St Magnus the Martyr with St Margaret New Fish Street and St Michael Crooked Lane, London Genealogy

England London  London Parishes  St Magnus the Martyr with St Margaret New Fish Street and St Michael Crooked Lane

Parish History
St Magnus the Martyr with St Margaret New Fish Street and St Michael Crooked Lane, the church of, is situated at the northeast corner of old London Bridge, and derives its name from having been dedicated to St. Magnus, who suffered martyrdom, under the Emperor Aurelian, in the city of Caesarea. It is a rectory, the patronage of which was anciently in the confidence of Westminster and Bermondsey, who presented alternately, till the general suppression of monasteries, when it devolved to the Crown. In 1533, Queen Mary granted by letters patent to the Bishop of London and his successors in whom it still remains. The ancient church was destroyed by the fire of 1666, and one rebuilt, was named the United parish church for this parish, and that of St. Margaret, New Fish Street, which is annexed to it by act of Parliament.

The present church was erected by Sir Christopher Wren in 1676, and it is an elegant and substantial church built of stone, and oak timber, covered with land; with a very handsome lofty steeple, consisting of the tower, and a lantern, or belltower, covered with a cupola, and surmounted by a well proportioned spire. The opening under the tower, was made shortly after a great fire in this neighborhood in 1759, through the recesses and growing arches originally formed in the main building, by Sir Christopher, as if he had foreseen its necessity, whenever the street required widening.

The interior is 90 feet in length, 59 in breadth, and 41 in height, divided into a nave and two aisles, by columns, and an entablature of the Ionic order. The steeple and spire were not built till 1705. The advowson of his church is a rectory, in the archdeaconry, city and diocese of London, and in the patronage of the Bishop of that city.

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...

These parishes belong to Bridge Ward. St Michael Crooked Lane also belonged to Candlewick Ward.

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.

Church records
St Magnus the Martyr, St Margaret New Fish Street, and St Michael Crooked Lane were originally three individual parishes. Each maintained separate parish registers.

St Michael Crooked Lane Parish
To find the names of the neighbouring 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 Magnus Parishe, courtesy: British History Online
 * 1541 London Subsidy Roll, Bridge Ward - Seynt Margaret Parrishe, courtesy: British History Online
 * 1541 London Subsidy Roll, Bridge Ward - Seynt Myghell Parrishe, courtesy: British History Online

1582 Subsidy

 * 1582 London Subsidy Roll, Bridge Ward - St Magnus Parishe, courtesy: British History Online
 * 1582 London Subsidy Roll, Bridge Ward - St Margaretes Parishe, courtesy: British History Online
 * 1582 London Subsidy Roll, Billingsgate Ward - St Georges &amp; St Margaretes Parishes, courtesy: British History Online
 * 1582 London Subsidy Roll, Bridge Ward - St Michaels in Croked Lane, courtesy: British History Online
 * 1582 London Subsidy Roll, Candlewick Ward - St Clementes, St Nycholas &amp; St Michaelles Paroches, courtesy: British History Online

1638 Inhabitants List

 * Inhabitants of London in 1638 - St Magnus by London Bridge, courtesy: British History Online
 * Inhabitants of London in 1638 - St Margaret's, New Fish Street, courtesy: British History Online
 * Inhabitants of London in 1638 - St Michael near Crooked Lane, courtesy: British History Online

1666 Hearth Tax

 * Hearth Tax: City of London 1666 - St Magnus the Martyr, courtesy: British History Online
 * Hearth Tax: City of London 1666 - St Margaret New Fish Street, courtesy: British History Online
 * Hearth Tax: City of London 1666 - St Michael Crooked Lane, courtesy: British History Online

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

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

Before 1858, probate matters for residents of St Magnus the Martyr and St Margaret New Fish Street were handled by the Archdeaconry Court of London. St. Michael Crooked Lane Parish fell under the jurisdiction of the Court of the Deanery of the Arches.

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

Poor Law Unions
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

 * St Magnus the Martyr, London Bridge (official website). History, virtual tour, visitor's directions.
 * London Family History Centre Catalogue (St Magnus the Martyr Parish records)
 * London Family History Centre Catalogue (St Margaret New Fish Street Parish records)
 * London Family History Centre Catalogue (St Michael Crooked Lane Parish records)
 * Sketch of St Michael Crooked Lane Parish Church, courtesy: London Ancestor
 * Society of Genealogists Library Catalogue (to narrow results, conduct a subject search for 'London St Magnus the Martyr' or 'London St Margaret Fish Street Hill' or 'London St Michael Crooked Hill')
 * (St Magnus the Martyr)
 * (St Margaret New Fish Street)
 * (St Michael Crooked Lane)