Genealogy Chat

I have my GGFx3 will 1853 when he was licensee of the Rose and Crown Tavern in Wimbledon High Street. In it he requests to be buried in 'the parish church of Wimbledon where the remains of my mother and father are interred'. No name of the church, no names for the parents. Ive googled but there are LOTS of churches in Wimbledon. Anyone with local knowledge please?

Thanks Ann, there are about a dozen listed for Wimbledon, so I have now emailed the Southwarks diocese to ask them which one would have been known as the Parish Church in 1851. Thanks for your interest. Just got a mail from the diocese - erm, not too helpful, just lists all the churches I already know are in Wimbledon. I have looked at the websites for each one and the favourite is Emmanuel at the moment, as its just round the corner from the High Street where they had their Inn. Ive mailed them.

Hi Heather If Genuki doesn't give info, what till I get home this evening and I'll look in the index of parish registers. That gives the date each parish was created and out of which former parish.

Hi Brenda, just had a very bland reply from the Diocese -'St Mary's is the Parish Church of the ancient ecclestical Parish of Wimbledon'. And thats it, thanks diocese! (So you guessed right, Anne! Thank you!) But a point to start from, eh?

I just googled for Wimbledon history and it may be another clue - tis family legend that this lot of Taylors made a lot of dosh selling land 'in Surrey' to the railway company. There is quite a lot on there about the building of the railway at Wimbledon in 1838. May find that fortune yet, Brenda.

Heather were you intending to go grave hunting because it looks a little neglected to me............... http://www.wimbledonvisitor*com/gallery.html

Zoe, thanks for that. Why on earth havent they looked after it. The church is still in use. Those lovely iron gates hanging off - wonder they havent been nicked and sold, isnt it. I was thinking it could be a nice outing actually. As the 'Inn' he had in the village high street is dead posh and huge. Thought it would be worth a few freebies if I went in and told them my ancestors had had the place 2 hundred years ago. Ive copied a pic to add to the familytreemaker of the church, thank you.

Hi Heather Was it you I was telling about a book entitled 'The Calm Before the Storm'? It's about Wimbledon before the railways and I've Googled to distraction, but only get tennis sites. I cannot remember who published it and when, but it has lots of names in it. (If all else fails, East Surrey FHS should have a copy in their library, which someone could look through for you.)

Rats. That's why I couldn't find it: http://www.wimbledonmuseum*org*uk/pub_list.htm The LULL before the Storm

Thanks Brenda, Im still awaiting confirmation of my membership application to E Surrey FHS - you didnt blackball me, did you! I will check out that site, after Ive cleared Peters bedroom of a 4 ft layer of dirty and clean clothes - 'helped' by Ralph.

if you're not local and you want someone to go visit the pub (oh - and the graveyard of course) for you I'm more than happy to go up on a weekend will only be prepared to do the graveyard during daylight hours tho

Oh bless you Zoe. Ive just contacted that society Brenda has noted and asked them if I can buy any publications about the pub etc. Please dont worry - I couldnt trouble you. I shall add it to my list of things to do when the last boy is finally off hand! No, looks pretty spooky doesnt it - perhaps it has a prettier side! Id definitely take little three legged friend Ralph terrier with me I think and whistle loudly as I walked around. Have you seen the pub - its beautiful - shame the old b***** didnt leave that down the line to me - think how much that must be worth now. Its interesting I was reading about the history of the 'village' and when he and his ancestors lived there around 1800 there were only 2,500 people in Wimbledon. How lovely - must be what 10 times that now at least?

seriously - it's about ten minutes by both train and car for me to get there - or if you get no luck with the FHS I can raise myself early on a saturday and check out the library to see what history books they have there too Zoe

Heather, A couple of people have beaten me - I was going to tell you about the Wimbledon Society Museum. The address is:- 22, Ridgway, Wimbledon, S.W.19. 4QN. Tele.no. 0208 296 9914. If you Google for St.Mary's Wimbledon, you'll probably come up with more than one. THE St.Mary's, is (not surprisingly) in St. Mary's Road, Wimbledon. If you've ever watched the Tennis on T.V., you will have seen the church spire in the background. The church is not very far from the Rose & Crown. The pub was extended about a year ago and is now classed as an hotel. Anyone who knows Wimbledon will know St. Mary's and The Rose & Crown. They're both Landmarks. Incidentally, the Rose & Crown is a 'Young's' pub - the Brewery is in Wandsworth, they may/or may not have records. Good luck, M. Steer

Zoe, thats incredibly kind of you. I shall wait to see what the local history society can offer me in the way of records etc. and if not, perhaps get you to rip your legs to bits on the brambles at St Marys. Margaret, thank you also. Ive never been to Wimbledon in my life. I should imagine it is a lovely place. And old GGFx3 had that Rose and Crown in 1840'ish-1853 eh? His wife took over then but by 1861 she is still there but seems to have let off the brewing and retailing business to two other people. Guess it got a bit much for a widow to run. Its interesting that Thomas Stephen Taylor's son, my GGFx2 Thomas, was actually born in Wandsworth (re the Youngs brewery!) If only you could have the lease on that now, eh! I did contact Youngs a couple of months back - their archives dept but not received a reply from them.

Heather, Not sure when licensed premise applications came in, but I recently had to search for one of my lot. The records might tell you more about the man who frittered away your inheritance! The County Records Offices hold 'em - dunno where the one for Wimbledon might be .... Regs Jane PS: Bet he sold the pub for a fiver which was loads of dosh back then ... so don't hold your breath for that pot of gold!!

Many thanks, I did apply for the licenses but the office told me that all the records from 1826-1872 had been destroyed (sods law eh). But no, he had dosh a plenty - even left his mate the pork butcher £100 for 'his trouble'. What would £100 be now - probably £10k?