London Parishes – Medieval Londoners

Churches and Parishes in Medieval London

Because the names of London churches varied over time, we have employed a standard name in MLD to ensure comparability over time for parish and other churches associated with collegiate, mendicant, and monastic houses and hospitals, which are here often referred to as their ‘precincts’ because they could include adjoining lands and tenements on their property. The list below notes the standardized names of medieval parish and other churches that we have used in MLD and throughout the Medieval Londoners site. Additional variant spellings of these names can be found in Henry A Harben, A Dictionary of London (London, 1918).

See also the Map of London Parishes in D. Keene and V. Harding, A Survey of Documentary Sources for Property Holding in London before the Great Fire (1985), which is the main source for the information in the searchable table below. Downloadable maps of the parish boundaries in c. 1520 (West Sheet) and (East Sheet) are available from the Historic Towns Trust (1989) although a revised map (2020) of parish boundaries and street names is now available in print for Medieval London, 1270-1300 and Tudor London (c 1520). For an online (and the most up-to-date) version of the boundaries of London parishes, see the Medieval London 1270-1300 and Tudor London c 1520 maps in Layers of London.

For religious houses, links in the Church go to the entries in “The Religious Houses of London” in A History of the County of London: Volume 1, London Within the Bars, Westminster and Southwark, ed. William Page (London, 1909). On occasion, links to other relevant sources are added in the Name Variations column.

To save space in the table below, three dashes (—) indicate the name of the parish church in alternative versions of the parish’s name.

Church	Name Variations
All Hallows (unspecified)
All Hallows Barking	--- by the Tower; St Mary Berkyngcherch; St Mary Barking. Chantry chapel established for fraternity there in 1442; supposedly a college established by Richard III.
All Hallows Bread Street
All Hallows Honey Lane	--- Watling Street. See also All Hallows Honey Lane in The Historical Gazetteer of London before the Great Fire.
All Hallows Lombard Street	---Gracechurch; probably same as ---Cornhill
All Hallows on the Wall	--London Wall. Absorbed St Augustine Papey in 1442.
All Hallows Staining
All Hallows the Great	---ad fenum; ---at the Hay Wharf; ---in the Ropery
All Hallows the Less	---on the Cellars; ---on the Solars
Austin Friars precinct	Augustinians, founded c. 1265. Absorbed parishes of St Olave Broad Street and St Peter Broad Street (also St Peter le Poor or Poer)
Bermondsey abbey	Benedictine monastery that became a Cluniac alien priory c. 1089; re-established as an independent house by 1390. Dissolved. Located in Bermondsey on the eastern edge of Southwark.
Bethlehem hospital	Bethlem; St Mary Bethlehem; Priory of the New Order of Our Lady of Bethlehem; Bedlam
Blackfriars precinct	Dominican friars; Order of Preachers. Became St Anne Blackfriars after Dissolution
Charterhouse	Carthusian monastery, founded 1371, dissolved 1537.
Clerkenwell priory	English HQ of the monastic Order of Knights Hospitallers of St John of Jerusalem. Followed Augustinian rule. Dissolved by Henry VIII. See also "St John's Church and St John's Square," in Survey of London: Volume 46, South and East Clerkenwell (2008).
Colechurch Street priory precinct	Founded c. 1270, by the Sack Friars (Friars of the Penitence of Jesus Christ), but suspended 1305. Colechurch also known as Old Jewry. These Friars moved several times (see Holder, Friaries).
Crutched Friars precinct	--Crosssed or Croched friars. Friars of the Holy Cross.
Grey Friars precinct	Controlled by the Franciscan order of Friars Minor; became Christ Church Newgate Street in 1547
Guildhall chapel	Chapel of S. Mary de Gyhalle; Chapel of the Blessed Mary of the Pui; Capelle Gildaule
Holy Trinity (unspecified)
Holy Trinity Aldgate priory	Holy Trinity priory; Christ Church priory. Austin canons. Absorbed St Michael Aldgate and St Katherine Cree in 1108
Holy Trinity the Less
Holywell priory	Haliwell, Halliwell, or Halywell. Priory of St John the Baptist, house of Augustinian nuns founded in the 12th century. In Shoreditch (Middlesex), outside the city walls. See R. Bull et al., eds. Holywell Priory and the Development of Shoreditch to c. 1600: Archaeology from the London Overground East London Line (London: MoLA, 2011).
House of the Converts	Domus conversorum. Founded 1232 for Jews who converted to Christianity. Its warden was the Master of the Rolls [of Chancery].
Leadenhall chapel	By c. 1442, the Fraternity of the Holy Trinity and the Sixty Priests of London established there.
Kilburn priory	Originally Benedictine nuns subordinate to Westminster Abbey but Augustinian canonesses by 1377. Located 3 miles NW of the city of London.
Minoresses without Aldgate	Poor Clares, the female branch of the Franciscan friars, located outside Aldgate. Also known as "Abbey of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Aldgate" or the "House of Minoresses of the Order of St Clare of the Grace of the Blessed Virgin Mary" or the "Minoresses without Aldgate" or "St Clare outside Aldgate" or the "Minories, London." Founded in 1291, dissolved in 1539.
Savoy hospital	Founded 1505 by Henry VII. Dedicated to the Blessed Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and St. John the Baptist. See C. A. Stanford, ed. The Building Accounts of the Savoy Hospital, London, 1512-1520 (2015).
St Andrew by the Wardrobe	---Castle Baynard
St Andrew Holborn	St Andrew the Apostle
St Alban Wood Street
St Alphage	St Alphege; --London Wall; --Cripplegate
St Andrew Hubbard	--Eastcheap; towards the Tower
St Andrew Undershaft	---Cornhill; atte Knappe
St Anne and St Agnes	St Anne Aldersgate; St Agnes
St Antholin	St Antonin was earlier spelling; St Antony
St Anthony hospital	--of Vienne. Founded by brothers of St Anthony of Vienne by 1254 in St Benet Fink parish. In 1475 annexed and appropriated to the college of St. George, Windsor.
St Audoen	St Ewen; St Ewan; St Owen. Taken into Christ Church Newgate Street in 1547.
St Augustine Papey	---on the Wall. Joined to All Hallows on the Wall in 1442.
St Augustine Pappey hospital	Founded in 1442 as a fraternity (of sisters and brothers, though all the brothers were priests) for aged priests in St Augustine Pappey chapel after it united with All Hallows on the Wall
St Augustine Watling Street	---by St Paul; --parva
St Bartholomew the Little	--by the Exchange
St Bartholomew priory hospital precinct	St Bartholomew the Great created from the precinct after the Dissolution
St Benet (unspecified)
St Benet Fink
St Benet Gracechurch
St Benet Paul's Wharf	--Hithe; ---Woodwharf
St Benet Sherehog	St Sithe; St Benet and St Sithe
St Botolph Aldersgate
St Botolph Aldgate	---without Aldgate
St Botolph Billingsgate
St Botolph Bishopsgate	--without Bishopsgate
St Bride	---Fleet Street
St Christopher le Stocks	St Christopher
St Clement Danes
St Clement Eastcheap	---Candlewick Street
St David chapel	in Westminster abbey
St Dionis Backchurch
St Dunstan (unspecified)
St Dunstan in the East	--towards the Tower
St Dunstan in the West	--Fleet Street
St Edmund the King	---Lombard Street
St Ethelburga
St Faith	---by St Paul's
St Gabriel Fenchurch	All Hallows Fenchurch; St Mary Fenchurch; St Mary de Vanchirche. Rename St Gabriel Fenchurch in c. 1517.
St George	---Botolph Lane; ---Eastcheap; --- de Puddynglane; ---Botolph Lane.
St George the Martyr	in Southwark
St Giles Cripplegate
St Giles hospital	Monastery and hospital founded 1101 as a royal peculiar but administered by the City, Assigned to the Order of St Lazarus in 1299. Dissolved 1539 but church became a parish, St Giles-in-the-Fields.
St Gregory	--by St Paul's
St Helen Bishopsgate	house of Benedictine nuns founded c. 1210. The northern half of the church served the nuns, while the southern half was for the lay parishoners. See also "Pre-Reformation History," Survey of London: Volume 9, the Parish of St Helen, Bishopsgate, Part I (1924)
St James Garlickhithe	---Vintry
St James the Less hospital	---de Cherryngge. A leper hospital in the parish of St Margaret, Westminster. Brothers and sisters lived by the Augustinian rule.
St John Walbrook	St John the Baptist Walbrook
St John the Evangelist	---Watling Street. Earlier known as St Werburga
St John Zachary
St Katherine by the Tower hospital	Hospital and church. A royal peculiar, with extra-parochial precinct.
St Katherine Coleman	All Hallows Colemanchurch
St Katherine Cree	--Christ Church; Absorbed by Holy Trinity priory in 1108.
St Lawrence Jewry
St Lawrence Pountney college	Established by mayor John Poultney in 1332-47, for 13 chaplains. Dissolved 1547.
St Lawrence Pountney	--Candlewick Street
St Leonard Eastcheap
St Leonard Foster Lane
St Magnus the Martyr	---Bridge
St Margaret Barking chapel	Chapel within precinct of Barking Abbey. Parish by c. 1300.
St Margaret Lothbury
St Margaret Moses	---Friday Street
St Margaret New Fish Street	--Bridge Street
St Margaret Pattens
St Margaret Southwark
St Margaret Westminster
St Martin-in-the-Fields	in Westminster
St Martin-le-Grand	Church (dedicated to St Martin of Tours) and precinct of a college of secular canons, but the college was in the parish of St Leonard Foster Lane.
St Martin Ludgate
St Martin Orgar	---Candlewick Street
St Martin Outwich
St Martin Pomroy	---Ironmonger Lane. For the topographical history, see St Martin Pomary in The Historical Gazetteer of London before the Great Fire.
St Martin Vintry	---Bermanchurch
St Mary Abchurch
St Mary Aldermanbury
St Mary Aldermary
St Mary and St Leonard hospital	Leper hospital in Southwark, probably established in the 12th century.
St Mary at Hill
St Mary Axe
St Mary Bishopsgate hospital	St Mary Spital' Old Bethlehem hospital; New Hospital without Bishopsgate. See also "The Priory of St. Mary Spital," in Survey of London: Volume 27, Spitalfields and Mile End New Town (1957).
St Mary Bothaw
St Mary Clerkenwell priory	Augustinian nunnery. See also "Clerkenwell Close area: Introduction; St Mary's nunnery site," in Survey of London: Volume 46, South and East Clerkenwell (London, 2008)
St Mary Colechurch	See also St Mary Colechurch in The Historical Gazetteer of London before the Great Fire.
St Mary Graces abbey	Cistercian abbey founded c. 1350, dissolved 1540. Also known as Eastminster or New Abbey.
St Mary le Bow	--de Archibus. See St Mary le Bow in The Historical Gazetteer of London before the Great Fire.
St Mary le Strand	St Mary and the Innocents. In Westminster.
St Mary Magdalen Milk Street
St Mary Magdalen Old Fish Street	--in (nova) piscaria; ---Westpiscaria. Earlier called St Wandrille.
St Mary Mounthaw
St Mary Overie priory	in Southwark. Austin canons from c. 1100.
St Mary Rouncivall hospital	Cell of the priory of St. Mary at Rouncivall in Navarre. Founded by 1231 near Charing Cross by William Marshal. It was granted to a fraternity based there in 1478. See also "The chapel and hospital of St. Mary Rounceval," Survey of London: Volume 18, St Martin-in-The-Fields II: the Strand (1937).
St Mary Somerset
St Mary Magdalen Bermondsey	in Southwark
St Mary Staining
St Mary Undercroft chapel	in Westminster Palace
St Mary Whitechapel	--Matfellon. Chapel in Stepney.
St Mary within Cripplegate hospital	Elsingspital. Founded 1331 by William Elsing, a London Mercer.
St Mary without Aldersgate chapel	St Mary the Virgin without Aldersgate; chapel of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary. Founded 1349.
St Mary Woolchurch	---Newchurch; Woolchurch Haw
St Mary Woolnoth
St Matthew Friday Street
St Michael Aldgate	absorbed into Holy Trinity priory precinct n 1108
St Michael Bassishaw
St Michael Cornhill
St Michael Crooked Lane	---Candlewick Street
St Michael le Querne	--atte Corne; ---ad bladum; --in foro
St Michael Paternoster	--Paternoster Royal; ---in the Riole
St Michael Queenhithe	--Ripa Regine
St Michael Wood Street	---Huggin Lane
St Mildred Bread Street
St Mildred Poultry	---Walbrook
St Nicholas Acon	---Hakon; --near Lombard Street
St Nicholas Cole Abbey	---Old Fish Street; ---in piscaria; ---Westpiscaria. Never an abbey; "Cole Abbey" derived from "coldharbour", shelter from the cold.
St Nicholas Olave	St Olave Bread Street; ---Bernard; ---?in piscaria
St Nicholas Shambles	--in the Shambles; St Olave in the Shambles. Taken into Christ Church Newgate Street in 1547.
St Olave Broad Street	Absorbed by Austin Friars precinct; in 1547 taken into St Peter Broad Street.
St Olave Hart Street	---Crutched Friars; ---Mark Lane; ---by the Tower
St Olave Old Jewry
St Olave Southwark
St Olave Silver Street	---Cripplegate; ---Monkwell Street; St Mary Olaf
St Pancras	---Soper Lane. For the parish church, see St Pancras Soper Lane in The Historical Gazetteer of London before the Great Fire.
St Paul's cathedral
St Peter Cornhill
St Peter in the Bailey	---in the Tower; ---ad Vincula
St Peter the Poer	---le Poer; --Brroad Street. From 16th cent. included St Olave Broad Street and the Austin Friars precinct.
St Peter Paul's Wharf	---the Less
St Peter Westcheap	---Wood Street
St Sepulchre	---without Newgate; ---Holborn; St Edmund without Newgate. In 1547, part taken int Christ Church Newgate Street.
St Stephen chapel	in Westminster Palace
St Stephen's chapel Westminster	Chapel in Westminster Palace. Edward III established it as a college in 1348. Known as the Royal Free Chapel of St Stephen's Westminster.
St Stephen Coleman Street
St Stephen Walbrook
St Swithin	---Candlewick Street; ---London Stone
St Thomas Acon hospital	Collegiate hospital and church of the military order of the Knights of St Thomas of Acre. MLD calls them 'monks' though strictly speaking they were 'brothers' of the hospital. Also called St Thomas the Martyr (named after Thomas Becket). For the order, church, and hospital, and their relationship with the Mercers, see also St Thomas Acre in The Historical Gazetteer of London Before the Great Fire.
St Thomas the Apostle
St Thomas chapel	on London Bridge. Also St Thomas the Martyr (in reference to Thomas Becket)
St Thomas Southwark	Augustinian hospital church. Became St Thomas the Martyr parish by 1496 but renamed St Thomas the Apostle in 1538.
St Vedast	---Foster Lane; St Amand; St Vedast and St Amand
Walworth's College	founded by William Walworth c. 1381 in St Michael Crooked Lane parish; had a master and 9 chaplains but served more as a chantry than a college
St Wandrille	later called St Mary Magdalen Old Fish Street
St Werburga	later called St John the Evangelist, Watling Street
The Temple	Originally in Holborn, a New Temple, the church and HQ of the Knights Templar, a military order, was established in Fleet Street in 1184. The Templars were imprisoned and the order suppressed in 1308. In 1324, the Temple was given over to the Hospitallers. Secular priests were then based there, and part of the Temple leased to lawyers.
Westminster abbey	Dedicated to St Peter.
Whittington's College	Founded by Richard Whittington, mayor, in c. 1424 when it took over the church of St. Michael Paternoster Royal. Dissolved 1547.
White Friars precinct	Carmelite house founded c. 1247.