The mother church of the parish Bethnal Green, St Matthews has had one of the more troubled histories in the London Diocese.

Originally conceived in 1690, financial trouble meant that the church was only completed in 1743 (by Act of Parliament no less) and was barely in operation a 100 years before a fire gutted it in 1859. Another lengthy rebuilding session led to the church being reopened in 1861, only for it to be hit by a German bomb during the Blitz less than a 100 years later.

Needless to say, the current church has been in operation since it's third rebuild in 1961.