Parish of St Lawrence, New Brentford , Church of England

The parish of New Brentford had its origins as a medieval chapelry formed out of the southern end of the parish of Hanwell. Between 1175 and 1179 Ralph de Brito founded St Lawrence's Hospital, New Brentford in honour of the royal family, his lord and his own kin. Beside it he founded St Lawrence's chapel, served by a chaplain and with its own burial ground. All offerings and tithes were reserved to the Rector of Hanwell. De Brito made no provision for appointments, and the chapel was served by the Rector of Hanwell or his nominees. The chaplain enjoyed some tithes by 1721 when New Brentford, already governed by its own vestry, was made a separate ecclesiastical parish. The patronage still remained with the Rector of Hanwell and in 1744 New Brentford became a perpetual curacy or vicarage in the gift of the Rector of Hanwell. In 1961 St Lawrence was amalgamated with St George and St Paul, Old Brentford under the patronage of the Bishop of London.

Source of information: 'Ealing and Brentford: Churches: Brentford', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 7: Acton, Chiswick, Ealing and Brentford, West Twyford, Willesden (1982), pp. 153-157.