Gracechurch Street

A Dictionary of London by Henry A Harben.

South from Cornhill and Leadenhall Street to King William Street and Fish Street Hill (P.O. Directory). In Bishopsgate and Bridge Wards Within. A few houses on the eastern side are in Lime Street Ward.


Earliest mention: "Garscherchestrate," 1284 (Cal. L. Bk. A. p. 83).

Other forms : "Grescherchestrete," 1329 (Ct. H.W. I. 353). "Gressecherchestrete," 1361 (ib. II. 28). "Grascherchestrete," 1347-8 (ib. I. 501). "Gracechirche strete," alias "Graschirche strete," 16 H. VI. 1437 (Cal. P.R. H. VI. 1436-41, p. 143). "Gracious Street" (V. Agas). "Graciousstreate," 1526 (Ct. H.W. II. 631). "Graces strete," 1558-9 (ib. 669). "Grasse street" (S. 165). "Grasse streete," alias "Gracechurchstreete," 12 Chas. I. 1636 (L.C.C. Deeds, Harben Bequest, 1600-1700, No. 37).

It is evident from the forms set out above that the earliest form of the name was "Garscherchestrete," and that the later corruptions were by metathesis "Gres-cherch" and "Gras-cherche," while such forms as "Gracious strete" and "Grasse street" did not appear until the 16th century.

Called Gracechurch Street when it was rebuilt after the Fire.

The name of the street was derived from the church of "Garschurch" (q.v.).

See St. Benet Gracechurch and Gracechurch.

Walls discovered at the south-west corner of Fenchurch Street built across Gracechurch Street at a depth of 22 ft., and at Corbet Court on the opposite side of Gracechurch Street (Arch. LX. 224 et seq). At Nag's Head Court the gravel is reached at a depth of 16 ft. below the surface (Tite, xviii.).

Roman foundations found on the site of the Mercantile Bank of India on the western side of Gracechurch Street 7 ft. wide, descending to a depth of 30 ft. below the pavement. At the northern end of the street also remains of large Roman public buildings have been discovered.

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