St Benet Gracechurch with St Leonard Eastcheap, London Genealogy

England London  London Parishes  St Benet Gracechurch with St Leonard Eastcheap

London St Benet Gracechurch with St Leonard Eastcheap ancestry, family history, and genealogy research page. Guide to parish registers, transcripts, census records, birth records, marriage records, and death records.

Parish History
'St Benet Gracechurch with St Leonard Eastcheap, the church of is situated at the southwest corner of Fenchurch Street and Grace Church Street, near the office of Lombard Street. It derives its name from its dedication to St. Benedict, or Bennett, and its vicinity to the grass market, which was anciently held before its western door. The old church was destroyed by the great fire in 1666, and rebuilt by Sir Christopher Wren. It is a handsome church, and of the harmonious proportions of a double cube, being 60 feet in length, 30 and breath, and 32 in height, the 2 feet in height being allowed by our great master to compensate for optical defect. It is a richly ornamented after the fashion of the day, as Hanson molded wainscot, carved pulpit and altar, and a richly carved font. It was finished for divine service in 1685. The exterior is finished by a handsome Corning's, a lofty blocking course, and light balustrade. The tower begins from the ground, like all of Wren's, and the tower above the is lofty and obeliscal, beginning from five small porticos and finishing with a ball and vane.

'The church of St. Leonard Eastcheap, was also destroyed at the same time, and the present church is now the parochial church of the two united parishes. It is a rectory, patronage of which appears to have remained in the dean and chapter of St. Paul's; but as the patronage of the rectory of St. Leonard was anciently in the priors and content of Canterbury and since the Reformation, in the dean and chapter of that city, of which it is one of the 13 players within the city, the presentation is alternately with St. Paul's in Canterbury.'

After the Great Fire of London (1666), St Benet Gracechurch Parish united with St Leonard Eastcheap Parish.

These parishes belonged to Bridge Ward. Some authorities spell St Benet Gracechurch as St Benet Grace Church Parish.

Both churches have been demolished.

1848 description
St. Benet's Gracechurch with St. Leonard, Eastcheap are parishes of the city of London Within the Walls. The patron is the Dean and Chapter of St. Paul's, and the Dean and Chapter of Canterbury, alternately. They are parishes within the poor-law union of the City of London.

St Leonard Eastcheap Parish
To find the names of the neighboring parishes, use England Jurisdictions 1851. In this site, search for the name of the parish, click on the location "pin", click Options and click List contiguous parishes.

1541 Subsidy



 * 1541 London Subsidy Roll, Bridge Ward - Seynt Benet Parysheat British History Online
 * 1541 London Subsidy Roll, Bridge Ward - Seynt Leonard Parrysheat British History Online
 * 1541 London Subsidy Roll, Candlewick Ward - Seynt Leonardes Parisheat British History Online

1547 Subsidy

 * St Benet, Gracechurch, Bridge Ward, London (The National Archives, Ref: E179/145/151); copy:.
 * St Benet Gracechurch, Langbourn Ward, London (The National Archives, Ref: E179/145/143); copy:.
 * St Leonard, Eastcheap, Bridge Ward, London (The National Archives, Ref: E179/145/151); copy:.

1582 Subsidy

 * 1582 London Subsidy Roll, Bridge Ward - St Benettes Parishe at Graceshurcheat British History Online
 * 1582 London Subsidy Roll, Bridge Ward - St Leonardes Parisheat British History Online

1621 Subsidy

 * St Benet, Gracechurch, Bridge Ward, London (The National Archives, Ref: E179/147/484); copy:.
 * St Benet, Gracechurch, Langbourn Ward, London (The National Archives, Ref: E179/147/490); copy:.
 * St Leonard, Eastcheap, Bridge Ward, London (The National Archives, Ref: E179/147/484); copy:.
 * St Leonard, Eastcheap, Candlewick Street Ward, London (The National Archives, Ref: E179/147/502); copy:.

1628 Subsidy

 * St Benet, Gracechurch, Bridge Ward, London (The National Archives, Ref: E179/147/562); copy:.
 * St Leonard, Eastcheap, Bridge Ward, London (The National Archives, Ref: E179/147/562); copy:.

1638 Inhabitants List

 * Inhabitants of London in 1638 - St Bennet Gracechurchat British History Online
 * Inhabitants of London in 1638 - St Leonard, Eastcheapat British History Online

1666 Hearth Tax

 * Hearth Tax: City of London 1666 - St Benet Gracechurchat British History Online
 * Hearth Tax: City of London 1666 - St Leonards Eastcheapat British History Online

Add unique information about the censuses. Add links to online census records, and/or link to the Family History Library

Civil Registration
Birth, marriages and deaths were kept by the government, from July 1837 to the present day. The civil registration article tells more about these records. There are several Internet sites with name lists or indexes. A popular site is FreeBMD.

Probate records
Court of the Deanery of the Arches of London, Croydon, and Shoreham probate records are available online at for free.

Before 1858, St Benet Gracechurch fell under the jurisdiction of the Court of the Commissary of the Bishop of London and St Leonard Eastcheap fell under the jurisdiction of the Court of the Deanery of the Arches. From 1858 to the present, refer to the Principal Probate Registry for both places.

Go to London Probate Records to find the names of the courts having secondary jurisdiction. Scroll down in the article to the section Court Jurisdictions by Parish.

Records of wills, administrations, inventories, indexes, etc. were filed by the court with jurisdiction over this parish.

Records of the Poor
During the seventeenth century, officials gave some foundlings discovered in St Benet Gracechurch Parish the unique surname Gracechurch.

Contributor: Add information about the pertinent poor law unions in the area.

Maps and Gazetteers
Maps are a visual look at the locations in England. Gazetteers contain brief summaries about a place.


 * England Jurisdictions 1851
 * Vision of Britain

Web Sites

 * London Family History Centre Catalogue (St Benet Gracechurch Parish records)
 * London Family History Centre Catalogue (St Leonard Eastcheap Parish records)
 * (to narrow results, conduct subject searches for 'London St Benet Gracechurch or 'London St Leonard Eastcheap')