How important a body the Chapter of St. Paul’s really was may be inferred from the remarkable fact stated by Serjeant Pulling in his work on The Order of the Coif that among the canons in the reign of Henry III. were as many as ten of the Judges at Westminster Hall.
The early history of the parishes of London is one of great difficulty and complexity. Although some of the parishes must be of great antiquity, we have little authentic information respecting them before the Conquest. The dedications of many of the churches indicate their great age, but the constant fires in London not only destroyed the buildings but also the records within the buildings. The original churches appear to have been very small, as may be judged from their number. It is not easy, however, to understand how it was that when the parishes were first formed so small an area was attached to each. Mr. Loftie is of opinion that there is no proof that London was divided into more than three or four parishes until the time of Alfred, or, indeed, till much later.[370]
