Holy Sepulchre London, formerly and in some official uses Saint Sepulchre-without-Newgate, is the largest

Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

parish church 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 ...

. It stands on the north side of

Holborn Viaduct Holborn Viaduct is a road bridge in London and the name of the street which crosses it (which forms part of the A40 road, A40 route). It links Holborn, via Holborn Circus, with Newgate Street, in the City of London, England financial distri ...

across a crossroads from the

Old Bailey The Central Criminal Court of England and Wales, commonly referred to as the Old Bailey after the street on which it stands, is a criminal court building in central London, one of several that house the Crown Court of England and Wales. The s ...

, and its

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...

takes in

Smithfield Market Smithfield, properly known as West Smithfield, is a district located in Central London, part of Farringdon Without, the most westerly Wards of the City of London, ward of the City of London, England. Smithfield is home to a number of City in ...

. During medieval times, the site lay outside ("without") the

city wall A defensive wall is a fortification usually used to protect a city, town or other settlement from potential aggressors. The walls can range from simple palisades or Earthworks (military), earthworks to extensive military fortifications such as ...

, west of the

Newgate Newgate was one of the historic seven gates of the London Wall around the City of London and one of the six which date back to Roman times. Newgate lay on the west side of the wall and the road issuing from it headed over the River Fleet to Mid ...

. It has been known as the National Musicians' Church since 1955. It has London's musicians' chapel in which a book of remembrance sits and an October/November requiem takes place – unusual for a church associated with

Low Church In Anglican Christianity, the term ''low church'' refers to those who give little emphasis to ritual, often having an emphasis on preaching, individual salvation, and personal conversion. The term is most often used in a liturgical sense, denot ...

Evangelicalism Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes evangelism, or the preaching and spreading of th ...

. The church has two local army regiment memorials. The vicar is appointed by

St John's College, Oxford St John's College is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford. Founded as a men's college in 1555, it has been coeducational since 1979.Communication from Michael Riordan, college archivist Its foun ...

, which has held the church's patronage since 1622. The church is within the Newgate Street

Conservation Area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural or cultural values. Protected areas are those areas in which human presence or the exploitation of natural resources (e.g. firewoo ...

History

Early history

The original ( probably pre-Norman) church on the site was dedicated to St Edmund the King and Martyr. In 1137 it was given to the Priory of St Bartholomew. During the

Crusades The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and at times directed by the Papacy during the Middle Ages. The most prominent of these were the campaigns to the Holy Land aimed at reclaiming Jerusalem and its surrounding t ...

of that century the church was re-dedicated to Saint Edmund and the Holy Sepulchre, venerating the

Church of the Holy Sepulchre The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, also known as the Church of the Resurrection, is a fourth-century church in the Christian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem, Old City of Jerusalem. The church is the seat of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchat ...

Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...

. Knights passed by on the way to the Holy Lands. This name became contracted, and in the 21st century reference to the saint-king has been overwhelmingly dropped. The very early lessening of the first dedication helped to reserve that name for the small church to the east of

St Paul's Cathedral St Paul's Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of St Paul the Apostle, is an Anglican cathedral in London, England, the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London in the Church of Engl ...

dedicated to St Edmund, King and Martyr. The church is today the largest parish church in the city. It was completely rebuilt in the 15th century"The City Churches" Tabor, M. p. 127: London; The Swarthmore Press Ltd; 1917 but was gutted by 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, which left the outer walls, the tower and the porch standing. It was rebuilt 1667–1679 by Joshua Marshall, the King's Master Mason, and appears to be remodelled to Marshall's own design. Lightly modified in the 18th century, the interior of the church is a wide, roomy space with a

coffered ceiling A coffer (or coffering) in architecture is a series of sunken panels in the shape of a square, rectangle, or octagon in a ceiling, soffit or vault. A series of these sunken panels was often used as decoration for a ceiling or a vault, also ...

installed in 1834 with plasterwork of three years later. The church underwent considerable re-facing and alterations in 1878. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

the 18th-century watch-house, built in the churchyard to deter grave-robbers, was bomb-struck but later rebuilt. The vicarage was fully renovated in the early 2000s. During

Mary I Mary I (18 February 1516 – 17 November 1558), also known as Mary Tudor, was Queen of England and Ireland from July 1553 and Queen of Spain as the wife of King Philip II from January 1556 until her death in 1558. She made vigorous a ...

persecutions Persecution is the systematic mistreatment of an individual or group by another individual or group. The most common forms are religious persecution, racism, and political persecution, though there is naturally some overlap between these term ...

, in 1555, the incumbent vicar John Rogers was burned at the stake as a

heretic Heresy is any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs, particularly the accepted beliefs or religious law of a religious organization. A heretic is a proponent of heresy. Heresy in Christianity, Judai ...

Bells

The bells are referred to in the nursery rhyme ''

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 ...

'' as the "bells of

". In 1605, London merchant tailor John Dowe paid the parish £50 () to buy a

handbell A handbell is a bell designed to be rung by hand. To ring a handbell, a ringer grasps the bell by its slightly flexible handle – traditionally made of leather, but often now made of plastic – and moves the arm to make the hinged cla ...

and to mark the execution of prisoners at the nearby gallows at

. This execution bell is displayed in a glass case in 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 ...

. Between the 17th and 19th centuries, the clerk was responsible for ringing it outside the condemned man's cell in

Newgate Prison Newgate Prison was a prison at the corner of Newgate Street and Old Bailey, just inside the City of London, England, originally at the site of Newgate, a gate in the Roman London Wall. Built in the 12th century and demolished in 1904, the pr ...

the night before his execution, and announcing the following "wholesome advice": Given proximity to Newgate Prison and the

, built on the site of the prison, certain of the bells in its tower, aside from marking time, celebrating weddings and communion, were rung to announce executions. In the first years of the court this was as the condemned felon was led to

Tyburn Tyburn was a Manorialism, manor (estate) in London, Middlesex, England, one of two which were served by the parish of Marylebone. Tyburn took its name from the Tyburn Brook, a tributary of the River Westbourne. The name Tyburn, from Teo Bourne ...

. File:1064640-Church of St Sepulchre.JPG, The bell tower File:NewgateExecutionBell.jpg, The Execution Bell File:St Sepulchre-without-Newgate 2020.jpg, Exterior

Army memorials

The south aisle of the church holds the regimental chapel of the Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) (merged to form the

Royal Regiment of Fusiliers The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers (often referred to as, "The Fusiliers") is an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Queen's Division. Currently, the regiment has two battalions: the 1st Battalion, part of the Regular Army, is an ...

), to whom its gardens are a memorial. The west end of the north aisle has memorials for the City of London Rifles (the 6th Battalion London Regiment).

Musicians' Chapel

By the north aisle is the Musicians' Chapel. As St Stephen's chapel it hosted votive masses to the 12th-century monastic saint

Stephen Harding Stephen Harding () (28 March 1134) was an English-born monk and abbot, who was one of the founders of the Cistercian Order. He is honored as a saint in the Catholic Church. Early life Stephen was born in south-west England and, as a youth, ...

prior to the

English Reformation The English Reformation began in 16th-century England when the Church of England broke away first from the authority of the pope and bishops Oath_of_Supremacy, over the King and then from some doctrines and practices of the Catholic Church ...

and during the reign of

Mary I of England Mary I (18 February 1516 – 17 November 1558), also known as Mary Tudor, was Queen of England and Ireland from July 1553 and Queen of Spain as the wife of King Philip II from January 1556 until her death in 1558. She made vigorous ...

. The ashes of conductor Sir

Henry Wood Sir Henry Joseph Wood (3 March 186919 August 1944) was an English conductor best known for his association with London's annual series of promenade concerts, known as the Proms. He conducted them for nearly half a century, introducing hundr ...

, founder of , who learnt to play the organ at the church as a boy, were interred here in the 1940s. It was rededicated to musicians by Dr. W.R. Matthews,

Dean of St Paul's The dean of St Paul's is a member of, and chair of the Chapter of St Paul's Cathedral in London in the Church of England. The dean of St Paul's is also '' ex officio'' dean of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of th ...

, on 2 January 1955 in the presence of many distinguished musicians including an orchestra conducted by Sir

Malcolm Sargent Sir Harold Malcolm Watts Sargent (29 April 1895 – 3 October 1967) was an English conductor, organist and composer widely regarded as Britain's leading conductor of choral works. The musical ensembles with which he was associated include ...

and the BBC Singers. Its four windows commemorate Sir Henry Wood, John Ireland, Dame

Nellie Melba Dame Nellie Melba (born Helen Porter Mitchell; 19 May 186123 February 1931) was an Australian operatic lyric coloratura soprano. She became one of the most famous singers of the late Victorian era and the early twentieth century, and was the f ...

and Walter Carroll"The London Encyclopædia" Hibbert, C; Weinreb, D; Keay, J: London, Pan Macmillan, 1983 (revised 1993, 2008) The chapel's appearance and the Musicians' Book of Remembrance are maintained by the Friends of the Musicians' Chapel. A Service of Thanksgiving for all those in the book is held at the church each year as well as a requiem close to

All Souls' Day All Souls' Day, also called The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, is a day of prayer and remembrance for the faithful departed, observed by Christians on 2 November. In Western Christianity, including Roman Catholicism and certain p ...

. Many concerts and memorial events for musicians have been held in the church.

Recent history

The church was known as the National Musicians' Church for 70 years, until August 2017 when hiring of the facilities for non-religious events was banned, against assurances which had been given when HTB took over in 2013. Fifty figures from the musical world, including

Aled Jones Aled Jones, (born 29 December 1970) is a Welsh singer, radio and television presenter, and actor. As a teenage chorister, he gained widespread fame in 1985 with his recording of " Walking in the Air", which reached No 5 in the UK pop chart. He ...

Julian Lloyd Webber Julian Lloyd Webber (born 14 April 1951) is a British solo cellist, conductor and broadcaster, a former principal of Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and the founder of the In Harmony music education programme. Early years and education Julia ...

John Rutter Sir John Milford Rutter (born 24 September 1945) is an English composer, conductor, editor, arranger, and record producer, mainly of choral music. Biography Born on 24 September 1945 in London, the son of an industrial chemist and his wife, R ...

, James MacMillan and Judith Weir, signed an open letter urging reversal of the ban and preservation of the church's "unique national cultural remit". 7,800 people signed a petition asking for the decision to be reversed. Acting Bishop of London

Pete Broadbent Peter Alan Broadbent (born 31 July 1952), known as Pete Broadbent, is an English Anglicanism, Anglican bishop. He served as the Bishop of Willesden, an area bishop in the Church of England Diocese of London for twenty years, 2001–2021. Dur ...

tried to convince the church to reverse its ban. Andrew Earis, director of music at

St Martin-in-the-Fields St Martin-in-the-Fields is a Church of England parish church at the north-east corner of Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, London. Dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours, there has been a church on the site since at least the medieval pe ...

and former director of music at St Sepulchre, regretted that the church had not changed its decision, which he said was "doing irreparable harm to the church as a whole". In 2017, the vicar ceased parish funds financing the requiem and allowing of most free rehearsing time. A protest was held and many prominent musicians including

sought continued benevolence from the wider congregation and church patron. Attempts to mediate failed. Nick Mottershead became Priest-in-Charge of Holy Sepulchre in 2021. In 2024, Mottershead clarified that the church is not a member of the HTB network. He described work to "rebuild a reputation around being the Musicians’ Church and to redefine and communicate that this is a place that is welcoming to all. Faith or no faith, meeting people where they are — all that language is super-important to me." He welcomed the introduction of same-sex blessings and expressed support for same-sex marriage in the future.

Protection and recognition of architecture

The church has been designated a Grade I

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...

(the highest grade) since 1950.

Notable people associated with the church

* Thomas Culpeper, Tudor courtier, buried here * Thomas Gouge, minister ejected in 1662 * Samuel Gurney, MP, erected the first drinking fountain for the Metropolitan Drinking Fountain and Cattle Trough Association on the railings of the church. It was restored to the original location in 1913 and remains there. * Rev Dr Peter Mullen, commentator, author and former rector, sometime chaplain to the

London Stock Exchange The London Stock Exchange (LSE) is a stock exchange based in London, England. the total market value of all companies trading on the LSE stood at US$3.42 trillion. Its current premises are situated in Paternoster Square close to St Paul's Cath ...

* John Rogers, minister, Bible translator, and the first English Protestant martyr under

; he was burnt at the stake * Sir Anthony St Leger, Tudor judge, and his first wife Eleanor Markham, buried here * Sir John Smith, governor of

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

and associate of

Pocahontas Pocahontas (, ; born Amonute, also known as Matoaka and Rebecca Rolfe; 1596 – March 1617) was a Native American woman belonging to the Powhatan people, notable for her association with the colonial settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. S ...

, buried 1631 in the south aisle. Smith is also commemorated by a window designed by Francis Skeat and installed in 1968. *

Austin Osman Spare Austin Osman Spare (30 December 1886 – 15 May 1956) was an English artist and occultism, occultist who worked as both a draughtsman and a painter. Influenced by Symbolism (arts), symbolism and Art Nouveau, his art was known for its clear use o ...

, artist, attended the church school, now a physiotherapy centre, behind the church in Snow Hill Court *

Roger Williams Roger Williams (March 1683) was an English-born New England minister, theologian, author, and founder of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Providence Plantations, which became the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Pl ...

(1603–1683), founder of

Rhode Island Rhode Island ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Is ...

, USA * Sir Henry Wood, founding conductor at the Proms *

Charles Wriothesley Charles Wriothesley ( ''REYE-əths-lee''; 8 May 1508 – 25 January 1562) was a long-serving officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. He was the last member of a dynasty of heralds that started with his grandfather—Garter Principal Kin ...

, long-serving

officer of arms An officer of arms is a person appointed by a sovereign or state with authority to perform one or more of the following functions: * to control and initiate armorial matters; * to arrange and participate in ceremonies of state; * to conserve ...

at the

College of Arms The College of Arms, or Heralds' College, is a royal corporation consisting of professional Officer of Arms, officers of arms, with jurisdiction over England, Wales, Northern Ireland and some Commonwealth realms. The heralds are appointed by the ...

, buried 1562 in the middle aisle

Organ

The north aisle is dominated by a splendid

organ Organ and organs may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a group of tissues organized to serve a common function * Organ system, a collection of organs that function together to carry out specific functions within the body. Musical instruments ...

built by Renatus Harris in 1670; the organ case is its sole mention in the architectural listing, adding a date, 1677. The swell was added by John Byfield in . The organ was enlarged in 1817 by James Hancock and by John Gray in 1828 and 1835, and

Gray and Davison Gray & Davison was a large-scale manufacturer of church and cathedral pipe organ The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurised air (called ''wind'') through the organ pipes selected from a Musical keyboar ...

in 1849, 1852 and 1855. It was rebuilt in 1932 by Harrison and Harrison. A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register. It is not currently playable, though efforts are being made to restore it to a playable condition. A Makin digital organ is used when required for services. The choir has now composed of eight professional singers.

Organists

* Francis Forcer 1676–1704 * Thomas Deane 1705–1712 * Benjamin Short 1712–1760 * William Selby and Samuel Jarvis 1760–1773 * Samuel Jarvis 1773–1784 * George Cooper 1784–1799 * George Cooper 1799–1843 (son of above) * George Cooper 1843–1876 (son of above) * James Loaring * Edwin Matthew Lott * Edgar Pettman * Frank B. Fowle * Peter Asprey (Director of Music; present) * Joshua Ryan (Organist elect; from May 2022)

References

External links

St Sepulchre-without-Newgate
church website {{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Sepulchre Without Newgate 11th-century establishments in England Church of England church buildings in the City of London Diocese of London Grade I listed churches in the City of London Holy Trinity Brompton plants