St Mary Somerset

Church in/near City of London, existing until 1871

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Church · * · EC4V ·
JUNE
23
2019
St Mary Somerset was a church in the City of London first recorded in the twelfth century.

Destroyed in the Great Fire, St Mary Somerset was one of the 51 churches rebuilt by the office of Sir Christopher Wren.

Pre-Fire London had 14 churches named after the Virgin Mary, six of which were rebuilt after the Fire. The derivation of ’Somerset’ is uncertain. It has been linked to Ralph de Somery, who is mentioned in records at the same time. It is also linked to Summer’s Hithe, a small haven on the Thames, the banks of which would have been closer in medieval times. The church was first mentioned in a deed during the reign of Richard I.

According to John Stow, in 1370, the Brabant weaver community was ordered by the Mayor to meet in the churchyard of St Mary Somerset for the purpose of hiring serving men, following disputes with the Flemish weavers. The latter were ordered to meet a safe distance away in the churchyard of St Laurence Pountney.

After the Fire, the parish was combined with that of St Mary Mounthaw, which was not rebuilt. Building of the new church began in 1686 (one of the last 5 of the 51 to commence) and stopped in 1688 owing to the financial uncertainty associated with the Glorious Revolution. Rebuilding recommenced the next year and the church was finished in 1694, at a cost of £6579.

The parish was very poor, and it was one of only two churches (the other being St. Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe) for which Wren provided funds for the furnishings from the Coal Tax. The rebuilt church was smaller than its predecessor, as a strip of land was taken by the City to widen what was then Thames Street.

Bishop Gilbert Ironside, Chancellor of Oxford University, who defied James II in upholding the rights of Fellows, was buried here in 1701. His remains, and black marble tombstone, were removed to Hereford Cathedral in 1867.

The second half of the 19th century saw a movement of population from the City of London to suburbs in Middlesex, Kent, Essex and Surrey. This left many of the city churches with tiny congregations, while many of the newly built suburbs had no churches. The Union of Benefices Act 1860 was passed by Parliament, permitting the demolition of City churches and the sale of land to build churches in the suburbs. The last service at St Mary Somerset was held on 1 February 1867, with about 70 people attending. The parish was then combined with that of St Nicholas Cole Abbey, and the church demolished in 1871.

At the instigation of the architect, Ewan Christian, the church tower was preserved. The proceeds of the sale were used to build St Mary Hoxton, which also received the church furnishings and the bell.

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Main source: Wikipedia
Further citations and sources



NEARBY LOCATIONS OF NOTE
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NEARBY STREETS
Addle Hill, EC4V Addle Hill, formerly Addle Street, originally ran from Upper Thames Street from Carter Lane. (City of London)
Aldermary House, EC4N Aldermary House is a block on Queen Street (City of London)
Basing Lane, EC4M Basing Lane ran west from Bow Lane to Bread Street (City of London)
Baynard House, EC4V Baynard House is a block on Queen Victoria Street (City of London)
Bell Wharf Lane, EC4R Bell Wharf Lane is one of the streets of London in the EC4R postal area (City of London)
Bell Yard, EC4V Bell Yard served the Bell Inn in Carter Lane - documented from 1424 until 1708. (City of London)
Bow Lane, EC4M Bow Lane is one of the streets of London in the EC4M postal area (City of London)
Bracken House, EC4M Bracken House is a block on Friday Street (City of London)
Bread Street Hill, EC4V Bread Street Hill was the southern continuation of Bread Street, running between Old Fish Street and Thames Street (City of London)
Bread Street, EC4M Bread Street is one of the streets of London in the EC4M postal area (City of London)
Bridge Walk, EC4V Bridge Walk is a road in the SE8 postcode area (River Thames)
Broken Wharf House, EC4V Broken Wharf House is a block on Broken Wharf (City of London)
Broken Wharf, EC4V Broken Wharf is one of the streets of London in the EC4V postal area (City of London)
Budge Row, EC4N Budge Row lies off the north side of Cannon Street, about 80 yards west of the main line station (City of London)
Burgon Street, EC4V Burgon Street is one of the streets of London in the EC4V postal area (City of London)
Calico House, EC4M Calico House is a block on Watling Street (City of London)
Cannon Bridge, EC4R Cannon Bridge is one of the streets of London in the EC4R postal area (City of London)
Cannon Street, EC4R Cannon Street follows the route of a riverside path that ran along the Thames (City of London)
Carter Lane, EC4V Carter Lane is one of the streets of London in the EC4V postal area (City of London)
Carter Lane, EC4V Knightrider Court is one of the streets of London in the EC4V postal area (City of London)
Church Entry, EC4V Church Entry is one of the streets of London in the EC4V postal area (City of London)
City Apartments, EC4 City Apartments can be found on Cannon Street (City of London)
City House, EC4N City House is a block on Cannon Street (City of London)
Cloak Lane, EC4N Cloak Lane is one of the streets of London in the EC4R postal area (City of London)
College Hill, EC4R College Hill is named after Sir Richard Whittington’s college, set up here in the early 1400s (City of London)
College Street, EC4R College Street is one of the streets of London in the EC4R postal area (City of London)
Cousin Lane, EC4R Cousin Lane is one of the streets of London in the EC4R postal area (City of London)
Creed Lane, EC4V Creed Lane is one of the streets of London in the EC4V postal area (City of London)
Deans Court, EC4V Deans Court is directly opposite the south west corner of St Paul’s Cathedral, on the south side of St Paul’s Churchyard (City of London)
Distaff Lane, EC4V Distaff Lane is one of the streets of London in the EC4V postal area (City of London)
Dowgate Hill, EC4R Dowgate Hill is a continuation of Walbrook along the west side of Cannon Street Station, leading to Dowgate Dock (City of London)
Faraday Building, EC4V Faraday Building is a building on New Bell Yard (City of London)
Five Kings House, EC4R Five Kings House is located on Queen Street Place (City of London)
Friday Street, EC4V Friday Street is a small street in the City of London (City of London)
Garlick Hill, EC4N Garlick Hill is one of the streets of London in the EC4V postal area (City of London)
Genesis House, EC4V Genesis House is a building on Godliman Street (City of London)
Godliman Street, EC4M Godliman Street is one of the streets of London in the EC4V postal area (City of London)
Great St Thomas Apostle, EC4R Great St Thomas A postle, a rather odd streetname, between Garlick Hill and Queen Street (City of London)
Great St Thomas, EC4R Great St Thomas is one of the streets of London in the EC4V postal area (City of London)
High Timber Street, EC4V High Timber Street is one of the streets of London in the EC4V postal area (City of London)
Ireland Yard, EC4V Ireland Yard is an alleyway leading off of Playhouse Yard (City of London)
Knightrider Street, EC4V Knightrider Street was supposedly a route that knights would take from the Tower of London to Smithfield, where jousts were held (City of London)
Lambeth Hill, EC4V Lambeth Hill is one of the streets of London in the EC4V postal area (City of London)
Little Trinity Lane, EC4V Little Trinity Lane is one of the streets of London in the EC4V postal area (City of London)
Millennium Bridge House, EC4V Millennium Bridge House is a block on High Timber Street (City of London)
Mintel House, EC4V Mintel House can be found on Playhouse Yard (City of London)
New Bell Yard, EC4V New Bell Yard is a modern development (City of London)
New Change, EC4M New Change is one of the streets of London in the EC4M postal area (City of London)
No 1 Poultry, EC2R No 1 Poultry is an office and retail building in London (City of London)
Ocean House, EC4R Ocean House is a block on Cousin Lane (City of London)
Old Change Court, EC4V Old Change Court is one of the streets of London in the EC4M postal area (City of London)
Old Change House, EC4V Old Change House is a block on Queen Victoria Street (City of London)
Ormond House, EC4N Ormond House is a block on Queen Victoria Street (City of London)
Pancras Lane, EC4N Pancras Lane is one of the streets of London in the EC4N postal area (City of London)
Paul’s Walk, EC4V Paul’s Walk runs along the north bank of the Thames (City of London)
Peter’s Hill, EC4V Peter’s Hill is the northern access to the Millennium Bridge (City of London)
Printing House Square, EC4V Printing House Square - formerly part of Blackfriars Monastery - became a printing district in the 17th century (City of London)
Puddle Dock, EC4V Puddle Dock is one of the streets of London in the EC4V postal area (City of London)
Queen St Place, EC4R Queen St Place is one of the streets of London in the EC4R postal area (City of London)
Queen Street Place, EC4R Queen Street Place is a location in London (City of London)
Queen Street, EC4N Queen Street is a street in the City of London which runs between Upper Thames Street at its southern end to Cheapside in the north (City of London)
Queen Street, EC4R Queen Street is a street in the City of London which runs between Upper Thames Street and Cheapside (City of London)
Queen Victoria Street, EC4N Queen Victoria Street runs east by north from its intersection with New Bridge Street and Victoria Embankment (City of London)
Queen Victoria Street, EC4V Queen Victoria Street was built in 1861 to provide a more efficient approach to London’s central business district (City of London)
Queenhithe, EC4V Queenhithe is a small and ancient ward of the City of London, situated by the River Thames and a minor street (City of London)
Queensbridge House, EC4V Queensbridge House is located on Upper Thames Street (City of London)
Senator House, EC4V Senator House is a block on Queen Victoria Street (City of London)
Sir John Lyon House, EC4V Sir John Lyon House can be found on High Timber Street (City of London)
Sise Lane, EC2R Sise Lane continues as Pancras Lane (City of London)
Southwark Bridge, EC4V Southwark Bridge is one of the streets of London in the SE1 postal area (River Thames)
St Andrew’s House, EC4V St Andrew’s House is a block on St Andrew’s Hill (City of London)
St Andrews Hill, EC4V St Andrews Hill is one of the streets of London in the EC4V postal area (City of London)
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Stew Lane, EC4V Stew Lane is one of the streets of London in the EC4V postal area (City of London)
Three Barrels Walk, EC4V Three Barrels Walk is one of the streets of London in the EC4V postal area (City of London)
Trig Lane, EC4V A street within the EC4V postcode (City of London)
Upper Thames Street, EC4V Upper Thames Street is one of the streets of London in the EC4V postal area (City of London)
Wardrobe Place, EC4V Wardrobe Place is one of the streets of London in the EC4V postal area (City of London)
Watling Court, EC4N Watling Court was an expansion of the medieval Red Lion Court during 1940 (City of London)
Watling Court, EC4N In an unusual wartime renaming, in 1940 Red Lion Court became Watling Court (City of London)
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Watling Street, EC4N Watling Street is one of the streets of London in the EC4N postal area (City of London)
Well Court, EC4N Well Court is one of the streets of London in the EC4M postal area (City of London)
White Lion Hill, EC4V White Lion Hill is one of the streets of London in the EC4V postal area (City of London)
Whttington House, EC4R Whttington House can be found on College Hill (City of London)
York House, EC4N York House is located on Queen Victoria Street (City of London)


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