Unveiling London’s Forgotten Patron
For those who have spent any time working in the City of London, you might have noticed or wondered about the numerous references to Saint Botolph in street and church names.
There’s St. Botolph Street, St. Botolph Row, Botolph Lane, and Botolph Alley.
Furthermore, there are not one, not two, but three City churches dedicated to this saint: St. Botolph Without Aldersgate, St. Botolph Without Aldgate, and St. Botolph Without Bishopsgate. There was originally a fourth, St. Botolph Billingsgate, but it was destroyed during the Great Fire of 1666 and never rebuilt.
So, who was this long-forgotten saint, and why was he granted such prolific reverence in the City of London? Why were his churches strategically built beside four of the gates in the old London wall?
Well, here is the Story:
The Story of St. Botolph
Botolph was an early 7th Century Saxon monk. After the reintroduction of Christianity to Britain by St Augustine in 595 AD, he played an important role as a missionary, helping to convert the pagan Anglo Saxon Kingdoms to the new faith.
Botolph was given permission by a King of the East Angles to establish a monastery in Icanho, a place mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, which is situated in modern-day Suffolk. Here, along with other monks, he embarked on draining local marshland to turn it into productive farmland.
He was credited to have rid the Suffolk Fens of evil spirits. The Phenomenon of natural marsh gas spontaneously combusting would sometimes produce mysterious, ghostly nocturnal flickering flames. In folklore these flames were mistaken for evil spirits, earning the name of “Will-O’-The-Wisp”.
Botolph died in 680 AD and was buried at his Icanho monastery, which has long since disappeared. However, its location is believed to be in the village of Iken in Suffolk, where a church dedicated to St. Botolph still stands to this day.
The Transfer of Saint Botolph’s Relics
Fast forward to the middle of the 10th Century: with the threat of monastic destruction along the eastern seaboard by the pagan Viking raiders, the decision was taken to exhume Botolph’s remains from Icanho.
His body was divided into parts and transferred as holy relics to various abbeys across the country: the head went to Ely Abbey, the torso went to Thorney Abbey and legend said that the arms and legs were sent to the City of London via Westminster Abbey.
The story goes that these body parts were brought into the City through four of the gates: Aldersgate, Bishopsgate, Aldgate, and Billingsgate. In each location, a church was erected and dedicated to his name.
Saint Botolph soon became a patron saint for travelers and boundaries. At one point, there were estimated to be up to 70 English churches dedicated to him. Many of these churches were strategically located at the entrances to towns and cities.
In the days when traveling beyond the safety of the city walls throughout the country was a risky business, travellers would call in to these churches at the start of their journeys and pray to St. Botolph for safety and protection.
They would also on their way back, stop to give thanks upon their safe return.
The Far-Reaching Influence of Saint Botolph
Saint Botolph’s influence extended beyond London. The market town of Boston in Lincolnshire was originally known as Botolph’s Town.
In the early 17th century, religious Puritans living in this region emigrated to settle in the American colonies, and went on to found Boston, Massachusetts, named after their English hometown. And Boston, like London, also has a street named St. Botolph’s.
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