"Foster" is a corruption of "St. Vedast" to whom a church on the east side of the road is dedicated. Another church on Foster Lane - dedicated to St. Leonard - was destroyed in the Great Fire of London and not rebuilt. This church was connected with the Liberty of St. Martin's Le Grand to the east.
Goldsmiths' Hall, the livery hall of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths, one of the Twelve Great Livery Companies of the City is situated on the northeast corner. Like much of this area it suffered damage during the Second World War. Although being relatively short in length, Foster Lane is also the location of several bars and restaurants and a small lane (Carey Lane) off it halfway that runs eastward to Gutter Lane.
This church originally belonged to the College of St Martin-le-Grand. It was founded in the 13th century by the dean and canons of St. Martin's, to serve the inhabitants of the precinct, who had previously worshipped at the altar of St Leonard in the collegiate church. The building, which was small, stood in the courtyard of the collegiate church, on the west side of Foster Lane.
There is a record of a new window being installed in the chancel in 1533. In 1579, the existing graveyard, being too small was leased out, and a new one laid out on an area of the precinct previously known as the "Dean's Garden" leased by the churchwarden and parishioners for a term of 61 years. The building was repaired and enlarged in 1631, at a cost of more than £500.
Saint-Léonard (English St. Leonard) is a borough (arrondissement) of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Formerly a separate city, it was amalgamated into the city of Montreal in 2002. The former city was originally called St-Léonard de Port Maurice after Leonard of Port Maurice.
History
The parish of Saint-Léonard-de-Port-Maurice was founded in April 1886 and eventually became the City of Saint-Léonard-de-Port-Maurice on March 5, 1915.
Italian-Canadian presence
The borough has one of the highest concentrations of Italian-Canadians in the city, along with Riviere-des-Prairies (RDP). As such, it has surpassed Montreal's rapidly gentrifying Little Italy as the centre for Italian culture in the city, with numerous cultural institutions and commercial enterprises serving the city's second-most populous cultural community. By necessity, many services are available in Italian, English and French (the Leonardo da Vinci Centre, for instance, offers cultural activities and events in the three languages). The borough is characterized by its spacious, wide-set semi-detached brick duplexes (and triplexes, four-plexes, and five-plexes— an architectural style unique to Montreal), backyard vegetable gardens, Italian bars (cafés), and pastry shops serving Italian-Canadian staples such as cannoli, sfogliatelle, lobster tails, and zeppole. At some times of year, it is possible to observe seasonal Italian traditions like the making of wine, cheese, sausage, and tomato sauce in quantity. These activities bring extended families and neighbours together and often spill out into front driveways.
Leonard of Noblac (or of Limoges orde Noblet (Latin:Leonardus; also known as Lienard, Linhart, Leonhard, Léonard, Leonardo, Annard)) (died 559 AD), is a Frankish saint closely associated with the town and abbey of Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat, in Haute-Vienne, in the Limousin (region) of France.
Traditional biography
According to the romance that accrued to his name, recorded in an 11th-century vita, Leonard was a Frankish noble in the court of Clovis I, founder of the Merovingian dynasty. He was converted to Christianity along with the king, at Christmas 496, by Saint Remigius, Bishop of Reims. Leonard asked Clovis to grant him personally the right to liberate prisoners whom he would find worthy of it, at any time.
Leonard secured the release of a number of prisoners, for whom he has become a patron saint, then, declining the offer of a bishopric— a prerogative of Merovingian nobles— he entered the monastery at Micy near Orléans, under the direction of Saint Mesmin and Saint Lie. Then, according to his legend, Leonard became a hermit in the forest of Limousin, where he gathered a number of followers. Through his prayers the queen of the Franks was safely delivered of a male child, and in recompense Leonard was given royal lands at Noblac, 21km (13mi) from Limoges. It is likely that the toponym was derived from the Latin family name Nobilius and the common Celtic element -ac, simply denoting a place. There he founded the abbey of Noblac, around which a village grew, named in his honour Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat.
