St Martin Outwich
St Martin Outwich was a parish church in the City of London, located at the corner of Threadneedle Street and Bishopsgate. It dated back to medieval times, was rebuilt at the end of the 18th century, and was demolished in 1874.
The church that stood in the 14th century was funded by the Oteswich family, from whom its name comes. It survived the Great Fire of 1666 but later fell into decay and was badly damaged by a 1765 fire that destroyed about fifty houses.
The medieval building had a nave and south aisle with a western tower. The church’s patronage passed from the earls of Surrey to the Outeswich family, and later to the Merchant Taylors’ Company.
In 1796 Parliament allowed the parish to borrow money to rebuild. The Merchant Taylors’ Company gave £500, and the City Corporation and the South Sea Company each gave £200, toward a total cost of £5,256. The first stone was laid on 4 May 1796, and the new church, designed by Samuel Pepys Cockerell, was consecrated in November 1798. An organ by George Pike England was installed in 1805.
Cockerell’s church had an oval plan with a chancel formed as a recess at the east end. The walls featured pilasters and a coved ceiling, pierced by four semi-circular windows; a fifth window above the altar held stained glass with coats of arms from the medieval church. Monuments from the old church, including one to John Outeswich and his wife, were kept. There was a fresco of the Ascension by John Francis Rigaud above the altar, which deteriorated within ten years.
Initially, the pulpit was at the west end and the pews faced away from the altar. It was moved to the west end in 1827 during repairs by Charles Barry. The east front facing Bishopsgate was heavily rusticated and described as looking like a gaol; the north side toward Threadneedle Street was plain.
The church was demolished in 1874, and its parish was joined to St Helen’s, Bishopsgate. Eighteen monuments were moved to St Helen’s, and the bell was given to St Andrew’s, Fulham. A churchyard on Camomile Street had been given to the church in 1540 and survives today as a garden in the courtyard of an office block.
Proceeds from the sale helped fund Holy Trinity Church, Dalston, designed by Ewan Christian and built in 1878–79.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 08:09 (CET).