Bermondsey has had a place of worship for over 1000 years.
There has been a church on the site of St Mary’s since at least 1290. The church once formed part of Bermondsey Abbey which was founded in the 8th century. While the oldest part of the present building is the tower, parts of which belonged to the original church, most of the building dates from around 1690, while parts of the interior, including the pews and the organ, date from the second half of the 19th century.
Origins and the Abbey
It is believed that the name Bermondsey originates from the Saxon name “Beormund’s Eye”, meaning Beormund’s island. Although it may be hard to believe now, the area was low-lying marsh with tidal streams, and the islet was a narrow stretch of higher ground, on which a monastery was built, in the 8th century. This is known by the existence of a letter from Pope Constantine to Hedda, Abbot of Bermondsey between AD 708 and 715.
Churchyard memorials
The churchyard was closed for burials in 1854 for public health reasons, in common with other London churchyards. It contains a number of listed monuments, mostly tombs. It is now in the care of Southwark Council, title having been passed to the Vestry of Bermondsey in 1882. All the older church registers are held by the London Metropolitan Archives.
Other churches
The parish incorporates the parishes of three other former parish churches: St Olave’s Tooley Street, St John’s Horselydown and St Luke’s Grange Road.
Previous Rectors
You can find a list of the previous rectors of St Mary Magdalen Bermondsey here.
Family history research
If you are seeking family history records older than 1968, these are held at the London Metropolitan Archives. The London Metropolitan Archives are always happy to help researchers who are working on their family trees and have questions about parish registers, or other records which may help with their research. The Public Services team can be contacted on 020 7332 3820, or by email to asklma@londonmetarchives.libanswers.com, or via the contact form on the website at Enquiry service - City of London.
London Metropolitan Archives
40 Northampton Road
London EC1R 0HB
Tel: 020 7332 3879
www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/lma