The New Murrey and Blue blog

If there is a Westminster, it follows there has to be an Eastminster. Right? Well, one moment it seems the answer is yes, the next it’s a definite no-no.

I happened to go to this article which is very explanatory about Eastminster. Concerning Westminster, the site points out that “The Abbey’s own website suggests it was called Westminster to ‘distinguish itself from St. Paul’s Cathedral (the east minster)’ – an assertion previously made by Jonathan Carver, an 18th century explorer who even said that ‘East-Minster’ was the previous name of St Paul’s.” Well, that seems certain enough, doesn’t it? Er, no, it’s all a porky.

The Londonist site quotes a lady called Judy Pulley, who is a Blue Badge London Walks guide who has led tours around St. Paul’s for two decades. She says that to her knowledge St Paul’s was never known as the ‘East-Minster’.

So where does that leave us? Is/was there ever an Eastminster? Well, it seems yes, but it doesn’t seem to have had anything to do with Westminster. If you go to British History online you’ll read as follows:

“….EASTMINSTER, NEW ABBEY, OR THE ABBEY OF ST. MARY DE GRACIIS

“….In 1350 King Edward III founded in the parish of St. Botolph without Aldgate a monastery to be called St. Mary of Graces in honour of the Virgin, to whose mediation he attributed his escape from many perils by land and sea….”

This puts Eastminster squarely on the opposite side of London from Westminster!

Then I came upon this book the blurb of which backs up British History Online by describing St Mary Graces as being “established in 1350 by Edward III [at East Smithfield] on the site of a Black Death burial ground.”

East Smithfield? The book’s blurb makes no mention of Eastminster, although without reading it cover to cover I can’t say if the mystery is mentioned within the pages.

Good old Wiki is more precise and puts Eastminster on Tower Hill, East Smithfield.

So Wiki says yes, there was an Eastminster. No, it had nothing to do with Westminster or St Paul’s. Of course, I don’t know if this is one of those times when Wiki is spot-on…or way off the mark.