St Dunstan & All Saints C Of E Church

This is the church of «Stepney» in the Oranges and Lemons nursery rhyme:
«Oranges and lemons» say the Bells of St. Clement’s
«You owe me five farthings» say the Bells of St. Martin’s
«When will you pay me?» say the Bells of Old Bailey
«When I grow rich» say the Bells of Shoreditch
«When will that be?» say the Bells of Stepney
«I do not know» say the Great Bells of Bow
«Here comes a Candle to light you to Bed
Here comes a Chopper to Chop off your Head
Chip chop chip chop — the Last Man’s Dead.»
A plaque outside tells a little of its history. The church is surrounded by a churchyard of nearly seven acres. In the 17^th century the churchyard was enlarged to cope with the massive number of deaths during the Great Plague of London.
The church has a long traditional link with the sea and many sailors were buried here. It was once known as the ‘Church of the High Seas’, and until quite recently births, marriages and deaths at sea were registered here.