St Martin Orgar was a
church
Church may refer to:
Religion
* Church (building), a place/building for Christian religious activities and praying
* Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination
* Church service, a formalized period of Christian comm ...
in the
City of London
The City of London, also known as ''the City'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county and Districts of England, local government district with City status in the United Kingdom, city status in England. It is the Old town, his ...
in Martin Lane, off
Cannon Street
Cannon Street is a road in the City of London, the historic nucleus of London and its modern financial centre. It runs roughly parallel with the River Thames, about north of it, in the north of the City.
It is the site of the ancient London S ...
. Its name is said to derive from one Ordgarus (Odgarus, Orgarus, Ordgar, Orgar), a
Dane who donated the church to the
canons of St Paul’s.
It is sometimes considered being one of the churches mentioned in the
nursery rhyme
A nursery rhyme is a traditional poem or song for children in Britain and other European countries, but usage of the term dates only from the late 18th/early 19th century. The term Mother Goose rhymes is interchangeable with nursery rhymes.
Fr ...
"
Oranges and Lemons
"Oranges and Lemons" is a traditional English nursery rhyme, folksong, and singing game which refers to the bells of several churches, all within or close to the City of London. It is listed in the Roud Folk Song Index as No 13190. The earliest ...
". Most of the building was destroyed in the
Great Fire of London
The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through central London from Sunday 2 September to Wednesday 5 September 1666, gutting the medieval City of London inside the old London Wall, Roman city wall, while also extendi ...
in 1666, but the tower and part of the
nave
The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...
were left standing. The parish was merged with
St Clement Eastcheap. The churchyard remained in use by the combined parish until 1853.
The remains of the church were restored and used by
French Protestants
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
until 1820. Most of the remaining building was then pulled down, but the tower remained and was rebuilt in 1851 as the
campanile
A bell tower is a tower that contains one or more bells, or that is designed to hold bells even if it has none. Such a tower commonly serves as part of a Christian church, and will contain church bells, but there are also many secular bell to ...
of St Clement Eastcheap. A fragment of the churchyard of St Martin's remains to the south of the campanile.
At least 17 people have been identified to be buried in the churchyard.
Including but not limited to:
*
Alexander Iden
*
Allan Cotton
Sir Allan Cotton or Allen (c. 1568 ― December, 1628) was an English merchant who was Lord Mayor of London in 1625. He was born in Whitchurch, Shropshire to Ralph Cotton of Alkington and Jane Cotton. Allan came from a Shropshire branch of the ...
*
William Hewett
Vice-Admiral Sir William Nathan Wrighte Hewett, (12 August 1834 – 13 May 1888) was a Royal Navy officer and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonw ...
and family.
*
William Cromer
References
External links
Church bells of the City of London
Churches rebuilt after the Great Fire of London but since demolished
Churches in the City of London, of which only the tower remains
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