St Leonard C of E Church

Story

St Leonard's, Shoreditch is the ancient parish church of Shoreditch, often known simply as Shoreditch Church. It is located at the intersection of Shoreditch High Street with Hackney Road, within the London Borough of Hackney. The current building dates from about 1740. The church is mentioned in the line "When I grow rich, say the bells of Shoreditch" from the nursery rhyme Oranges and Lemons and is noted as being the resting place of many actors from the Tudor period.OriginsThe original church is possibly Saxon in origin, though the first historical reference to it occurs in the 12th century.The church was situated near The Theatre, England's first purpose-built playhouse, built in Shoreditch in 1576, and the nearly contemporary Curtain Theatre (built in 1577). Several members of the theatrical profession from the Elizabethan period are buried in the church, including: James Burbage, the founder of The Theatre, England's first playhouse.His son Richard, who was the leading man in many of Shakespeare's plays, which were first performed in the contemporary Shoreditch theatres.The comedian Richard Tarlton, who was a stalwart of the pre-Shakespearian stage.The actor Gabriel Spenser, who was killed by Ben Jonson in a duel. These, with others of their profession from the period, are commemorated by a large classical memorial erected by the London Shakespeare League in 1913, inside the church, which serves as a reminder of Shoreditch's Shakespearian heritage.