Gracechurch Street

Gracechurch Street

Gracechurch Street is a street in the City of London, and forms part of the A10.

It starts in the south of the City, near Wren's Monument to the Great Fire of London, at a junction with King William Street, Eastcheap and Cannon Street. It heads north, crossing Lombard Street/Fenchurch Street, until it becomes Bishopsgate.

The closest Tube station is Monument.

History

The word "Gracechurch" derives from "Garscherchestrete", "Gres-cherch" and "Gras-cherche" with "Gracechurch" not being in use until after the destruction of the street in the Great Fire of London. The street is in the heart of Roman "Londinium"; it runs directly over the site of the basilica and forum.

In medieval times a corn market was held by St. Benet Gracechurch (a church destroyed in the Fire) at the junction of Gracechurch Street with Fenchurch Street and Lombard Street with vendors being directed to sell their wares there. The existence of such markets can be seen from the derivation of their names, "gaers" or "gers" meaning a blade of grass or herb and "faenum" meaning hay.

The Quakers had an Meeting House on Gracechurch Street until the 1821, when it burned down [ [http://www.n16mag.com/issue35/19.htm "A Friendly Society" by Peter Daniels] in "N16 Magazine" Issue 35 Autumn 2007] ] ; William Penn was arrested on August 14,1670 for delivering a sermon in the street in front of the building after having been forbidden to preach indoors.

Cultural references

Gracechurch Street is mentioned in Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" as being the home of the Mr and Mrs Gardiner, the aunt and uncle of the five Bennet sisters. The former Swan-with-Two-Necks inn is the scene of Estella's meeting with Pip in Dickens' "Great Expectations".

References

* [http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=6505 Centre for Metropolitan History, "A Dictionary of London", 1918]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Gracechurch Street —    South from Cornhill and Leadenhall Street to King William Street and Fish Street Hill (P.O. Directory). In Bishopsgate and Bridge Wards Within. A few houses on the eastern side are in Lime Street Ward.    Earliest mention: Garscherchestrate,… …   Dictionary of London

  • Bell Yard, Gracechurch Street —    West out of Gracechurch Street, at No.12 (P.O. Directory). In Bishopsgate Ward Within.    First mention: O. and M. 1677.    Led to St. Michael s Alley, Birchin Lane and Cornhill in Hatton, 1708.     The Bell mentioned in will of William… …   Dictionary of London

  • Conduit in Gracechurch Street —    In Gracechurch Street at the west end of Jerusalem Alley (Leake, 1666).    Erected in 1491 by Thomas Hill, Mayor, 1485 (S. 17) (Chron. of London, ed. Kingsford, p. 200).    Taken down 1720 (Strype, ed. 1720, I. 28) …   Dictionary of London

  • The Cardinall Hatt, Gracechurch Street —    Two tenements called The Cardinall Hatt in street called Gracious streate in parish of All Saints Gracechurch or All Saints in Lombard street, 25 Eliz. 1583 (Lond. I. p.m. III. p. 315).    Mentioned also : le Cardenal hatte, 47 Ed. III. (1373) …   Dictionary of London

  • Gracechurch —    Mentioned in Brihtmaer s grant of All Hallows Church. The description is as at Gerschereche, 1053 (Thorpe Dip. Ang. Sax. p. 372).    Other forms : Garscherche, 34 H. III. (Anc. Deeds, A. 7315). Grasehirche, 1307 (Ct. H.W. I. 186). These are… …   Dictionary of London

  • Gracechurch Market —    There are frequent references in the Liber Albus and the City Letter Books to the sale of corn at Graschirche during the 14th and 15th centuries, and it appears from a proclamation of 1374 that there was a regular market held there at that… …   Dictionary of London

  • Bore's Head Court, Gracechurch Street —    See Boar s Head Court …   Dictionary of London

  • Nonesuch Court, Gracechurch Street —    See Holden s Court …   Dictionary of London

  • St Benet Gracechurch — St. Benet Gracechurch Current Photo of site Country United Kingdom Denomination Roman Catholic, Anglican St. B …   Wikipedia

  • St. Benet Gracechurch — Infobox church name = St. Benet Gracechurch fullname = color = imagesize = caption = Current Photo of site landscape = denomination = Roman Catholic, Anglican diocese = parish = division = subdivision = founded date = founder = architect = style …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”