St Leonard, Foster Lane, was a

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * C ...

dedicated to

Leonard of Noblac Leonard of Noblac (also Leonard of Limoges or Leonard of Noblet; also known as Lienard, Linhart, Leonhard, Léonard, Leonardo, Annard; died 559), is a Frankish saint closely associated with the town and abbey of Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat, in Ha ...

on the west side of

Foster Lane Foster Lane is a short street within Cheap ward, in the City of London. It is situated northeast of St Paul's Cathedral and runs southbound Gresham Street to Cheapside. "Foster" is a corruption of 'St Vedast' to whom a church on the east side ...

in the Aldersgate ward of the

City of London The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London fr ...

. It was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666 and not rebuilt.

History

This church originally belonged to the College of St Martin-le-Grand. It was founded in the 13th century by the dean and canons of St. Martin's, to serve the inhabitants of the precinct, who had previously worshipped at the altar of St Leonard in the collegiate church. The building, which was small, stood in the courtyard of the collegiate church, on the west side of Foster Lane. There is a record of a new window being installed in the chancel in 1533. In 1579, the existing graveyard, being too small was leased out, and a new one laid out on an area of the precinct previously known as the "Dean's Garden" leased by the churchwarden and parishioners for a term of 61 years. The building was repaired and enlarged in 1631, at a cost of more than £500. The poet

Francis Quarles Francis Quarles (about 8 May 1592 – 8 September 1644) was an English poet most notable for his emblem book entitled ''Emblems''. Early life Francis Quarles was born in Romford, Essex, and baptised there on 8 May 1592. His family had a long hist ...

, who died 1644, was buried there.

Destruction

St Leonard's was largely destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666 and not rebuilt. the parish instead being united to that of Christ Church, Newgate Street, and the site used as a graveyard. Some ruins of the church remained, however, until the early 19th century, when they were finally cleared to make way for the new buildings of the General Post Office. Despite the destruction of the church, the "Parish Dole" was still available as late as 1907. Its former burial ground now forms part of

Postman's Park Postman's Park is a public garden in central London, a short distance north of St Paul's Cathedral. Bordered by Little Britain, Aldersgate Street, St. Martin's Le Grand, King Edward Street, and the site of the former headquarters of the General ...

References

External links

British history on-lineVisions of Britain
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Leonard, Foster Lane 13th-century church buildings in England 1666 disestablishments in England Churches destroyed in the Great Fire of London and not rebuilt Churches in the City of London Former buildings and structures in the City of London