St. Helen's Church: Historic Haven of Merchant Memories

A Church of Two Halves

Founded around 1210, St. Helen's began as a Benedictine nunnery and parish church combined under one roof. This unusual history explains its distinctive double-nave design - one side serving the nuns, the other the public.¹ When you step inside today, this architectural quirk is immediately apparent, giving the interior a uniquely asymmetrical character.

Surviving the Reformation

The church has a significant connection to the English Reformation period. During the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 1530s, St. Helen's Priory was surrendered to the Crown in 1538.² Unlike many religious establishments that were completely demolished, the church portion of St. Helen's was spared and continued as a parish church.

This transition marked an important moment in the building's history. The former nuns' choir became part of the parish church, preserving the distinctive double-nave arrangement that survives today. The church stands as one of the few pre-Reformation churches in London that retains much of its medieval structure, offering visitors a rare glimpse into London's religious past before and after this pivotal period in English history.³

The church has survived London's most devastating disasters - the Great Fire of 1666 passed it by, the Blitz bombs of World War II spared its medieval structure, and even the IRA bombings of the early 1990s, which damaged it significantly, couldn't destroy this resilient sanctuary.⁴ Following extensive restoration, it continues to serve as both an active place of worship and a monument to the city's past.

The Merchants' Memorial Sanctuary

What makes St. Helen's particularly special is its collection of monuments to the merchants who shaped England's commercial destiny. Often dubbed "the Westminster Abbey of the City," the church houses an extraordinary array of memorials to those who built London's trading empire.⁵

Among the most significant are those dedicated to the pioneers of the East India Company, founded in 1600. The Company would eventually grow to rule vast territories, but its beginnings were more humble - a group of merchants seeking trading advantages in distant lands.

Richard Staper (c.1539-1608), whose memorial graces the church, exemplifies these ambitious traders. As one of the initial subscribers and directors of the East India Company, Staper helped establish the trade routes that would transform England's economy.⁶ Before his involvement with the East India Company, he was instrumental in founding the Levant Company in 1581. His memorial stands as testament to the interconnected web of commerce, faith and ambition that drove the early modern city.

The church also houses the memorial of Sir John Crosby, a significant figure in the area's history. Crosby built the magnificent Crosby Hall, which would later become the headquarters of the East India Company in its early days.⁷ Crosby Hall served as the meeting place where many consequential decisions about England's overseas trade were made by the Company's directors, many of whom worshipped at St. Helen's.

Other notable East India Company figures commemorated here include Sir John Spencer, who served as both a director of the Company and Lord Mayor of London, and Sir Andrew Judd, an early supporter of England's overseas trading ventures. Sir Thomas Gresham, founder of the Royal Exchange and financial innovator, is also remembered within these walls.⁸

Walking in Merchants' Footsteps

For those interested in exploring this fascinating chapter of London's history more deeply, the church makes an excellent stopping point on specialised walking tours of the area. One such experience is The Origins of the East India Company Walk, a two-hour immersive journey through the Tudor origins of this powerful corporation.

This walking tour traces the footsteps of the English merchants who established the company in 1600, visiting the sites of buildings that played crucial roles in this commercial revolution. The tour provides context that makes a visit to St. Helen's even more meaningful, connecting the memorials inside the church to the broader story of how a small island nation became a global trading powerhouse.

Visiting Today

St. Helen's remains an active Anglican church with regular services, but visitors are welcome to explore its historic interior. Located just off Bishopsgate near Liverpool Street Station, it's easily accessible yet often peaceful compared to busier City landmarks.

As you walk among the memorials to merchants, aldermen, and explorers, you're treading the same stones as those who dared to imagine global trade networks centuries ago. Their ambitions - for better and worse - shaped not just London but the world beyond, and St. Helen's Church stands as perhaps the finest repository of their memory in the City.

In an area dominated by gleaming skyscrapers housing today's financial giants, St. Helen's offers a quiet reminder that London's commercial pre-eminence has deep historic roots - i.e. roots that these merchant adventurers, now immortalised in stone, helped to establish over 400 years ago.

Discover More

Book Hidden Tudors Tour's Origins of the East India Company walking tour to experience the full story behind these remarkable monuments.

References

¹ "St Helen's Bishopsgate." Historic England. List Entry Number: 1180873.

² Knowles, David & Hadcock, R. Neville. (1971). "Medieval Religious Houses: England and Wales." Longman.

³ Schofield, John. (1994). "Medieval London Houses." Yale University Press.

⁴ Bradley, Simon & Pevsner, Nikolaus. (1997). "London 1: The City of London." Yale University Press.

⁵ Stow, John. (1598, revised 1603). "A Survey of London." Reprinted by Oxford University Press, 1908.

⁶ Brenner, Robert. (2003). "Merchants and Revolution: Commercial Change, Political Conflict, and London's Overseas Traders, 1550-1653." Verso.

⁷ Robins, Nick. (2006). "The Corporation That Changed the World: How the East India Company Shaped the Modern Multinational." Pluto Press.

⁸ Keay, John. (1991). "The Honourable Company: A History of the English East India Company." HarperCollins.