SAINT PETER CORNHILL: CITY OF LONDON

Identity Statement

Reference code(s)	: GB 0074 P69/PET1
Held at	: London Metropolitan Archives   Click here to find out how to view this collection at https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/lma ›
Full title	: SAINT PETER CORNHILL: CITY OF LONDON
Date(s)	: 1300-1985
Level of description	: Collection
Extent	: 14.4 linear metres (310 production units).
Name of creator(s)	: Parish of St Peter Cornhill, City of London | Church of England

Context

Administrative/Biographical history:

The site of the church of Saint Peter Cornhill has been used for Christian worship since antiquity, although it is unlikely that a church was founded on the site by the (mythical) King Lucius in AD 179 as is claimed. In the 15th century a grammar school and library were established at Saint Peter Cornhill. The church was destroyed in the Great Fire in 1666, but rebuilt by Wren in 1677-87. Owing to its antiquity and status, the parish was expressly excluded from the Union of Benefices Act of 1860 under which many City churches were demolished. The church was restored by J D Wyatt in 1872. A former churchyard to the south of the church, which lies on the west side of Gracechurch Street with its north porch on Cornhill, remains as an open space.

Content

Scope and content/abstract:

Records of the parish of Saint Peter Cornhill, City of London. The records held include a Vulgate Bible dating from circa 1300 (Ms 4158A) and a Cartulary dating from 1425-6 (Ms 4158). The main archive dates from the 16th century with parish registers (baptisms, marriages, burials, banns) from 1538, vestry minutes from 1574 and tithe rate, poor rate and church rate books from 1579. The remaining records date from the 17th century, including churchwardens' records, administrative papers, papers relating to poor relief and papers relating to the parish estate.

Access & Use

Language/scripts of material:
Latin, English, Hebrew and Syriac.

System of arrangement:

To assist the user, the catalogue has been arranged in sections representing sub-groups each with an archival classification code as follows: P69/PET1/A Parish registers, P69/PET1/B Vestry and parish officers (including poor law), P69/PET1/C Rate assessments and inhabitants lists, P69/PET1/D Charities and estates. The records have been catalogued by various members of staff over many years.

Conditions governing access:

These records are available for public inspection, although records containing personal information may be subject to access restrictions.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Copyright to these records rests with the depositor.

Finding aids:

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

Archival Information

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

The archives of the parish of St Peter Cornhill have been deposited in the Manuscripts Section of Guildhall Library at various dates since 1922. The most recent deposit was in 1999. The Guildhall Library Manuscripts Section merged with the London Metropolitan Archives in 2009.

Allied Materials

Related material:

Publication note:

Description Notes

Archivist's note:

Rules or conventions:
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions:
April to June 2010.