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Bishopgate Ward
 Key:   Current observations and notes     Holmes (1897)     Other sources   Maps

 

St. Botolph’s Churchyard, Bishopsgate. 
Anthony Munday says this is the burial place of one Hodges Shaughsware, 'chief servant to the King of Persia '  buried out of Christian burial in 1626.
 The additional ground to the south (Opened 1617) is now a tennis court. This was very unpopular when opened, as it was on the site of the city ditch just outside the wall. However, burial was much cheaper here. Around 250 burials a year by 1841. 

         


The tomb of 'Hodges Shaughsware'


St. Helen, Bishopsgate. 
2002 - Paved - with seats! A large open area very welcome in this part of London, with the gherkin towering over it.  Three token tombstones.St Helen's church was originally in two halves, with one half given over to nuns from St Helen's priory. The burial ground was for the parish - the priory may possibly have had their own burial ground elsewhere. 

This is very often open, but not provided with seats. (Holmes) 

                      


St. Ethelburga, Bishopsgate.
A small space but still around 30 burials a year by 1841. Church destroyed 1994 by terrorist Bomb. Rebuilt and reopened 2003. Churchyard at rear now restored. On my visit (Open House weekend, September 2006) part of the yard was taken up with a splendid 'peace tent' based on a Bedouin design. 


Restored church


Peace garden


Peace tent
Lost grounds

St Martin Outwich
The church was on the corner of Threadneedle Street and Bishopsgate. It just avoided the fire, but was rebuilt in 1794. Always a restricted site - in medieval times, parishioners were buried at St Pauls. Demolished 1874. The burial ground was purchased in 1539 and was extra-parochial (see Lime Street Ward) Intramural burials were likely. 
Pest Field, Hand Alley 
Mentioned in Defoe. Runs off Bishopsgate Street  to the east, now named New Street. Ogilvy and Morgan (1676) shows open ground at the end of Hand Alley - could this be the plague pit site? Later warehouses, now Cutler's gardens. 
Bethlem or New Ground
Created in 1569 as an extra parochial ground on land belonging to the Bethlem Hospital as a burial ground for those London Parishes 'in want of a burial ground'. In effect, this was the first cemetery in Britain.  Walled in at the expense of Lord Mayor Sir Thomas Rowe.  Heavily used during times of plague, and at other times by parishes with limited burial space. Continued in use until around 1720; shown on Horwood as a garden with some house building around the edges. Covered first by Broad Street station booking office (opened 1875) and now by the Broadgate development.
Part of the site was excavated in 1986. Burials were found to be very dense. A brick vault was found, containing members of the Jenks family in lead coffins, dated 1686 - 1714.
  Re-excavated in 2015 as part of the Crossrail development. 


Rocque