At the beginning of the 17th century, John Stow wrote in his description of Fenchurch Street: "In the midst of this street standeth a small parish church called St Gabriel Fen Church, corruptly Fan church".[4] The dedication to St Gabriel is first recorded in 1517. Before that it had been known as St Mary's. Richard Newcourt wrote:
...this Church hath all along in the London Registry been recorded by the Name of S. Mary Fencherch, till the Year 1517. for then is the first time I find it there call'd by the Name of S. Gabriel Fencherch; and the next
Year after All Saints Fencherch; whence, I conjecture, it may, probably, be dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, to the Holy Angel Gabriel, and to All Saints.[1]
The church was lengthened by nine feet in 1631. This and other improvements were done at a cost to the parish of £587 10s.[1] Thomas Clark, a glazier, gave the church an east window, with the Royal Arms and the motto "Touch Not Mine Anointed".[2]
Along with the majority of the parish churches in the City, St Gabriel's was destroyed by the Great Fire in 1666. A Rebuilding Act was passed in 1670 and a committee set up under Sir Christopher Wren.[5] It decided to rebuild 51 of the churches, but St Gabriel's was not among them.[6] Instead the parish was united to that of St Margaret Pattens,[1] although its land holding was not finally resolved until 13 years later,[7] and charitable bequests continued to be made using the old name.[8] The land on which the church had stood was incorporated into the roadway, but part of the churchyard survived in Fen Court.[2][9]
Notable tombs in the church included that of Benedict Spinola, the Genoese Elizabethan banker.[10]
References
^ abcdNewcourt, Richard (1708). Repetorium Ecclesiasticum Parochiale Londinense. London. pp. 350–1.
^"The City of London Churches" Betjeman, J. Andover, Pitkin, 1967 (rpnt 1992) ISBN0-85372-565-9
^"Deeds and documents concerning nos. 143-149 Fenchurch Street (north side) 1679." - v185779x cited in City of London Parish Registers Guide 4 Hallows,A.(Ed) : London, Guildhall Library Research, 1974 ISBN0-900422-30-0
