London Metropolitan Archives

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1000 Years of London's History in Documents, Photos, Maps and Films

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London Metropolitan Archives - Item Details

SAINT LUKE, CHELSEA: SYDNEY STREET, KENSINGTON AND CHELSEA

Date of Creation:

1559-1987

Reference Code:

P74/LUK

Scope and Content:
  • Records of the Parish of Saint Luke, Chelsea, including registers of baptisms, marriages and burials; poor rate books; Workhouse Committee minutes and other papers relating to the workhouse including financial accounts, admission and discharge registers and registers of deaths; pensioned poor books; indexes of pensioned poor and bastardy cases; names of those receiving casual poor relief; apprenticeship registers; settlement and bastardy examinations and removal orders to and from the parish.

    C 1559-1987 M 1559-1958 B 1559-1883
Extent: 12.20 linear metres
Classification: PARISHES
Site Location: London Metropolitan Archives
Level of Description:
    Collection

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Administrative History:
  • The parish church of Chelsea was known originally as All Saints, but from the late 17th century it became known as St Luke's, although there was never a formal rededication. In 1819 a new church was built in a more central location, which was dedicated to Saint Luke and which became the new parish church. The old church was used as a chapel of ease, known as Chelsea Old Church. The incumbent of the Old Church was known as the assistant minister of the Parish Chapel. The Old Church building was ruined by bombing in 1941, but was restored between 1947 and 1958. A parish was assigned to the Old Church in 1951, called All Saints (Chelsea Old Church).

    The new parish church of Saint Luke was built on Robert Street (later renamed Sydney Street). The foundation stone was laid in 1820 and the church was consecrated in 1824. It was built at great expense in an English Perpendicular style; with the tallest nave in London (bar those of Saint Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey). The parish of Saint Luke was divided into smaller parishes from 1831 onwards with the construction of Holy Trinity, Christ Church, Saint Saviour, Saint Jude, Saint Matthew and Saint Simon Zelotes.

    In 1727 the churchwardens set up a house for the poor, and from 1735 a workhouse was opened on land given by Sir Hans Sloane north of the King's Road. The workhouse was managed by a Vestry committee founded in 1735, the committee usually included the rector, both churchwardens, at least one overseer, the doctor and the constable.

    Source of information: A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 12: Chelsea (2004), pp. 206-258.
Creator: Parish of St Luke, Chelsea | Church of England
Chelsea Old Church | Church of England
All Saints Church, Chelsea | Church of England
Copyright: Depositor
Source of Acquisition:
  • Records deposited on the 25 March 1954; with further material deposited in 1961, 1963, 1964, 1994 and 2008.
  • AC/54/027
  • AC/61/036
  • AC/63/032
  • AC/64/064
  • AC/64/071
  • ACC/3320
  • B08/196
  • B13/087
Access Restrictions: These records are available for public inspection, although records containing personal information are subject to access restrictions under the UK Data Protection Act, 2018
Physical Condition: Fit
Arrangement: P74/LUK/001-160: Poor Relief and Civil Parish Functions; P74/LUK/161-289: Parish Registers.
Finding Aid Note: Please see LONDON GENERATIONS sequence for lists