All-Hallows-the-Less
| All-Hallows-the-Less and Great | |
|---|---|
 Current photo of site Parish Boundary | |
 | |
| Location | Thames Street,London |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
All-Hallows-the-Less(also known asAll-Hallows-upon-the-Cellar[1]) was a church in theCity of London.Of medieval origin, it was destroyed in theGreat Fire of Londonin 1666 and not rebuilt.
History[edit]
The church stood on the south side of Thames Street inDowgateward, to the east of theAll Hallows the Great.In some early records it is called "Allhallows on the Cellars", as it stood on vaults. The steeple and choir were built over an arched gateway, which formed the entrance to a house calledCold Harbour.[2]The area was known asThe Ropery.[3]
The first mention of the church is from 1216,[4]and in 1387 two adjacent houses were given to expand the church.[1]The choir, having fallen down, was rebuilt in 1594 at the cost of the parishioners. The church was renovated again in 1616; at this timedormer windowswere installed on the south side, "the interior, being very dark and gloomy". Three galleries were added in 1633.[5]
Destruction[edit]
The church was destroyed, along with most of the churches in the City, by theGreat Fireof 1666. In 1670Parliamentpassed aRebuilding Actand a committee was set up under the stewardship of SirChristopher Wrento decide which churches would be rebuilt.[6]All-Hallows-the-Less was not amongst those chosen; instead the parish was united with that ofAll-Hallows-the-Great,and the site of the church retained as a burial ground.[2]
All-Hallows-the-Great itself was demolished in 1894[7]and the united parishes were in turn joined with that ofSt Michael Paternoster Royalunder theUnion of Benefices Act 1860.In 1896 many bodies were disinterred from the churchyard and reburied atBrookwood Cemetery.[8]The last physical evidence of the existence of All-Hallows-the-Less, an old watch house, was destroyed during theSecond World War.[9]
The church is the setting for the London Institute inCassandra Clare's young adult book series,The Infernal Devices.
References[edit]
- ^ab"***Harben Dictionary Window***".Archived fromthe originalon 13 February 2005.Retrieved4 March2008.
- ^abNewcourt, Richard(1708).Repetorium Ecclesiasticum Parochiale Londinense.Vol. 1. London. pp. 250–1.
- ^Pearce, C.W. (1909).Notes on Old City Churches.Winthrop Rogers.
- ^"The London Encyclopaedia" Hibbert,C;Weinreb,D;Keay,J: London,Pan Macmillan,1983 (rev 1993,2008)ISBN978-1-4050-4924-5
- ^White, J.G. (1901).The Churches and Chapels of Old London.
- ^Whinney, Margaret (1971).Wren.London: Thames & Hudson.ISBN0-500-20112-9.
- ^Pearce, Charles William (1909).Notes on old London city churches: their organs, organists, and musical associations.London: Vincent Music Company. p. 158.
- ^Clarke, J.M. (2006).The Brookwood Necropolis Railway.Usk: Oasdale.ISBN978-0-85361-655-9.
- ^Clark, William A. - Watch house of Allhallows the Less, Upper Thames Street-1930 photograph p5355937 cited in "City of London Parish Registers Guide 4" Hallows,A.(Ed): London, Guildhall Library Research, 1974ISBN0-900422-30-0
