History of St Mary's
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- History of St Mary’s
St Mary’s is Grade II* listed, with significant amounts of building fabric from the 14th and 15th centuries in its structure. The church is home to a number of interesting artefacts, including a Roman lead coffin, stone fragments from the Norman church, tombs for the Carew family, and a William Morris organ screen (c. 1869).
The first evidence of a church on this site comes from 1086, when it was recorded in the Domesday Book. This first church may have been founded by either Azor the Saxon, a prominent landowner who held Beddington from Edward the Confessor, or Robert de Watteville who gained the manor at some point after the Norman conquest in 1066. There is also suggestion that a church could have been at this location since at least the 10th century.
There has been activity in this location since the Roman period. Two Roman coffins were unearthed to the south of St Mary’s between 1870 – 1930. These may have belonged to members of a nearby Roman villa, remains of which were found on a sewage farm on the north side of the Wandle River in 1871.
In 1359 Nicholas Carew bought the manor next to St Mary’s Church from Richard de Willoughby (his father-in-law). The Carew family were a wealthy and well-connected family who supported and extended the church, adding the Carew chapel in the 15th century. Members of the Carew family were significant figures in Tudor England. For example, Nicholas Carew (1496 – 1539) was a relative of Anne Boleyn and a trusted courtier and friend of King Henry VIII (until his downfall and execution in 1539). His granddaughter Elizabeth (Bess) Throckmorton (1565 – 1647) was a courtier of Elizabeth I. She secretly married Sir Walter Raleigh in 1591 without permission from the queen. Following her husband’s execution in 1618, she wrote to her brother asking for Walter’s body to be buried at their church in Beddington, but there is no physical evidence that his body was ever moved here. He is believed to be buried at St Margaret’s Church next to Westminster Abbey.
During the Victorian period, St Mary’s was heavily restored and redecorated. These restorations can be divided into two periods:
- 1850–2: when major restoration works were undertaken by Joseph Clarke for the Rev. Hamilton. These restorations included the addition of the outer north aisle – known as the St Nicholas chapel. Simple pews made from oak were added to this new chapel. During these restorations, remains of three medieval mural paintings were discovered above the chancel arch. These were destroyed during this rebuild.
- 1868–9: Canon Bridges commissioned further church restorations. These included the addition of a number of beautiful stained glass windows, and also a new vestry. During these restorations, the nave was heavily decorated in the Arts and Crafts style with stencilled designs, wall and ceiling paintings. Ornate oak pews were also added to this space. A new organ was added to the chancel, its decorative organ screen having been designed in the workshops of William Morris at Merton. Canon Bridges also commissioned the production of a large and elaborate altarpiece (reredos) depicting the Last Judgement, to fill the western wall of the St Nicholas Chapel and cover up the gap left by a window which was removed when the vestry was added.
On the south wall of the Tower is a memorial plaque to parishioners who died in the First World War. It was designed by H.P. Burke-Downing FSA, dedicated on 10 April 1921. Another plaque, for nineteen who died in the later conflict can be found in the church centre.
During the Second World War, the church’s south and east windows was blown out as a result of nearby bomb explosions. These were gradually replaced throughout the 20th and 21st century. The newest addition being the ‘Hamilton Window’ added in 2014.
I hope you enjoyed this brief history of St Mary’s. The church’s collection will be explored in more detail throughout the site.
Welcome to St Mary's, Beddington
The Anglican Church of the parish of Beddington within the Diocese of Southwark.
Church Road, SM6 7NH
Charity number 1131167
Sunday
Said Mass 8.00 am
Parish Eucharist 9:30 am
Choral Evensong 6:30 pm
Wednesday
Said Mass 10.00 am
Find Us
Address
Church Road
London SM6 7NH