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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
National
Caroline Davies

Trafalgar Square’s St Martin-in-the-Fields gives up secrets of its stones

Stone inscription references William Fatt and date 1780, partly obscured by cafe table, with legs of somebody sitting there
Engraved memorial stones set into the floor and walls of the crypt and cafe yield glimpses into long-forgotten lives of ordinary Londoners, such as William Fatt. Photograph: Ash Knotek/Shutterstock

From a family of chimney sweeps including one of Britain’s two earliest documented Black voters, to the mystery of a 19-year-old youth believed enslaved, St Martin-in-the-Fields church on Trafalgar Square still has secrets to share as it marks its 300th anniversary.

Standing at the heart of London’s political and cultural life for three centuries, its ranks of engraved memorial stones set into the floor and walls of the crypt and cafe are yielding glimpses into long-forgotten lives of ordinary Londoners.

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