England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
St Peter le Poor

The Parish

The parish of St Peter le Poor occupied an area in the northeastern area of the ancient City of London not too far from the city walls and therefore the boundary with wider Middlesex. The parish covered an area of the city sitting between the two modern railway station of Moorgate and Liverpool Street and roughly bounded by the course of the A10 to the east and London Wall to the south. The spelling of the church and parish name varies from "poor" to "poer", its origins are believed to refer to the state of the congregation being a relatively poverty-struck area of the city. Like many city parishes the area today is one of mainly commercial buildings with their support services, there are relatively few night-time residents whereas at one time it would have held been 500 & 600 parishioners, perhaps more given the volume of marriages here recorded. St Peter le Poor stands at just 10 metres above the sea with land rising away from the Thames in a series of terraces by less than a further 10 metres. Like most of the city there is no on-surface drainage with water making its way to the nearby Thames through sub-syrcae infrastructure.

The Church

St Peter le Poor church, originally the dedication was apparently simply St Peter the Apostle, sat on the city's Broad Street close to the southern entrances to Liverpool Street Station. The church had an ancient foundation being mentioned in documents as early as the first half of the 12th century.  The original medieval church was replaced in 1540 by a traditional Perpendicular design which was enlarged to the north in 1615 and acquired its steeple in 1630. During the Great Fire the church received little or no damage. Sadly the church needed such restoration by 1788 that the parishioners petitioned for its replacement and the final church was constructed slightly west of the original which projected into the road. The new church was consecrated on 19th November 1792 and was a controversial design with a circular nave and with the altar standing to the northwest rather than in the traditional position. The centre of the ceiling rose to a glass-sided lantern providing excellent internal lighting. The final story was one of falling rolls and by the turn of the 19th century it was deemed surplus to requirements and demolished in 1907. The parish was combined with St Michael Cornhill. There is marker for the site which stands beneath 20th century office buildings.