Parish of St Saviour, Southwark , Church of England Cathedral Church of Saint Saviour and Saint Mary Overy

Parish of St Saviour, Southwark , Church of England Cathedral Church of Saint Saviour and Saint Mary Overy

The history of the corporation of wardens of Saint Saviour begins in 1541 when the parish of Saint Saviour was formed by the union of the parishes of Saint Margaret and Saint Mary Magdalene.

The records of the corporation are older, however, since the wardens inherited the records, as well as the lands, of the Guild of the Assumption of Saint Margaret's Church, dating from 1444 (see P92/SAV/1-34). This Guild was incorporated by letters patent in 1449 and gave the parishioners licence to elect 2 or 3 wardens: the wardens of Saint Margaret's were subsequently incorporated (Act of Pt. 23 Hen. VIII) for the purpose of enlarging the churchyard. Saint Margaret's Church stood in Borough High Street at Saint Margaret's Hill and served the Northern part of Southwark, in 1541 its use as a parish church was abandoned. Saint Mary Magdalene was built by Peter des Roches, Bishop of Winchester, in the 13th century. It stood against the wall of the priory of Saint Mary Overy at the foot of London Bridge. On the dissolution of the priory the parishes of Saint Margaret and Saint Mary Magdalene were united, and the priory church became the parish church of Saint Saviour. It remained so until 1897 when it became a pro-cathedral, and in 1905 it was constituted the cathedral church of the Southwark Diocese. Since 1937 it has been known as the Cathedral Church of Saint Saviour and Saint Mary Overy.

The Wardens' ecclesiastical duties were transferred to the Rector's and People's Wardens by the 1899 London Government Act, but they still exist as a corporate body and retain control of the many parish charities. These are administered by the court of wardens as a whole though the old titles are retained, viz.
(1) the warden of the great account (who administered the funds for the upkeep of the fabric,)
(2) the bell warden,
(3) the warden of the general poor or renter warden (who administered funds not appropriated by the College warden)
(4) the College warden,
(5) Spratt, Young and Jackson's warden who dealt with those respective charity funds, and
(6) the Newcomen warden who administered the charity of Elizabeth Newcomen.
The office of Spratt, Young and Jackson's Warden was abolished by the 1883 Church Rate Abolition Act and a Rector's warden was appointed for the first time in 1884.