Killers in the house of God

Laurence Duket raced to the church of St Mary-le-Bow in London on 26 July 1284. Although only a handful of people initially knew why he sought sanctuary there that evening, everyone in London would come to know of Duket’s story when, five days later, his lifeless body was discovered hanging from a beam inside that very church.

Londoners heard how Duket had attacked Ralph Crepyn in the parish of Westcheap, giving him what the court records say was a “nearly deadly wound”. At the time, Duket thought he had killed Crepyn, an alderman and London’s first recorded town clerk. Fearing he would be hanged for committing homicide, Duket immediately headed to the sanctuary of St Mary-le-Bow.

Running to a church for protection after committing a crime was not uncommon. People knew to do it. Sanctuary was recognised as a right granted specifically to criminals as an extension of Christ’s mercy. According to contemporary English law, no one could be forcibly removed from the sanctuary of a church - not even a criminal. And in many places a church’s sanctuary extended beyond the walls of the building and encompassed