Great St. Helens

   East out of Bishopsgate, at No. 38, to Crosby Square and St. Mary Axe (P.O. Directory). In Bishopsgate Ward Within, and Lime Street Ward.

   First mention: "Great St. Helen's Close" (S. ed. 1633, p. 181). "Great St. Hellens" (O. and M. 1677).

   The portion from Crosby Square east to St. Mary Axe was called "Crosby Street" (q.v.).

   It occupies part of the site of the Close, etc., of the Priory of St. Helens (q.v.), hence the name.

   Several of the old houses are described by Rev. T. Hugo in his itinerary of the ward of Bishopsgate in 1857, notably Nos. 2, 4, 8 and 9, 11 and 12 (L. and M. Arch. Soc. Trans. I. p. 169).