|
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''〔(The Centre of Attention at Shoreditch Church'' ) accessed 06/01/08〕 and is noted as being the resting place of many actors from the Tudor period. ==Origins== The original church is possibly Saxon in origin, though the first historical reference to it occurs in the 12th century.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).〔(''The Bells of Shoreditch'' ) accessed 06/01/08〕 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. In 1774, the Shoreditch Vestry levied a special poor rate for the purpose of setting up a workhouse for the parish of St Leonard's which highlights the level of poverty in the area.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「St Leonard's, Shoreditch」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|