Painting the Clerk's House

The Clerk's House is located at 118½ 1 Shoreditch High Street next to St Leonard's church. The brick house was built in 1735 and consists of two storeys, an attic and basement.

It is the oldest house in Shoreditch and has medieval paneling and a ‘Shakespeare’s door’ which is from the original St Leonard’s Church.

The house is currently let out to shops and small businesses but I like to imagine it being used by the church's clerk and if you look closely at my painting I have placed some books and a quill in the window.

What was the role of a church clerk? Reading the lessons and epistles, singing in the choir, giving out the hymns, leading the responses, serving at the altar, opening the church, ringing the church bells and digging graves if there was no sexton available.

I am happy to let you know that my painting of the Clerk's House will be part of the Summer Exhibition being held at Town House, 5 Fournier Street, Spitalfields, London, E1 from July 13 - September 4 2022.