St Dunstan's, Stepney |
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| Denomination | Church of England (Anglican) |
|---|---|
| Administration | |
| Parish | London Borough of Tower Hamlets |
| Diocese | Diocese of London |
| Province | Canterbury |
| Clergy | |
| Vicar | The Revd Christopher Burke |
| Curate | The Revd Canon Geoffrey White |
| Other | |
| Churchwarden | Derek Boddington |
| Churchwarden | Judith Uzohu and Vera Hullyer |
| Website | Official website of St Dunstan's |
Located on Stepney High Street, St Dunstan's, Stepney is an Anglican Church which stands on a site which has been used for Christian worship for over a thousand years.
Contents |
History
In about 952 C. E. the Bishop of London - who is also Lord of the Manor of Stepney replaced the existing wooden structure with a stone church dedicated to All the saints. In 1029, when Dunstan was canonised the church was rededicated to St Dunstan and All Saints, which it has remained. Up until the early 14th century the church served the whole of Middlesex east of the City of London. Then new churches were built at Whitechapel and Bow. The existing building is the third on the site and was built of Kentish ragstone mainly in the 15th century (although the chancel dates from 200 years earlier). A porch and octagonal parish room were added in 1872.
Bells
There are ten bells in the belfry, which were made at the local Whitechapel Bell Foundry - the oldest was recast in 1385. They are mentioned in the nursery rhyme Oranges and Lemons "When will that be, say the bells of Stepney".[1]
Churchyard
The church is surrounded by a churchyard of nearly seven acres (28,000 m²). The church has a long traditional link with the sea and many sailors were buried here. It was once known as the 'Church of the High Seas', and until quite recently births, marriages and deaths at sea were registered here. The graveyard is also where Roger Crab the 17th-century hermit is buried after living on a diet solely of herbs, roots and water. In the 17th century the churchyard was enlarged to cope with the massive number of deaths during the Great Plague of London. 6,583 died in one eighteen month period, with 154 being buried in one day in September 1665.
See also
References
External links
| Anglicanism Portal |
