The San Francisco call., 1904-08-22
4 Freak Parish.

The heart OF London, the region
about the Bank Of England and the
Royal Exchange, whence go the
chief arteries Of the country, is situated
in the strangest parish in the world.
There is no church, no municipal office
and but one inhabitant, yet it's value
in a parochial and official sense is
equal TO that OF many another parish
in the city with its thousands of rate
payers. 1t is the parish Of St. Chris
topher-le Stocks, founded some 700
years ago, none knows how or by
whom. but still existent with all it's
rights and dignlties.
There are close upon a dozen other
parishes within the small circuit Of
the civic boundaries of London proper
which possess but one or two inhabit-
ants, but their history and lineage pale
in interest beside that of st. Christie
pher- Stocks. The church itself stood
in Threadneedle street and was demcl-
ished at the time the Bank of England
was enlarged in 1871. 1t therefore stood
fronting the Mansion House, and from
many old records We must assume that
it was a stately edifice, altered and
beautified after the ravages of Lon
don's fire by Sir Christopher Wren
and embellished by gifts from wealthy
city aldermen.
We read Of it first in the year 1892,
when a rich merchant, one Richard
Sherington, gave many and divers
gifts 10 this church" But the church
must have been in existence over a
hundred years prior to this date, for
without the gate stood a pair of stocks,
for the punishment of those whose
onenses had been committed within the
city boundaries. But they were abol-
ished in the year 1882, when Edward 1
was King and Henry Walls Mayor Of
London
At the time the tools derived from
London bridge were insufficient for it's
upkeep and Mayor Walls, with the
royal permission, established a fish
and flesh market near by the Church
of St. Christopher-le-S Stocks" The
Stocks Market was designed to help
London Bridge, the bridge keeper hav-
ing power to grant leases for market
shops. The church was the spiritual
resort Of 'all godly shopkeepers. q"
There is a lapse Of time and then in
the year 1872 we read OF William
Hampton, Mayor Of London, who visit
ed the church frequently for his souls
benefit. for he was a devout man and
pious." At his death he left money to
ST. Christophers, and was a great
benefactor and glazed some Of the win
dows"
The next reference comes in the
year 1543. when Henry VIII was re-
celving f46 15s Cd as rent for the
market. There were twenty-five fish
mongers and eight butchers and the
marketplace was 23o feet long by 1OS
feet wide. "On the east side" writes
the old historian, there were rows
of trees, very pleasant to the inhabi-
tants." The vicar received the great
er part of his yearly income from the
shopkeepers. "godly men and women,
given muchly to holy observances."
In the year 1924 Robert Thorne
died and left f4445 to the church "in
charity and pious uses" Accordingly
a stately monument was erected to his
memory. Later in the century the
church was partly destroyed in the
great fire and was repaired by Wren
in 1871 and twenty-five years later was
much cost to the parish" In 1897
the stocks market was removed to
Harrington street, the region about
the church being then of greater inn
portance to merchants than shop
keepers.
AS commerce grew the Bank of
England encroached upon the grave
yard, and so in 1881 the church was
demolished. But in order perhaps to
salve the consciences of the money
makers the parochial rights and dig
mites were still maintained. The gar
den with the fountain within the Bank
fof England marks the site Of the bur-
ial ground. The last interment took
place a hundred years ago and was
that of Jenkins, a bank clerk, Z feet
6 inches high. His body was allowed
to be buried within the bank to pre-
vent temptation and possibility of dis
interment."
SO the old church has gone, but its
parish remains. embracing the open
space in front of the Bank and Man
sion House, part of the Royal Ex-
change and part of the Bank of Eng
land. One inhabitant it has and he
/ has full rights of voting for Parlia-
ment and all municipal councils The
valuation list is made out year by
year and the governors of the Bank
OF England still pay heavily for the
sins of covetousness of their ancestors
10 years ago.-London lid Bits.