Catalogue description SAINT GEORGE THE MARTYR: BOROUGH HIGH STREET, SOUTHWARK

This record is held by London Metropolitan Archives: City of London

Details of P92/GEO
Reference: P92/GEO
Title: SAINT GEORGE THE MARTYR: BOROUGH HIGH STREET, SOUTHWARK
Description:

Parish registers & other administrative records.

 

COVERING DATES OF REGISTERS DEPOSITED

 

March 1602 - July 1953 Baptisms

 

March 1602 - April 1953 Marriages

 

March 1602 - August 1868 Burials

 

REGISTERS OF MARRIAGES

 

For marriage registers 1602 - 1754 see P92/GEO/139-144. Marriages continued to be entered in the registers of baptisms and burials in an abbreviated form from 1754 to 1820 (ref. P92/GEO/144-147). Although these abbreviated entries omit signatures, they occasionally include details not given in the Hardwick marriage registers listed P92/GEO/171-225

 

PARISH CLERK'S FEE BOOKS

 

These list in chronological order fees received for a variety of services, including baptisms, marriages, banns, burials, searching the registers and issuing certificates. For the parish clerk's fee books for 1777 - 1788 and 1830 - 1835 see P92/GE0/373-374.

 

P92/GEO/349-35/:

 

ENTRANCE TO AIR RAID SHELTER 1940 - 1960

 

See also P92/GEO/293/62-86, P92/GEO/297/1-3, P92/GEO/302 and P92/GEO/320. The entrance in St George's churchyard gave access to a deep air raid shelter in a disused section of underground railway tunnel.

Date: 1602 - 1990
Arrangement:

REPAIR OF WAR DAMAGE AND RESTORATION OF CHURCH 1940 - 1954

 

Except for the faculties P92/GEO/298/1-10, the records listed below were deposited as one parcel of papers. They were found to be arranged roughly by subject and have been listed accordingly as separate groups.

Related material:

Additional material relating to this parish eq Settlement Certificates etc see list Q/SHR

 

REGISTERS OF BAPTISMS

 

These registers include date of birth. A series of parish clerks' rough note books giving details of baptisms 1778 - 1837, 1840 - 1844, and 1849 - 1860 have been deposited in the Guildhall Library (Ms 3327).

 

REGISTERS OF BANNS OF MARRIAGE

 

Registers of banns of marriage 1707/8 - 1713, 1752 - 1772 and 1786 - 1790 have been deposited in the Guildhall Library (Ms 3328). A transcript of these registers for 1707/8 - 1713 and 1752 - 1754 is available on the open shelves in the Catalogue Room. For registers of banns of marriage 1790 - 1959 see P92/GEO/104-128, and for 1959 to 1967 see P92/MAA/46/1.

 

RECTOR'S FEE BOOKS

 

These list baptisms, marriages, burials and workhouse baptisms giving the fees received for each. For Rector's fee book for 1777 - 1783 see P92/GE0/372.

 

CHURCHWARDENS

 

Churchwardens' accounts 1609 - 1860 and churchwardens' minutes 1845 - 1893 are in the care of Southwark Local Studies Library.

 

CHURCH FABRIC

 

The minutes of the Committee for Beautifying the Church 1742, specifications, contracts and other records relating to the repair of the church in 1805, and the Clock Committee minutes 1837 - 1838 are held by Southwark Local Studies Library.

 

The documents P92/GEO/325-348 form an original bundle. Minutes and other records of the Churchyard Trustees 1816 - 1863 are in the care of Southwark Local Studies Library.

 

ST GEORGE'S SCHOOL

 

Most of the records of the schools are in the care of the National Society for Promoting Education.

 

WORKHOUSE FOR INFANT POOR, LEWISHAM

 

For the minute books of St George the Martyr Board of Guardians see So.B.G. 1-23. For records relating to poor relief 1698 - 1842, particularly to settlement and removal, see P92/GEO/21-102, P92/GEO/131-138 and Q/SHR/15-89. Other records including overseers' accounts 1635 - 1837 and workhouse minutes 1729 - 1832 are in the care of Southwark Local Studies Library.

Held by: London Metropolitan Archives: City of London, not available at The National Archives
Copies held at:

INDEXES AVAILABLE ON MICROFILMS

 

July 1754 - May 1839 Marriages

 

TRANSCRIPTS AVAILABLE ON MICROFILMS

 

March 1602 - July 1754 Marriages

Language: English
Physical description: 382 Files
Access conditions:

Some files are only available on microfilm. Please check access.

Immediate source of acquisition:

P92/GEO/1-103:

 

Records of St. George the Martyr, Southwark, found in builder's rubble in the entrance lobby of the Church in April 1951 and deposited in the London County Record Office, County Hall, Westminster Bridge, S.E.I 11 April 1960 (Ac. 51.10)

 

P92/GEO/104-128 = Ac. 64.50 P92/GEO/129, 130 = Ac. 65.29 & Ac. 65.59.

 

P92/GEO/139-371 = Acc. 2638. P92/GEO/372-375 = Acc. 2654, 2687, 2704. P92/GEO/376-382 = Acc. 2748, 2815

 

P92/GEO/131-138:

 

Further records of St George the Martyr, Southwark, transferred from the records of Southwark Board of Guardians, held in the Greater London Record Office and catalogued July 1988

Custodial history:

The parish records of St George the Martyr have been somewhat dispersed. Extensive records relating to the civil administration of the parish were inherited by Southwark Metropolitan Borough Council and are now in the care of Southwark Local Studies Library. These include Vestry minutes 1716 - 1900, churchwardens' accounts 1609 - 1860, churchwardens' minutes 1845 - 1893, overseers of the poor accounts 1635 - 1837 and workhouse minutes 1729 - 1832. Other records relating to the administration of the poor law passed to St George the Martyr Board of Guardians set up in 1836. These records, mostly settlement examinations and orders of removal 1812 - 1826, came eventually into the care of the Greater London Record Office and have been catalogued as P92/GEO/131-138.

 

Most of the parish records remaining at St George's Church have now been deposited in the Greater London Record Office. The first group of records to be deposited, documents mainly relating to poor relief, were rescued from builders' rubble in the entrance lobby of the church in 1951 during restoration work (P92/GEO/1-103). The banns books for 1790-1959 were deposited in 1964 (P92/GEO/104-128). The major part of the records including the parish registers were deposited in December 1988.

 

Other records at some stage seem to have found their way into private hands. These include rough registers of baptisms 1778 - 1860 and banns books 1710 - 1790 now in the Guildhall Library (MS 3327-3328). Some records were acquired by the late George F.T. Sherwood of Brockley. These were later purchased by the Genealogical Society of the Church of Jesus Christ and Latter Day Saints. They microfilmed the documents before giving them to the Greater London Record Office in 1967. These have been catalogued as Q/SHR/1-95 and consist of settlement certificates and miscellaneous documents 1698 - 1850. One group of burial accounts were returned by the Genealogical Society to St George's Church. They have now been deposited here (ref. P92/GEO/261/1-128).

Administrative / biographical background:

The present church of St George the Martyr is largely 18th Century. It was built in 1734 - 1736 with the help of a grant of £6,000 from the Commissioners for Building 50 New Churches to replace the medieval parish church on the same site. The architect was John Price. Some alterations were carried out in the 19th Century, notably the removal of coffins from the crypt in 1899, and in 1897 the design by Basil Champneys of a flat plaster ceiling with cherubs for the nave.

 

Major restoration work was found to be necessary in the 1930s. Vibration from the underground railway and increasing road traffic combined with inadequate foundations caused the south wall of the church to settle and to develop cracks. This was repaired in 1939 as part of a programme of restoration work brought to a halt by the outbreak of war. Serious damage from enemy action necessitated a major restoration of the church in 1951 - 1952. While St George's church was closed, services were held at St Michael's church, Lant Street. Further restoration work took place in the early 1960s.

 

St George's Churchyard was situated on the north side of the church. It was extended in 1817 by trustees appointed under an Act of Parliament for enlarging St George's Churchyard (56 Geo III). Minutes and other records of the Churchyard Trustees 1816 - 1863 are in the care of Southwark Local Studies Library. The churchyard was closed in the 1850s and laid out as a garden in 1882. In 1905 the London County Council acquired part of the churchyard in order to construct a new road between Tabard Street and Borough High Street. They added other land to the former churchyard in compensation and reopened the restored garden in 1906 (see LCC/CL/CER/3/5(69)).

 

St George the Martyr had acquired an additional burial ground in 1711. This was situated in Kent Street near the Lock Hospital and next to St Saviour's and St Olave's Girls' School. It was extended in 1744 and, after its closure, was laid out as a public garden by the vestry in 1887 (see DROP/101).

 

During the course of the 19th Century six new parishes for ecclesiastical purposes were created within the ancient parish of St George the Martyr. In the south-eastern portion of the parish, St Mary Magdalene, Massinger Street was formed in 1843 and St Stephen, Manciple Street in 1850. In the western and south western areas, St Jude, St George's Road was assigned a parish in 1850, followed by St Paul, Westminster Bridge Road in 1858, St Michael and All Angels, Lant Street in 1867 and St Alphege, Lancaster Street in 1872.

 

Post war pastoral reorganisation has seen the disappearance of most of these parishes. St Michael's was reunited with St George the Martyr in 1953, St Michael's Church becoming St George's Church Halls. Most of St Stephen's parish was united with St George the Martyr in 1964. St Paul amalgamated with St Jude. St Jude's Church closed in 1976 and the congregation now worship at St George's Church.

 

For further information see The Survey of London Vol. XXV St George's Fields and St George the Martyr Church, Southwark: A short history by John Pinder (reference P92/GEO/369).

 

P92/GEO/334-344: LONG LANE IMPROVEMENT

 

Church Street and White Street were renamed Long Lane.

 

P92/GEO/352-357:

 

CHURCH HALLS, LANT STREET

 

Between 1956 and 1958 the redundant church of St Michael, Lant Street and its adjoining church halls were converted and a new kitchen constructed to provide church halls for St George the Martyr. The papers listed below were deposited as one bundle, roughly grouped according to subject. They have been weeded and rearranged more strictly according to subject and date. For treatment of dry rot in church halls 1960 - 1962 see P92/GEO/319/1-27, 105.

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