St Mary Aldermary with St Thomas the Apostle, London Genealogy

Return to the London Parishes St I-S page.

St Mary Aldermary with St Thomas the Apostle, the church of, situated near the middle, and on the east side of Bow Lane, cheapside and derives its name from being dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and its addition of Alder, to Older or Elder mary, from its being the oldest church in the city... In 1510, Sir Henry Keble, Lord Mayor of London, bequeathed £1000 towards rebuilding the ancient church, which stood on this site, and had become much decayed by age; and in 1626, William Rodoway gave £3000 more, and other inidividuals contributed liberally. The body of the church was destroyed by the great fire of 1666, and was rebuilt, and the power repoaired and cased, by Sir Christopher Wren, in 1711, at the sole expense of Henry Rogers, Esq., as appears by a Latin inscription over the western door of the church. The interior is 100 feet in length, 63 in breadth, and 45 in height. The church is a rectory, and one of the thirteen peculiars of the Archbishop of Canterbury. After the fire of London, the adjoining parish of St Thomas the Apostle, was united to it by act of parliament; the patronage of which being in the Dean and Chapter alternately. It is a rectory in the city of London, and in the Province of Canterbury.

[Adapted from: "Topographical Dictionary of London" by James Elmes; published 1831]