England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Coulsdon St John the Evangelist

The Parish

he parish of Coulsdon lies in northeastern Surrey not too far from its border with neighbouring Kent. Coulsdon is located about 5 miles southwest of the town of Croydon on the northern edge of the North Downs. Modern day Coulsdon is a growing London suburb situated on the A23 (London to Brighton) road but Old Coulsdon, the settlement for this transcript, is about about a mile southeast of that place on the B2030 road which connects through to Caterham. At the time of this transcript Coulsdon would have largely been a farming settlement distinct from surrounding towns with an economy largely based on sheep grazing the chalky North Downs, nowadays London has spread inexorably southwards and the area has become prime commuter country. A station at the modern Coulsdon (on the London to Brighton railway line) led largely to the growth of that settlement to the relief and possible detriment of the original. Remnants of the preexisting countryside still exist within the parish, notably Coulsdon Common & Farthing Downs but they are largely recreational areas today. AS a chalk-underline area there is little surface drainage, what exists largely disappears beneath the urban fringe of London to the north. Coulsdon is sited at around 160 metres above the sea, the modern settlement being almost half that height and situated in a dry valley followed by the railway line. By Surrey standards Coulsdon parish was of a fairly typical size, it covered about 3,600 acres and would have supported a growing population rising from around 500 to almost 1,000 parishioners over the years. In Domesday Times Coulsdon by held by Chertsey Abbey and could offer 7 ploughs and some woodland.

The Church

St John's church sits at the northern end of Old Coulsdon on the eastern side of a large green bordering Canon's Hill. Pevsner describes the church as being a mixture of 13th and 15th century origins, it follows the standard layout of nave, chancel and western tower augmented with aisles. The main body of the church is largely 13th century and Pevsner points to the lancet windows of the aisles and the arcading in the chancel as evidence for that assertion. The spire-topped tower he dates to the 15th century noting its irregular mixture of stone & flint. He does, however, dislike the modern southern extension in faux Decorated style and added in 1958 describing it as "very dominant". The church is accessed by a paved roadway leading off Canon's Hill, where there is parking for a car or two, and a gateway grants access to the churchyard. The site is extensively dominated by trees and photographic angles are badly restricted as a result.