(St.) Dunstan in the East

   On the west side of St. Dunstan's Hill at No. 2 (P.O. Directory). In Tower Ward.

   Earliest mention found in records : 1271-2 (Ct. H.W. I. 11).

   Other designations : "St. Dunstan towards the Tower" (ib.). "St. Dunstan by the Tower," 15 Ed. I. (Anc. Deeds, A. 1708). "Sancti Dunstani," apud Turrim, 31 Ed. I. (Lib. Cust. I. 229). "St. Dunstan 'Est'" (Ct. H.W. I. 111), 1293-4. "S. Dunstan near Fanchurch," 1365 (ib. ii. 88).

   Rebuilt 1633 (Dodsley, 1761). Chapel of Holy Trinity in the church (Strype, ed. 1720 I. ii. 43).

   Burnt in the Fire and rebuilt (Strype, ed. 1720, I. ii. 53).

   Tower and spire by Wren 1667-9.

   Almost the whole of the side walls were preserved until the rebuilding of the church 1816. One window had geometrical tracery of about 1260. Present east window said to have been copied from old one (St. Paul's Ecci. Soc. II. 16).

   Rebuilt 1817. Architect, S. Laing.

   Living. A Rectory. One of the thirteen peculiars belonging to the Archbishop of Canterbury. Patron : Archbishop of Canterbury. Formerly : Prior of Christ Church, Canterbury (Strype, ed. 1720, I. ii. 53).

   Dedicated to St. Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury, 959-988, and designated "in the east" to distinguish it from St. Dunstan's in the west, Fleet Street (S. 136). In old days, as shown above, it was more commonly designated "apud," "versus," or "juxta" Turrim, on account of its situation near the Tower.