England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Camberwell St George

The Parish

The parish of Camberwell lies in the extreme northeast of the county of Surrey, indeed it forms a short stretch of the border with neighbouring Kent. Camberwell lies now deep within the urban area of the capital whereas once it would have been a distinct separate town. Camberwell is sited around 3 miles south of the city of London and sits astride the A202 road which connects Westminster with Greenwich. During the time covered by this transcript Camberwell grew from a town of around 7,000 to almost four times that population. Maps of 1744 show Camberwell as a large village separated from the lesser villages of Peckham and Dulwich by open fields. Development followed the main roads from the capital, in 1815 when Camberwell New Road was constructed it still passed through fields. Between 1820 and 1830 Camberwell grew beyond recognition and today it is contiguous with the greater metropolitan urban area of London. Following the building boom most surface drainage went underground to the Thames which lies only a couple of miles away to the north. Camberwell is sited at under 10 metres above the sea but the southern portions of the parish rise to over 30 metres as one moves away from the immediate vicinity of the Thames valley. Camberwell St George parish was created in the 1820s as the first of many sub-parishes to accommodate the growing population, it covered the extreme north of the wider St Giles parish bordering Newington, its population was not separately enumerated from its parent parish. In Domesday times Camberwell was a sleepy rural spot, held by one Haimo the Sheriff it could offer just 8 ploughs plus small meadows & woodland.

The Church

St George's church has been decommissioned since 1970 and is a sad sight today having been gutted by fire and vandalism. The former church stands on the corner of Wells Way & St George's Way facing the delightful urban park of Burgess Park. The church was built between 1822 & 1824 and features a giant Greek-style portico with Doric columns and a two-stage western tower. Despite the late date of completion there was time for additional embellishment as in 1893 an apse was added and the choir was raised in height. It is very sad, indeed to see such splendour brought so low. Like most urban churches this is one to visit on foot as local streets have no parking and there is a station not too far away to walk.