St Benet Gracechurch facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Benet Gracechurch
St Benet Gracechurch in the 1820s
Location	Gracechurch Street, London
Country	United Kingdom
Denomination	Anglican
Previous denomination	Roman Catholic
Architecture
Demolished	1868

St Benet Gracechurch was an old church in the City of London. It was called "Gracechurch" because there used to be a hay market nearby. The church was first mentioned in the 11th century. Sadly, it was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666. After the fire, it was rebuilt by the famous architect Sir Christopher Wren's team. The church was later taken down in 1868.

Where Was St Benet Gracechurch Located?

The church was in an area called Bridge Ward. You could find it right on the corner of Fenchurch Street and Gracechurch Street in London.

The History of St Benet Gracechurch

What Does "St Benet" Mean?

The name 'St Benet' is a short way of saying 'St Benedict'. This church was one of four churches in London before the Great Fire that were named after St Benedict. He was a very important person in the 6th century who started the idea of monasticism (monks living together in communities) in the Western world. As for 'Gracechurch', it simply meant "Grass Church" because of the hay market that used to be close by.

Early Days: The Middle Ages

The oldest record we have of the church is from a document in 1053. This document talks about a church on Gracechurch Street being given to Christ Church in Canterbury. The church was first officially called St Benedict during the time of King Henry III.

Changes After the Reformation

In 1553, when Queen Mary I became queen, there were some big changes. The churchwardens (people who looked after the church) paid someone to remove Bible verses that had been painted on the walls. These verses were put there during the time of her Protestant brother, King Edward VI.

Later, church records mention a special song called a Te Deum being sung. This was "for the birth of our Prince (which was thought then to be)". This refers to one of Queen Mary's times when people thought she was pregnant, but she wasn't.

The church's tall steeple was rebuilt in 1625. More changes happened in 1642. For religious reasons, an "altar cloth" and "brasses" (metal decorations) were sold. Also, the cross was taken down from the steeple, and a worker was paid to remove "superstitious things" from inside the church.

According to a historian named John Strype, the church was also fixed up and made more beautiful in 1630 and 1633. There were tombs of important people there, like John Sturgeon who was a Chamberlain of London. There was even a special monument for Queen Elizabeth I.

The church's old records also tell a sad story about a child named Grace Church. She was a foundling, meaning she was a baby left alone, and the church parish had to take care of her.

Rebuilding After the Great Fire

The terrible Great Fire of London in 1666 completely destroyed St Benet Gracechurch. Even though the tower stood for a while, it was also taken down to make space for the new church.

In 1670, the church's parish (its local area) was joined with another nearby church, St Leonard Eastcheap. Building the new church started in 1681. In 1686, the church's accounts show money spent on "wine and sweetmeats" (sweets) to celebrate the opening of the church with the Lord Mayor. Work on the spire (the pointy top of the tower) continued into the next year. The total cost to rebuild the church was £4,583.

The new church was shaped like a rectangle. It had a tower with a spire on top, rising from one corner. The main front of the church had five round-topped windows, with a circular window above each. The walls had decorative railings on top. The tower was square. Above the bell window, there was a broken pediment (a triangular shape) with a small window inside.

The tower was topped with a lead-covered dome decorated with cartouches (fancy carved designs). On top of the dome was a square structure with four arches and pediments. From this rose a tall, slender spire, with a flag at the very top. The whole structure was about 149 feet (45 m) high.

Inside, the church was 60 feet (18 m) long and 30 feet (9.1 m) wide. A writer named George Godwin said it was "much smaller than would be expected from the external appearance." It was one open space, without any columns, and had a curved ceiling. There was a small balcony at the west end. The wall above the altar was painted to look like a red and gold curtain. St Benet Gracechurch was one of only two churches built by Wren that never had an organ.

In 1791, Dr. George Gaskin became the rector (head priest) at St Benet's. He was also the secretary of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. His job involved helping to give out Bibles and other religious books across Britain. In 1797, he also became the rector of the church of Stoke Newington, but he kept his role at St Benet's too.

Why Was the Church Demolished?

In the 1800s, many people moved away from the City of London to the suburbs (areas outside the city). This meant that many city churches had very few people attending services. At the same time, many new suburbs didn't have any churches at all.

To fix this, a law called the Union of Benefices Act 1860 was passed. This law allowed old city churches to be taken down and their land sold. The money from these sales could then be used to build new churches in the suburbs.

St Benet Gracechurch was demolished in 1868. This was done to make Gracechurch Street wider. The land was sold for £24,000, and this money was used to build a new church called St Benet Mile End Road. The old parish of St Benet Gracechurch was combined with a nearby church called All Hallows Lombard Street. The church's furniture and other items were given to several other churches. For example, the pulpit (where the priest gives sermons) is now in St Olave Hart Street. The bodies that were buried at St Benet Gracechurch were moved and reburied in the City of London Cemetery in Manor Park.

Today, where the church once stood, at the corner of Gracechurch and Fenchurch Streets, there is a seven-story office building that was built in 1997.

St Benet Gracechurch Today

Even though the church building is gone, its old parish (the area it served) is now part of a larger combined parish. This parish is officially called St Edmund the King and Martyr, and St Mary Woolnoth Lombard Street with St Nicholas Acons, All Hallows Lombard Street, St Benet Gracechurch, St Leonard Eastcheap, St Dionis Backchurch and St Mary Woolchurch Haw. Most people just call it "St Edmund & St Mary Woolnoth". This parish is part of the Church of England's Diocese of London.