Parish of St Mary the Virgin, Stanwell , Church of England

The parish of Stanwell was situated in the west of Middlesex. It is bordered by Staines, the River Colne, East Bedfont and Hounslow Heath. In 1930 the parish was 3,934 acres in size. The first endowment of a church in Stanwell was probably in 1204. By around 1250 the rectory of Stanwell had become a sinecure, and by 1254 there was a vicarage. In 1415 the advowson was given to Chertsey Abbey. This was surrendered to the Crown in 1537 and the advowson has remained the property of the Crown since then, although it was often leased out. The oldest parts of the church of Saint Mary date to the 13th century, while further additions date to the 14th century and restorations were carried out in 1863. The graveyard was mentioned in 1337 but was closed for burials in 1895. The church ran missions in Hithermoor Road and West Bedfont.

Source of information: 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. 33-49. Available online.