben.

On the north side of Newgate Street at No. 94, in Farringdon Ward Within (P.O. Directory). The parish extends into Castle Baynard Ward.


First mention: Christ Church, Newgate Street, to be a perpetual vicarage, 38 H. VIII. 1547 (L. and P. H. VIII., XXI. (2), 416).

Church of the Grey Friars to be a parish church to be called the church of Christ within Newgate for the inhabitants within the site of the Grey Friars and within the parishes of St. Nicholas and St. Audoen and within that part of St. Sepulchre's parish which lies in and within Newgate, 1547 (ib. 416).

Other references : The parish of Christ Church within Newgate lately called the "Graye Fryers," 1562-3 (Ct. H.W. II. 680).

Messuage in parish of Christ's late in parish of St. Nicholas ad Macellas, 1554 (Lond. I. p.m. I. 131).

Messuage and garden in parish of Christchurch formerly the parish of St. Ewin in Newgate market, 34 Eliz. (ib. III. 163).

There was a Lady Chapel and a "Postles Chapel" (S. 322-3).

The church was 300 ft. long, 89 ft. broad, 64 ft. high. It was consecrated 1325, surrendered 1538. Reopened 1546 as Christ Church (S. 320).

Repaired and beautified 1605. Gallery erected 1628. Burnt in the Fire and rebuilt with a lofty beautiful steeple 1704 (Strype, ed. 1720, I. iii. 132), at a cost of over £11,700.

The new church only occupied the eastern portion of the old monastic church, the vacant western portion being left open to form a burial ground for the parish. St. Leonard Foster Lane united to it (Strype, ed. 1720, I. iii. 132).

A Vicarage. Patrons : Governors of St. Bartholomew's Hospital, who present alternately with the Dean and Chapter of Westminster for St. Leonard's, Foster lane.

See St. Audoen and St. Nicholas Shambles.

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