St Michael's Crooked Lane

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St Michael's Crooked Lane, the cchurch of, is situated on the east side of Miles's Lane, Great Eastcheap, and is so called from its dedication and from its immediate vicinity to Crooked Lane, Old Fish Steet. This church is of ancient foundation,...and the church dedicated to St Micahel, before the year 1304. It waws then a very small church, and stood amidst lay stalls and slaighter grounds, used by butchers of Eastchepe Market. [In 1374 a] capacious church [was built on the site of the original]. This church having been destroyed by the fire of London, was rebuilt in 1687 by Sir Christopher Wren. The interior, which is 78 feet long, by 46 broad, and 32 high, is a fine specimen of a metropolitan parish church, is well lighted by a wide and lofty semicircular in the Windows, and diffuse well distributed for seeing and hearing the minister. This handsome church [was condemned] for standing in the line of the new London Bridge,... The patronage of this church was anciently in the prior and convent all Canterbury, in and continued till 14 away, since which time it has been in the archbishops of that see, and as one of the 13 peculiar is within the city, belonging to that Archbishop...

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