SHOREDITCH

St. Leonard's Church
from an original photograph by Kathleen Andersen

St Leonard's Church, in Shoreditch High Street, was probably founded in the 12th century and includes in its parish the hamlets of Hoxton and Haggerston, both of which are mentioned in the Domesday Book. It is the ancient church of the original parish and all the subsequent, smaller parishes in the Shoreditch RD were created from this one, mainly in the mid-1800s when the population was growing rapidly.

The parish was part of the Shoreditch Registration District in the 1800s and, since 1965, has been part of the London Borough of Hackney.

Part of the tower gave way during a service in 1716 and the church was rebuilt by George Dance the Elder in 1736-1740. The spire is an imitation of Wren's magnificent steeple on St Mary-le-Bow in Cheapside. The whipping post and village stocks are still in the churchyard, which has a number of standing tombs, monuments and gravestones, along with numerous large, dark trees. This is not a churchyard for the faint-of-heart at night!

The interior has sombre woodwork, a flat panelled ceiling and there were galleries on both sides of the nave which were removed in 1857. The church was damaged in the 2nd World War but has since been repaired. The church will not be accessible during much of 2000 as it is undergoing interior renovations.

The bells are commemorated in the rhyme 'Oranges and Lemons'...."When I grow rich, say the bells of Shoreditch".

The parish registers are at the London Metropolitan Archives and the dates available are:

Baptisms 1558-1901
Marriages 1588-1899
Burials 1558-1858
Baptisms from 1901 and marriages from 1899 are with the incumbent vicar.

Kathleen Andersen
December 1999