Oranges and lemons: bells and churches, with a moral to the story
- London On The Ground
- Jul 5
- 6 min read
Which are the six London churches mentioned in the nursery rhyme and what is its message?
Oranges and Lemons makes references to the bells of London churches, although a number of versions exist and its origins and meaning are hazy.
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In the most commonly sung version today, the popular nursery rhyme mentions the bells of six London churches. Four of these are (most likely) in the City of London, although there are alternative claims from two other churches outside the City. Other versions of the song include a greater number of churches, but I will focus on the most common version for this post.
The first published Oranges and Lemons was printed in 1744, but there is an earlier reference to a dance of the same name in 1657. Moreover, it is thought likely that its origins may be even older than that.
Theories about its meaning are unpleasant, including that it describes Henry VIII’s marital challenges; child sacrifice; public executions; or a young maiden’s loss of virginity.
Here is a reminder of the words in the most common version sung today.
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,
And here comes a chopper to chop off your head.
To me, it reads like a conversation between someone who has helped themselves to some fruit and the seller of the fruit.
Perhaps the first character is expecting credit, or perhaps hoping to get away without paying. The second character - the shopkeeper or stallholder - is insisting on payment of five farthings for the fruit (a farthing was a quarter of a penny), but seems open to the possibility that this might be in the future.
The final two lines appear to spell out the grim punitive consequences of non-payment.
St Clement Eastcheap
“Oranges and lemons, say the bells of St Clement's.”
This refers to the import of citrus fruits from the wharves in the City of London, which were close to St Clement Eastcheap. ‘Eastcheap’ is the nearby street, where there were markets and shops.
The church’s origins are lost in the mists of time. It is dedicated to Clement, a follower of St Peter the Apostle and a first century Bishop of Rome.
There was likely a Saxon church on this site, while the first definitive reference is in the 13th century. The medieval church was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666 and replaced with a new church designed by Sir Christopher Wren.
Tucked away in St Clement’s Lane off King William Street and one of Wren’s lesser known churches, it is partly used as offices today.
The bells of another London church, St Clement Danes, on the Strand (and also designed by Wren), regularly play the tune of Oranges and Lemons. This stakes the church’s claim to being the St Clement’s of the nursery rhyme in a very forceful manner.
However, I lean towards St Clement Eastcheap having the more credible claim, because it is in the City of London and closer to where fruit was imported from the docks.
St Martin Orgar
“You owe me five farthings, say the bells of St Martin’s.” This probably refers to the money lenders who worked in this area of the City of London.
All that remains of St Martin Orgar today is a mid 19th century red brick tower on Martin Lane, off Cannon Street. It is not really a church, as it was built as a rectory for the nearby St Clement Eastcheap.
Most of the medieval church on the site was destroyed in the Great Fire, although its tower survived, and the parish was merged with St Clement Eastcheap. What remained of the church was restored and used by French Protestants until 1820.
There is a small garden just to the south of the current tower, which features astroturf (yes, really), where the original churchyard once stood.
Another claimant to being the St Martin’s of the nursery rhyme is St Martin-in-the-Fields, next to Trafalgar Square. Although it is better known than St Martin Orgar, I favour the City church for the same reason that I favour St Clement Eastcheap.
St Sepulchre without Newgate
“When will you pay me? Say the bells of Old Bailey.”
This refers to the church closest to the Old Bailey, a courthouse, and the former prison next door, both of which used to deal with debtors (among others).
St Sepulchre without Newgate stands at the corner of Holborn Viaduct and Giltspur Street, diagonally opposite the Old Bailey (officially the Central Criminal Court of England Wales). Today the courthouse is where Newgate Prison stood for seven centuries until the early 1900s.
The bells of St Sepulchre used to ring out on the mornings when prisoners from the prison were taken to be executed. Moreover, a hand bell (which is on display in the church) used to be rung outside the cells of the condemned at midnight before executions.
The church is first mentioned in 1137. The medieval church was damaged in the Great Fire and rebuilt by its parishioners, without waiting for Wren.
St Leonard Shoreditch
“When I grow rich, say the bells of Shoreditch.”
This may be an ironic comment from a time when Shoreditch was a very poor area.
St Leonard Shoreditch is the first of two churches in the nursery rhyme that are not in the City of London.
The current church of St Leonard was built in 1740 to designs by George Dance the Elder (who also designed Mansion House, the Lord Mayor’s residence in the City of London). There was likely a Saxon church on the site, but the first reference is in the 12th century.
In the 16th century the parish included the earliest theatres used by William Shakespeare (see also my post Shakespeare in Shoreditch: a statue and The Stage).
The crypt, which remains intact under the 18th century rebuilt church, was the burial location for James and Richard Burbage. James was the founder of The Theatre and leader of the Chamberlain’s Men, while his son Richard was one of the greatest actors of his age and the first man to play many leading Shakespearean roles.
St Dunstan’s Stepney
“When will that be? Say the bells of Stepney.”
The church at Stepney has strong historic links to seamen and this line could refer to sailors’ wives awaiting the return of their husbands, or the pleas of sailors and dockworkers to be paid.
The church of St Dunstan, also outside the City of London, is sometimes said to have been founded by St Dunstan himself. Records of the church certainly go back to 1029, although it has undergone a number of rebuilds.
Dunstan was a 10th century bishop who is, among other things, patron saint of bell ringers, so this seems appropriate (see also my post St Dunstan and 1,050 years of the Coronation Ceremony).
The church was known as the ‘Church of the High Seas’, since the registration of births at sea was carried out at St Dunstan’s under the responsibility of the Bishop of London.
St Mary-le-Bow
“I do not know, says the great bell of Bow.”
This may refer to the bell which rang the 9pm curfew in the City from the 15th to the 18th centuries.
The bells of St Mary-le-Bow on Cheapside, also known as Bow Bells, have another great claim to fame (for an explanation of the meaning of Cheapside, and other City street names, please see my post City of London Street names: a dozen of the best).
By tradition, only those born within earshot of Bow Bells can call themselves a true Cockney. This originally meant a true Londoner, but evolved to refer mainly to those from the East End.
The first church on the site was built in the reign of William the Conqueror in the 11th century. As with so many City churches, it was destroyed by the Great Fire of 1666 and the current church dates from 1670-80. It features one of Wren’s most celebrated steeples, topped by a 9ft copper dragon weathervane.
For me, the themes of Oranges and Lemons are London’s history of commerce, poverty, crime and punishment, given voice and rhythm by the ancient art of campanology (bell-ringing), a tradition that remains very much alive in many of London’s churches today.
For more London churches and the sound of their bells, including the 'bells of Old Bailey' (St Sepulchre) and the 'great bells of Bow' (St Mary-le-Bow), please take a look at this video I made during the City of London Festival of Bells in July 2021:
Walks available for booking
For a schedule of forthcoming London On The Ground guided walks and tours, please click here.
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