The Church of the Ascension, Hanger Hill was consecrated in July 1939, replacing an iron church which had been in use from circa 1937. A conventional district, served by the London Diocesan Home Mission, existed until the formation of the parish in 1948. In 1988 the parish was united with Saint Mary, West Twyford.
The parish of Little Stanmore dates back before 1200. The church of St Lawrence, otherwise known as St Lawrence Whitchurch, was first recorded as having been appropriated by St Bartholomew's Priory. The church was acquired by the Lake family of Little Stanmore in 1552. They built up the fortunes of the parish as trustees, setting up a charitable foundation in 1680 and building almshouses and a free school. By the eighteenth century the church had been inherited by the Duke of Chandos who appointed John James to rebuild it between 1714-1720. It is said that Handel played the church organ at the height of his career, while staying with the Duke nearby. Notable ministers of the church include John Theophilus Desaguliers, a Huguenot refugee who preferred natural philosophy to his church duties; he invented the planetarium. The population of the parish grew considerably during the 1920's and 30s with the coming of the underground railway to Stanmore. A separate parish (All Saints, Queensbury) was constituted from the southern part of Little Stanmore in 1932, following boundary changes.
Source: 'Little Stanmore: Church', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 5: Hendon, Kingsbury, Great Stanmore, Little Stanmore, Edmonton Enfield, Monken Hadley, South Mimms, Tottenham (1976), pp. 122-124 (available online).
The parish of Christ Church was formed in 1867 from St Mary's Willesden; its patron and first rector being Dr Charles Williams. The Church, a limestone building in thirteenth century style, was designed by C.R.B. King and constructed between 1866-1909. It had a High Church reputation. The Church was damaged by bombs in 1940 and not reopened until 1948. During this period, services were held at Mapesbury Hall and St. Gabriel's, Cricklewood. In 1971, the parish was united with Saint Laurence, Brondesbury. In 1990 Christ Church was substantially remodelled; much of the building was converted to flats, with a reduced church remaining in operation.
The church of Saint Mark, Lower Boston Road, Hanwell, was constructed in 1879 in a Decorated style and was initially used as a chapel of ease to the parishes of Saint Mary and Saint Mellitus. The church was assigned its own parish in 1919 with the Bishop of London as patron.
From: A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 3: Shepperton, Staines, Stanwell, Sunbury, Teddington, Heston and Isleworth, Twickenham, Cowley, Cranford, West Drayton, Greenford, Hanwell, Harefield and Harlington (1962), pp. 230-233.
Teddington began as a chapelry of Staines, under the jurisdiction of the priest at Staines. It gained independence as a parish by the end of the Middle Ages, when patronage was transferred to the manor. The church of Saint Mary was a medieval construction, however, later repairs and rebuilding has meant that no part of the present building dates from before the 16th century. In 1889 the church was closed for services and Saint Albans became the parish church. Repairs were carried out and the church reopened for occasional use in 1898.
From: A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 3: Shepperton, Staines, Stanwell, Sunbury, Teddington, Heston and Isleworth, Twickenham, Cowley, Cranford, West Drayton, Greenford, Hanwell, Harefield and Harlington (1962), pp. 76-79.
The church of Saint Mary on Fore Street, Edmonton, was constructed in 1884. A parish had been assigned in 1883. The vicar of Edmonton, Robert S Gregory, gave £3,000 to the cost of construction. The church was demolished in 1957 and a small chapel opened in the vicarage. However, the vicarage was then demolished so a new building, Saint Mary's Church Centre, was constructed in 1970, containing a small church, meeting hall and accommodation for Sisters of the Community of St. Mary the Virgin.
From: A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 5: Hendon, Kingsbury, Great Stanmore, Little Stanmore, Edmonton Enfield, Monken Hadley, South Mimms, Tottenham (1976), pp. 181-187.
The church of Saint Luke, Mayfield Road, Hornsey, originated in an iron mission church established by the London Diocesan Home Mission in 1898. A permanent church was constructed between 1903 and 1908, designed by J. E. K. and J. P. Cutts. A vicarage was added in 1910. The parish was taken from those of Christ Church, Holy Trinity and Holy Innocents in 1903: it covered only 123 acres but was densely populated. The patron is the Bishop of London.
From: A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 6: Friern Barnet, Finchley, Hornsey with Highgate (1980), pp. 172-182.
The church of Saint Barnabas was constructed between 1940 and 1954, delayed because of the Second World War. A parish was assigned in 1954, formed from the north-east area of Saint Mary's parish, Northolt, and part of the Greenford parish of Holy Cross. The patron of the living is the Bishop of London.
From: A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 4: Harmondsworth, Hayes, Norwood with Southall, Hillingdon with Uxbridge, Ickenham, Northolt, Perivale, Ruislip, Edgware, Harrow with Pinner (1971), pp. 119-121.
Saint John's Mission Church, Brook Road, was dedicated in 1898. It was founded and is run by Saint Michael's, Wood Green.
The church of Saint Stephen began as an iron building in 1867. A district was assigned in 1876 from the parish of Christ Church. A permanent building was constructed between 1875 and 1880. The building was repaired in 1951 and 1953 and modernised in 1966, but was declared unsafe and closed in 1978-79. Services were held in the hall until a new church building was opened in 1987 in Saint Stephen's Road.
From: A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 7: Acton, Chiswick, Ealing and Brentford, West Twyford, Willesden (1982), pp. 150-153.
Ashford was part of the parish of Staines until the 19th century. A mission chapel was founded towards the end of that century to serve the expanding population. A permanent church was consecrated in 1928.
The church of Saint Matthew was founded as a chapel of ease in 1858. A parish was assigned in 1874 from the southern portion of Hillingdon parish. The 1858 building was converted into a Lady chapel when the church was enlarged in 1898. The vicar of Saint John the Baptist, Hillingdon, is patron.
From: A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 4: Harmondsworth, Hayes, Norwood with Southall, Hillingdon with Uxbridge, Ickenham, Northolt, Perivale, Ruislip, Edgware, Harrow with Pinner (1971), pp. 87-91.
The church of Saint Michael and All Angels originated in an iron church established on Chiswick Lane in 1876. Between 1879 and 1909 a permanent brick church was constructed on Bath Road. A district was assigned in 1879, taken from the parishes of All Saints, South Acton, and Saint George, Old Brentford.
From: 'Chiswick: Churches', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 7: Acton, Chiswick, Ealing and Brentford, West Twyford, Willesden (1982), pp. 90-93.
Holy Trinity, Wealdstone, was constructed in 1882 to serve the expanding population. It was built on land donated by Christ Church, Oxford. The parish was assigned in 1881 out of the parishes of Harrow, Harrow Weald, and Pinner. Holy Trinity is now one of two churches in the parish of Trinity St Michael. Its sister church is St Michael and All Angels.
From: A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 4: Harmondsworth, Hayes, Norwood with Southall, Hillingdon with Uxbridge, Ickenham, Northolt, Perivale, Ruislip, Edgware, Harrow with Pinner (1971), pp. 257-260.
Christ Church was opened in 1937 as a second mission church to the parish of St Peter and St Paul, Harlington (DRO/164). It remained in temporary accommodation until 1966 when the Bishop of London dedicated the present building in Waltham Avenue.
In October 1955 the parish of Saint John the Evangelist, Upper Edmonton, merged with the parish of Saint Mary the Virgin, Lower Edmonton to become the parish of Saint John the Evangelist with Saint Mary, Edmonton. The parish church of Saint John became the parish church of the united parish. It is likely that the parish has since become part of Saint Mary Magdalene, Enfield.
The parish of All Souls, Saint Margaret's-on-Thames lies within Hounslow Deanery, which is within the Kensington Area of the Diocese of London. The parish boundaries are described in detail in the Parish Magazine for January 1899 (DRO/169/K/01/001), with further comments in the magazine for January 1959 (DRO/169/K/01/035).
The parish church of All Souls, Saint Margaret's-on-Thames was dedicated on 2 January 1898. It replaced a temporary iron church dedicated to Saint Margaret, which had been used for worship since 6 February 1886.
The parish of Saint Martin was founded in 1907 from parts of the parishes of Saint Mary's, Acton, and Christ Church, Acton and Saint Mary's, Ealing. An iron church was dedicated in 1903, but was replaced in 1906 by a permanent brick church designed by E. Monson. The iron church was used as a hall until 1960 when a new one was constructed.
From: A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 7: Acton, Chiswick, Ealing and Brentford, West Twyford, Willesden (1982), pp. 35-39.
Saint Martin's Church was formed in 1899. It was built as a memorial church to Charles J. Vaughan (died 1897), headmaster of Harrow School and dean of Llandaff. The parish was formed from Saint Mary's, Saint John's, Kensal Green, Hammersmith, and Kensington in 1900. The church building was constructed in 1899, designed by J. E. K. and J. P. Cutts. The church organised a mission in Harrow Road between 1899 and 1908.
From: A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 7: Acton, Chiswick, Ealing and Brentford, West Twyford, Willesden (1982), pp. 236-241.
Saint Peter's, Uxbridge, originated in a mission established by the church of Saint Andrew, High Street, Uxbridge, in 1906.
The church of Saint Mark was founded as a mission of All Soul's Church, Station Road, Harlesden, in 1903. A parish was established in 1915, using an endowment transferred from Saint Olave's in Mile End. An iron church was replaced by a brick building in 1914.
From: A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 7: Acton, Chiswick, Ealing and Brentford, West Twyford, Willesden (1982), pp. 236-241.
Christ Church, Roxeth was built in 1862 and had a capacity of 350 people. The building was designed and built by George Gibert Scott, who would later be knighted. The church consisted of a chancel, nave, transepts, north aisle and a tower with a small spire, a later addition to the church was a south aisle which was added in 1866. The building underwent restoration work between 1953 and 1954, this was carried out by G.H. Jenkins.
Christ Church became a district chapelry in 1863, it was created from the mother parish of Harrow and bordering the new chapelry of St John the Evangelist in Wembley. There was a perpetual curate at the church until 1873 when a vicar was appointed. Between 1963 and 1964 the church was served by a vicar and a curate. The patronage was originally exercised by trustees and in 1963-4 by the Church Patronage Society. During the early 1980's church attendance declined and the parishes of Christ Church and St Peter's amalgamated to become The Parish of Christ Church, Roxeth and St Peter, Harrow.
Source: A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 4: Harmondsworth, Hayes, Norwood with Southall, Hillingdon with Uxbridge, Ickenham, Northolt, Perivale, Ruislip, Edgware, Harrow with Pinner (1971) pp 257-260
The church of Saint Michael and Saint George was built in 1913 to designs by J.S. Adkins. The parish was assigned in 1914, taken from the parish of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, Broad Street.
St Paul's church in Grove Park was built in 1872, largely thanks to the benefaction of William Cavendish, 7th Duke of Devonshire. It was designed by Henry Currey, the Duke's appointed architect. It has been used for Christian worship ever since.
The church of Saint Benet (short for Saint Benedict) Fink in Tottenham was built in 1911 and consecrated in May 1912 by the Bishop of London. It was designed by J.S. Alder in a style reminiscent of Gothic cathedral architecture. The building is currently Grade II listed.
However, the history of St Benet Fink Tottenham goes back much further, as the church is essentially a continuation of St Benet Fink in the City of London (see P69/BEN1). The original St Benet was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666, rebuilt, and eventually demolished by the City of London Corporation in 1846 in order to improve the site around the Royal Exchange. The parish of St Benet Fink was combined with that of St Peter le Poer, and the proceeds of the sale of the site were used to build St Benet Fink Tottenham. After the church of St Peter le Poer was also eventually demolished, St Benet Fink Tottenham received its organ, which is now one of the most important features of the church.
The Diocese of Southwark was formed in 1905 and lies in the Church of England Province of Canterbury. The Diocese has jurisdiction over 317 square miles of London south of the River Thames, formerly in the ancient counties of Kent and Surrey, areas which had been in the Diocese of Rochester and vast Diocese of Winchester.
In 2003 the Diocese was serving a population of 2,358,000 in 302 parishes. It includes:
- parishes in the ancient county of Surrey, forming the Parliamentary Divisions of east and mid Surrey, which had been transferred from the Archdeaconry of Surrey in the Diocese of Winchester, to the Diocese of Rochester in 1878;
- parishes in the ancient county of Kent which had been transferred to the Diocese of London in 1846 and returned back to the Diocese of Rochester in 1867, namely Charlton, Lee, Lewisham, Greenwich, Woolwich, Eltham, Plumstead and Deptford;
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parishes in the former Deanery of Croydon which were peculiars of the Archbishop of Canterbury, namely Barnes, Bunstow, Charlwood, Cheam, East Horsley, Merstham, Mortlake, Newington, Putney and Wimbledon. The peculiars were parishes or places which were formerly exempt from the jurisdiction of the bishop in whose diocese they were physically located, and were answerable directly to the Archbishop of Canterbury. In 1846, Newington, Barnes, Putney, Mortlake and Wimbledon had ceased to be peculiars and became part of the Diocese of London, and in the same year the remaining peculiars of Addington and Croydon were transferred permanently to the Diocese of Canterbury.
In 1927, the Diocese of Guildford was formed from parishes in the ancient county of Surrey remaining in the Archdeaconry of Surrey in the Diocese of Winchester and a few Hampshire parishes. In the late nineteenth century, the cathedral church at Winchester could not respond to the needs of the rapidly increasing populations in South London experiencing poor living and working conditions. Although the area had been transferred to the Diocese of Rochester in 1878, Anthony Thorold, Bishop of Rochester was determined that the religious life of South London would have its own firm identity. As a result, a Suffragan Bishop of Southwark was appointed in 1891 and the ancient parish church of Saint Saviours, Southwark was restored to become the pro-Cathedral in 1897. In 1904 an Act of Parliament created the new Diocese of Southwark and in 1905 the church became Southwark Cathedral (also known as the Cathedral and Collegiate Church of Saint Saviour and Saint Mary Overie).
Edward Stuart Talbot, the 100th Bishop of Rochester, was enthroned as the first Bishop of Southwark. The bishop was faced with the challenge of building up the Church over the South London with a population of nearly two million inhabitants and great social disparities from the prosperous villages of Reigate or Kew and Edwardian suburbs to the appallingly overcrowded tenements of inner London.
In 2003 the mission of the Diocese was:
- to 'pray for the renewing power and love of the Holy Spirit in our worship, work and witness';
- to 'seek the rule of God in our lives, our church, our communities, the life of the earth and the whole of creation';
- to 'Share the Faith - proclaiming the Good News, teaching and nurturing new believers, making disciples and equipping them for service';
- to 'Search for Truth - open to God's Word, exploring God's activity in different contexts and cultures';
- to 'Serve our Neighbour - responding to human need by loving service and by confronting the unjust structures of society';
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and to Follow Jesus - in his suffering love for the salvation of all people.
In 2003, the Diocese of Southwark was divided into three Episcopal Areas each with a Suffragan Bishop and two Archdeacons:
- Croydon Episcopal Area: Bishop of Croydon, Archdeacon of Croydon, Archdeacon of Reigate.
- Kingston Episcopal Area: Bishop of Kingston, Archdeacon of Lambeth, Archdeacon of Wandsworth
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Woolwich Episcopal Area: Bishop of Woolwich, Archdeacon of Lewisham, Archdeacon of Southwark.
The Diocese of Southwark was twinned with three Anglican Dioceses in Zimbabwe (2003).
Bishops of Southwark (1905-2003): 1905 Edward Stuart Talbot 1911 Hubert Murray Burge 1919 Cyril Foster Garbett 1932 Richard Godfrey Parsons 1942 Bertram Fitzgerald Simpson 1959 Arthur Mervyn Stockwood 1980 Ronald Oliver Bowlby 1991 Robert Kerr Williamson 1998 Thomas Frederick Butler.
The diocese of Winchester has existed since the seventh century, when the episcopal seat was transferred to Winchester in 676 from the West Saxon bishopric of Dorchester-on-Thames. During this period it covered the entire West Saxon area but was reduced in size, first in the eighth century, when Dorset, Somerset, Devon and Cornwall were taken to form the diocese of Sherborne, and then again in the tenth century, when the diocese of Ramsbury, later Salisbury, was formed from Wiltshire and Berkshire.
By the tenth century the diocese of Winchester consisted of the counties of Hampshire (including the Isle of Wight) and Surrey. These boundaries remained virtually unchanged until 1877 when the area of south London administered by the diocese of Winchester, now covered by the diocese of Southwark, was added to the diocese of Rochester. The diocese of Southwark was formed in 1905. The greatest change came in 1927 when the new dioceses of Guildford, covering Surrey and some parishes in north east Hampshire, and Portsmouth, taking in south east Hampshire and the Isle of Wight were formed. The present day diocese of Winchester covers parishes in central and west Hampshire. It also includes the Channel Islands which were added to the diocese in 1568.
Up until 1927, the diocese has two archdeaconries, the archdeaconry of Surrey which included most of Surrey and the archdeaconry of Winchester which included Hampshire (and had included the Isle of Wight until 1871 when the archdeaconry of the Isle of Wight was constituted).
G Bedford is a party mentioned in the marriage settlement of 1843.
William Bagshaw was a gentleman and accountant of Coleman Street.
John Bacon (1740-1799) was born in Southwark and apprenticed to a porcelain factory. His skill as a designer and sculptor was recognised and he was encouraged to exhibit with the Society of Arts, and attended the Royal Academy Schools. From designing porcelain for factories including Wedgwood, he became a highly sought after sculptor of monuments and public statues. His work included the monument to Thomas Guy at Guy's Hospital chapel, the monument to William Pitt the Elder at Westminster Abbey, the bust of Dr Johnson in St Paul's Cathedral, and colossal figures at Somerset House. He established a successful studio workshop which produced funerary monuments, garden sculpture and portrait busts for private clients.
Bacon's sons John the younger (1777-1859) and Thomas (b 1773) were apprenticed at their father's studio and then attended the Royal Academy Schools. On Bacon's death John the younger took over the studio, completing his father's commissions and proving just as successful at attracting new civic and imperial commissions. Thomas is recorded as assisting him, but disappears from the documents after 1800. From 1808 John Bacon retired from carrying out public works to focus on architectural and church sculpture. He formed a partnership with Charles Manning (1776-1812) and then his brother Samuel Manning (1788-1842), allowing them to carry on the work of the studio and use the Bacon name.
John Bacon died in 1859. His sons, John and Thomas, were both clergymen who are recorded as trustees of their father's estate (see E/BN/007, 009-010).
Information from Mary Ann Steggles, 'Bacon, John (1740-1799)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2008 and Jason Edwards, 'Bacon, John (1777-1859)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004.
Bovril Limited are now owned by Unilever. The following history is from the Unilever website (accessed Oct 2009): "Way back in 1871, Napoleon ordered a million cans of beef for his hungry army. A Scot, John Lawson Johnston, rose to the challenge with his invention "Johnston's Fluid Beef". This was renamed Bovril back in 1886, and so the beefy drink we know and love was born. 16 years later, on Christmas Day of 1902, and far, far away near the South Pole, Captain Scott and Ernest Shackleton supped on a cup of Bovril after a chilling 4-hour march. By 1909, it wasn't just explorers and soldiers that took strength from Bovril; hundreds and thousands of football supporters up and down the country were gulping down steaming hot cups of Bovril. In fact, by this time, Bovril was so popular with Brits that an electric advertising sign was erected in London's Piccadilly Circus. By 1968, the Bovril empire owned Argentinean beef ranches that totalled the equivalent to half the size of England. Production was also moved from London to its current home in Burton on Trent." (http://www.ubfoods.co.uk/brands/foodbrands/bovril.aspx).
The land comprising Camden Estate is situated to the east of the High Road in what is now known as Camden Town. The western boundary being the High Road from Crowndale Road in the south, continuing northwards up Kentish Town Road as far as Bartholomew Road in the north. The northern boundary continued across until it met Brecknock Road just north of Camden Road. The western limits being York Way as far as Agar Grove, eastwards across Agar Grove to St Pancras Way rejoining Crowndale Road in the South. The land was originally part of the manor of Cantelowes, which was in the possession of the Canons of St Paul as prebendaries. In 1649 the Commonwealth sold the land and Manor house. However, by 1660, during the Restoration the rights of the Dean and Chapter of St Paul's were reinstated together with the original lessees or their representatives.
In 1670 the lease was purchased by John Jeffreys and passed, by the marriage of his granddaughter, Elizabeth, to Charles Pratt, who was born in 1713 and created Baron Camden in July 1765 and Viscount Bayham and Earl Camden in May 1786.
Initially, very little stood on the land other than the 'halfway house,' the Mother Red Cap, and the Manor house. Shortly before his death in October 1794 Earl Camden started to develop the land. Building leases were granted in 1790 for the land in the south of the estate, abutting west onto High Street Camden Town. The building was continued by his son John Jeffreys (Pratt) 2nd Earl of Camden, who was created Marquess of Camden and Earl Brecknock in September 1812. By his death 1840 urbanisation was complete. Earl Camden laid out his buildings along the eastern side of the High Street. They contrasted greatly with those on the western side on Lord Southampton's estate. They were more generous in their proportions. Many of the streets and roads on the remainder of the estate took names which reflected the personal and family connections of the Earl, including Pratt Street, Brecknock Road, Bayham Street and Georgiana and Caroline Street (two of his daughters). His son married Harriet Murray (Murray Street), daughter of the Bishop of Rochester (Rochester Square) and his builder was Augustine Greenland (St Austine's Road and Greenland Street).
William Cotton, a former Governor of the Bank of England, owned a large amount of property in East London, mainly in Limehouse and Mile End. On his death his will (dated 6 Jul 1865) passed the estate to his executors and trustees (of whom his son was one) on condition it was to be further developed and held on trust for members of his family.
In June 1901 the estate was turned into a private company, known as the Bow Common Estate Company, limited by shares. The company remained a family concern however, and all of the shareholders were descendants of William Cotton. From 1921 the estate was sold, and the proceeds invested in trustee securities. These were realised in January 1926 and the Company liquidated, the proceeds of the realisation being distributed amongst the shareholders on a pro rata basis.
Samuel Crawley and John Sambrook Crawley are mentioned in these documents as 'of Beds'. The Crawley family were notable landowners in Bedfordshire, owning several manors there since 1519. A John Crawley was married to Susannah Vanacker Sambrooke of St. George Hanover Square, daughter of Sir Samuel Vanacker Sambrooke, and several pieces of property seem to have passed into the Crawley family through this connection.
The property in Fulham was owned by Sir Brooke Bridges. It came into the Fielding family via his widow Dame Elizabeth Bridges, who married the Honorable Charles Fielding of Goodnestone, Kent.
Robert Gunter, of Earl's Court Lodge, Kensington, was a Captain in the 4th Dragoon Guards.
The title Viscount Gort in the peerage of Ireland was created in 1816 for John Prendergast-Smyth, Baron Kiltarton. Gort is a town in County Galway. The 2nd Viscount Gort was Prendergast-Smyth's nephew Charles Vereker (1768-1842). On Charles' death in 1842 his son John Prendergast Vereker (1790-1865) became the 3rd Viscount. Apart from the Irish property most of the property featured in this collection came to the Gort family through Elizabeth Mary, the 3rd Viscount's wife, as daughter of John Jones and as widow of George Tudor.
Lloyd Kenyon was born in 1732. He entered Middle Temple in 1750 and was called to the bar in February 1756. He worked in the courts of equity and common law, and became a highly respected and well known legal figure, rising to the rank of judge. In 1788 he was made lord chief justice. He was married to his cousin, Mary Kenyon. He died in 1802.
For a more detailed history see Douglas Hay, 'Kenyon, Lloyd, first Baron Kenyon (1732-1802)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Oct 2009.
Two members of the Maxse family are mentioned in these papers. James Maxse (1792-1864) was a wealthy landowner and keen huntsman. His second son Frederick Augustus Maxse (1833-1900) entered the Navy and became a lieutenant in 1852. He served in the Crimean war and was promoted to Rear-Admiral by 1875. He was known as a radical and free-thinker, a vegetarian and tee-totaller, who advocated free secular education and electoral reform. He travelled frequently and was restless, buying and building several houses. His elder son Sir Frederick Ivor Maxse (1862-1958) had a distinguished career in the military, while his younger son Leopold James Maxse (1864-1932) was editor of the National Review.
Source of information: Roger T. Stearn, 'Maxse, Frederick Augustus (1833-1900)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 2006.
The Bonney and Nevinson families were linked by marriage.
These records relate to two separate Manors, those of Clerkenwell and Canonbury which came into the Northampton family through the marriage in 1594 of William Compton, first earl of Northampton, to Elizabeth, daughter and heir of Sir John Spencer, Alderman of London.
Clerkenwell: It is important to note that the Manor of Clerkenwell relates to land which is not in the parish of Clerkenwell. Instead it consisted of 110 acres of land in Holloway, in the parish of St Mary, Islington. It is often known as the Manor of St Mary, Clerkenwell since it was previously in the possession of the Nunnery of St Mary at Clerkenwell. Pinks states that the Manor has been in the Compton family since the Dissolution.
The location of the manorial land is on the West side of Holloway Road at Upper Holloway from the Church of St John the Evangelist, Pemberton Gardens northwards to the Whittington Stone to Gordon Place extending across Maiden Lane, bounded by Barnsbury Manor in the South; the last field in Maiden Lane to the North (a detached part of Barnsbury Manor); by the Manors of St John of Jerusalem and Barnsbury on the West and by Highgate and the Old Great North Road on the East. Courts were occasionally held at the London Spa.
Most of the parish of Clerkenwell was included in the separate Manor of St John of Jerusalem, Clerkenwell.
Canonbury: The Manor of Canonbury was known alternatively as the Manor of Canbury. It was triangular in shape, bounded on the West by Upper Street, on the East by Lower Street (now Essex Road) and on the North by Hopping Lane (now St Paul's Road) and Balls Pond Road. Its chequered history is a diary of patronage in the sixteenth century: originally it had been presented by Ralph de Berners to the Prior and Convent of St Bartholomew, Smithfield in the thirteenth century but after the Dissolution of the Monasteries it was enjoyed briefly and in turn by Thomas Cromwell, Anne of Cleves and John Dudley later the Duke of Northumberland. The Manor was granted in 1557 to Thomas Wentworth, who then sold it to Sir John Spencer in 1570.
Oppenheimer, Nathan and Vandyk were run by Herbert Oppenheimer, Major Harry Louis Nathan and Arthur Vandyk. They were based at 1 Finsbury Square, EC2.
Mercers were dealers in textiles, exporting wool and importing silks, linen and velvet. The Company received its royal charter in 1394. The Company has connections with many schools and makes grants to various educational bodies. The Company Hall is in Ironmonger Lane, built in 1694.
The manor of Stepney, also known as Stebunheath, was recorded in the Domesday Book as owned by the Bishop of London, and was probably part of the lands included in the foundation grant of the see of London circa 604. At this date the manor included Stepney, Hackney, and parts of Shoreditch, Islington, Hornsey and Clerkenwell; although parcels of land were later granted to other institutions and people, such as lands in Clerkenwell given to the priory of St Mary, Clerkenwell, and the Knights Hospitallers.
In 1550 the manors of Stepney and Hackney were surrendered to the King, who granted them to Lord Chamberlain Sir Thomas Wentworth. The manor stayed in the Wentworth family until Thomas, Lord Wentworth, the earl of Cleveland. He incurred large debts and was forced to mortgage the manors. The family eventually lost Hackney manor but retained Stepney until 1695 when it was sold to William Herbert, Lord Montgomery. In 1710 he sold it to Windsor Sandys. By 1754 it belonged to the Colebrooke family who held it until 1939. In 1926 all remaining copyholds were converted into freeholds.
The manor house at Stepney was used as a residence of the bishops of London and the Stepney meadows provided hay for his household's horses. The house later became known as Bishopswood or Bishops Hall, and later Bonner Hall.
Information from: 'Stepney: Manors and Estates', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 11: Stepney, Bethnal Green (1998), pp. 19-52 (available online).
William Pym, a gentleman resident in Clerkenwell and Holborn, is frequently mentioned in these documents.
George Boone Roupell of Great Ormond Street was a Master in Chancery.
The Manor of Denham in Buckinghamshire was purchased by Sir Roger Hill in 1670. It was inherited by his daughter Hester, widow of Henry Probert. When she died in 1742 the manor passed to her younger sister Abigail, widow of Edward Lockey. When Abigail died in 1757 her only child, a daughter, was already dead, so the daughter's husband Lewis Way inherited the manor. The manor subsequently remained in the Way family. They lived at Denham Place.
Information from: 'Parishes: Denham', A History of the County of Buckingham: Volume 3 (1925), pp. 255-261 (available online).
Messrs J. and J. Arnold were druggists [dispensers of medicinal drugs] based at No. 59, Barbican, London.
A footpad was a highwayman who robbed on foot.
James Beal was born in 1829. He was active in social and political reform from the 1850s and became a well-known figure in London radical and municipal reform circles. He frequently appears in The Times, mainly in his role as honorary secretary of the Metropolitan Municipal Association for promoting the better local government of the metropolis. He described himself as "the only man who can claim to be the author of the proposal to establish one representative municipality for all London" (The Times, 1 April 1889). In 1888 Beal was elected to the London County Council for Fulham. He was a prominent member of the Vestry of St James's Westminster.
Beal was also involved in other causes, including the reform of gas and water supply, emancipation and anti-slavery movements, women's education and rights, Jewish rights, industrial relations and reform of City livery companies. He died in 1891 aged 62.
For his obituary see The Times, Friday, Jun 12, 1891; pg. 9; Issue 33349; col F.
The Calvert family had branches in Yorkshire, Kent and London (Fleet Street and Newington). Members of the family were barristers and churchmen.