1686 - 1940
Worship has been offered to God on the site of St Anne's since the original Church was consecrated by Bishop Henry Compton in 1686.
When Soho was fashionable in the eighteenth century, Frederick, Prince of Wales (who lived in Leicester Field’s) ‘discovered an inclination’, to come to this Church and had his pew here.
After society moved away, the old Church remained the focus of identity for the cosmopolitan population of craftsmen, musicians, painters and writers who moved here, together with religious and political refugees, from all over Europe.
In 1699 St. Anne's founded its Parish School for boys where education was provided free of charge. The School opened its doors to girls in 1704, a cause of some friction since we read in the minutes of 30th August 1704, "Ord: that ye girls (for ye future) do wash ye boys school and that ye boys to fetch ye water".
From the time of its consecration St. Anne's was well known for its "singing boys", and the quality of the music.
Dr. Croft, the first organist, wrote while here the tune "St. Anne", used for the hymn “O God our help in ages past",' and started a strong music tradition.
Sir Joseph Barnby, (organist 1871-1888), introduced performances of Bach's Passion Music, (St. John), which was sung annually until the Second World War.
In 1886 the choir was summoned to Windsor Castle to sing Spohr's, "Last Judgement", before Queen Victoria and on one occasion it sang at Buckingham Palace for Queen Alexandra.
Sir Joseph Barnby, (organist 1871-1888), introduced performances of Bach's Passion Music, (St. John), which was sung annually until the Second World War.
In 1886 the choir was summoned to Windsor Castle to sing Spohr's, "Last Judgement", before Queen Victoria and on one occasion it sang at Buckingham Palace for Queen Alexandra.
Later the excellence of the choir led to its participation in the 1920's in the first religious services ever broadcast on the wireless.
By the nineteenth century Soho had become crowded and poor and the Church became noted for its commitment to reform social abuses. A succession of remarkable Rectors campaigned against sweated labour and for improved working and housing conditions for Soho residents irrespective of religion or race.
On the evening of the 24th September 1940 the Church received a direct hit from a bomb during the height of the London blitz. The body of the Church was completely burned out and only the tower and walls remained.
The destruction of the Church, and the war, when many of the residents were evacuated, broke up parish life.
Worship continued at St. Thomas's Regent Street and in a Chapel on the ground floor of the Tower (all that remained of the Church).