St Gabriel Fenchurch
Church in London, England
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
St Gabriel Fenchurch (or Fen Church as recorded on the Ordnance Survey) was a parish church in the Langbourn Ward of the City of London,[1] destroyed in the Great Fire of London and not rebuilt.
| St Gabriel Fenchurch | |
|---|---|
Plaque opposite Cullum Street | |
 St Gabriel Fenchurch | |
| 51°30′39″N 0°4′54″W | |
| Location | Fenchurch Street, London |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Architecture | |
| Years built | 12th century |
| Demolished | 1666 |
History
The church stood between Rood Lane and Mincing Lane, with the churchyard extending north beyond present day Fenchurch Street to Fen Court.[2][3]
At the beginning of the 17th century, John Stow wrote in his description of Fenchurch Street: "In the midst of this street standeth a small parish church called St Gabriel Fen Church, corruptly Fan church".[4] The dedication to St Gabriel is first recorded in 1517. Before that it had been known as St Mary's. Richard Newcourt wrote:
...this Church hath all along in the London Registry been recorded by the Name of S. Mary Fencherch, till the Year 1517. for then is the first time I find it there call'd by the Name of S. Gabriel Fencherch; and the next Year after All Saints Fencherch; whence, I conjecture, it may, probably, be dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, to the Holy Angel Gabriel, and to All Saints.[1]
The church was lengthened by nine feet in 1631. This and other improvements were done at a cost to the parish of £587 10s.[1] Thomas Clark, a glazier, gave the church an east window, with the Royal Arms and the motto "Touch Not Mine Anointed".[2]
Along with the majority of the parish churches in the City, St Gabriel's was destroyed by the Great Fire in 1666. A Rebuilding Act was passed in 1670 and a committee set up under Sir Christopher Wren.[5] It decided to rebuild 51 of the churches, but St Gabriel's was not among them.[6] Instead the parish was united to that of St Margaret Pattens,[1] although its land holding was not finally resolved until 13 years later,[7] and charitable bequests continued to be made using the old name.[8] The land on which the church had stood was incorporated into the roadway, but part of the churchyard survived in Fen Court.[2][9]
Notable tombs in the church included that of Benedict Spinola, the Genoese Elizabethan banker.[10]