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When a man is tired of london, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.
-- Samuel Johnson 1777
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The Mediæval London skyline was dominated by church spires. There were 126 parish churches crammed into the "Square Mile" in the 12th century. By the 14th century the number had been reduced to 110. This article, together with the three following articles, provides a brief description and history of each parish church. Where possible the dates of foundation or the date of the first documentary reference are given. The dates of destruction, reconstruction and suppression, where appropriate, are given for each parish church. These articles are the prologue to a more comprehensive coverage of the individual parish churches which will follow later in the year.
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On April 24th 604 died St Mellitus, first Bishop of London, founder of St Paul's and third Archbishop of Canterbury. He was the leader of the second band of missionaries sent to England from Rome in 601 by Pope Gregory. He carried a number of epistles from the pope to Augustine, amongst them the instruction that would determine the manner of Christian evangelising for centuries to come. Mellitus was consecrated the first Bishop of the East Saxons whose capital was London and established the first St Paul's church on Ludgate Hill. A reversion to paganism in 616 saw him expelled from London to Kent from which he travelled to Gaul and Rome. He returned to become Archbishop of Canterbury in 619 but did not in his lifetime witness the restoration of the See of London which lay vacant for thirty eight years.
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Archaeological and documentary evidence suggest that Christianity arrived in Britain before the third century. However, the first mention of a Bishop of London is not until the early fourth century and it is not until the seventh century that the record begins to appear complete. The present Bishop is believed to be the 132nd occupant of the See. This article provides as complete a list as possible with one 119 named bishops, 118 of them in an unbroken sequence from AD 604.
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