St Matthias Old Church
| St. Matthias Old Church | |
|---|---|
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| Location | Poplar High Street, Poplar, London |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Robert Shirley William Milford Teulon |
Coordinates: 51°30′34″N 0°0′58″W / 51.50944°N 0.01611°W
St Matthias Old Church is the modern name given to the Poplar Chapel built by the East India Company in 1654, in Poplar, one of the "Tower Hamlets" in the East End of London. The church is designated a Grade II* listed building.
St Matthias Old Church is one of the very few extant churches built under the Commonwealth (others include those at Berwick-on-Tweed, Staunton Harold, Ninekirks and Brougham.)
In 1627 the East India Company (EIC) purchased a house in Poplar High Street to be used as a hospital for disabled seamen. In 1618 a corrupt jeweller, Hugh Greete, had been sent back from India for stealing stones. He died in prison in 1619, and directed that a school or hospital be founded from his estate. The Company had set up a shipyard in Blackwall in 1614, so neighbouring Poplar was the obvious choice for location. In 1633 the inhabitants of Poplar and Blackwall - largely employees of the EIC - requested that a chapel be built there as St Dunstan's, Stepney was too far away for them. When Gilbert Dethick, the Lord of the Manor of Poplar, died in 1639 he left a further £100 towards the building of the chapel, on the condition that work started within three years of his death.
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