The church was established in the district known historically as Poyntzpool (later renamed St Jude's after the church), an area located outside Lawford's Gate. In the early 18th century, the land, then known as the Lamb Ground or Great Wells, was developed by
Nathaniel Wade, who laid out a street grid including Wade Street, Great George Street, and Great Anne Street. Contemporary reports from 1848 described the locality as "one of, if not the most squalid and abominable, quarters of the city," noting that the specific site selected for the church had previously been a common ground used for "ruffianism," gambling, and boxing matches. The area was also historically associated with bull-baiting; the church was built on the site of the former "Bullring," near a thoroughfare colloquially known as "Bull Paunch Lane" (historically Bullpaunch Lane). The press characterized the construction of the church as the conversion of "a den of thieves into a house of prayer," intended to uplift a population of approximately 5,000, very few of whom could afford to contribute to the building costs. The ecclesiastical district of St Jude was consecrated under the Endowments of Populous Parishes Act 1843 (Sir Robert Peel's Act). Efforts to procure a site were initially difficult until Colonel Masters, the Lord of the Manor, donated the Poyntzpool land. The foundation stone was laid on 16 August 1848 by
Archdeacon Thorp. During the ceremony, a brass plate engraved by a Mr. Willett was deposited in a cavity of the stone. The church was struck by lightning on 7 July 1931 during a severe storm, reported to have struck the northern pinnacle of the tower, sending heavy masonry crashing into the road and damaging the roof of the aisle and nearby houses on Lamb Street and Lawford Street. In 1960 the coal-fired heating system was replaced with suspended heating equipment, installed with the help of parishioners. A large five-bedroom Victorian vicarage, located within sight of the church, served the parish until 1960, when it was demolished under a
compulsory purchase order for nearby redevelopment. It was replaced by a four-bedroom house built directly adjoining the east end of the church on a site historically known as The Piggeries. Designed to blend with the church, the new vicarage was constructed using dull red brick. The project was overseen by the long-serving vicar, Father T. A. White. After the redundancy of the church, it sat vacant for many years. It has since been demolished, with the land redeveloped into five student housing units designed by Foundations Architects of
Farnham.
Redundancy and conversion St Jude's was declared redundant in 1986, having not held a service for nearly ten years prior to its sale. Following redundancy, the building faced an uncertain future, and in 1982, proposals were discussed for a local martial arts group to take over the premises. The church was sold at auction in August 1995 for £40,000, but the sale fell through when the buyer failed to complete the payment. It was subsequently re-auctioned in December 1995 and sold for £20,000 to a property developer. By 1999, the interior was reported to be in a poor state, though the pulpit and reredos remained in situ. Between 2004 and 2005, the building was converted into residential apartments. == Architecture and fittings ==