Camberwell History

CAMBERWELL, a parish in the eastern division of the hundred of Brixton, in the county of Surrey, 3 miles to the S. of St. Paul's, London. The original parish of Camberwell extended over an area of about 4,342 acres, including within its limits the pleasant suburban districts of Dulwich, Herne Hill, and Peckham, with a considerable extent of open country. This place is mentioned in Domesday Book as Cambrewell, and a church appears to have existed here before that survey was made.

The Grand Surrey canal, which joins the Thames opposite Shadwell, terminates near Camberwell-road; and the South-Eastern railway touches the southern extremity of the parish. As one of the most pleasant suburbs of the metropolis, Camberwell contains many seats of the gentry and residences of wealthy merchants and citizens. The streets are lighted with gas, and the inhabitants are supplied with water by the South London company.

The parish constitutes a Poor-law Union by itself. Camberwell is one of the polling places for the eastern division of the county.

The living is a vicarage* in the diocese of Winchester, of the value with the perpetual curacy of Forest Hill, of £1,820, lately in the patronage of the Rev. J. Williams. The church is dedicated to St. Giles. It is a spacious and handsome edifice in the form of a cross, in the perpendicular style of architecture, with a tower and lofty spire, and was erected about 1844 from designs by Scott and Moffatt. It stands on the site of the old church, which contained several interesting monuments and brasses, but was burnt down in 1841. There are nine other churches of modern date. The living of St. George's is a curacy, value £500, in the patronage of Sir W. B. Smyth, Bart. The church, built about 1824, stands near the canal, and is of the Doric order of architecture, with a portico of six columns at the west front.

The curacy of Camden church is of the annual value of £900, and that of Emmanuel church of £300, both in the gift of trustees. Christ Church, situated in the Old Kent-road; St. Mary Magdalene, Peckham; and St. Paul's, Herne Hill, are also perpetual curacies, the first two of the value of £300 each, in the patronage of trustees; and the last, value £500, in the gift of W. Stone, Esq. In addition to these churches, which have their several districts, schools, and ecclesiastical establishments as distinct parishes, there are three other places of worship belonging to the Established Church, Viz. Peckham Proprietary chapel, East Dulwich chapel, and Dulwich College chapel. This last forms part of the munificent endowment called "God's Gift College, in Dulwich," which was endowed by E. Alleyn, the celebrated actor, in 1619. Adjoining it are the college and masters' apartments, and a gallery containing a fine collection of portraits and pictures, chiefly of noted actors, poets, and literary celebrities, recently thrown open to the public through the generosity of the trustees. In the charter chest of the college are preserved the diary and account book of Philip Henslowe, one of the most valuable documents extant in illustration of the drama and stage in the time of Queen Elizabeth. Here too are preserved the Shakspeare documents, recently of such thrilling interest in connection with the Collier question. The chapels belonging to the Independents, Baptists, Wesleyan Methodists, and other Dissenters are numerous, and several of them handsome structures.

Here are a grammar school, founded and endowed by Edward Wilson in 1618, a green-coat school, and several other endowed schools. The Surrey literary institution is in Union-row. The parish contains almshouses for 60 aged persons, and the Union poorhouse. The charitable endowments for the relief of the poor, consisting of bequests by Sir Edmund Bowyer, Abigail Bowles, and Harriet Smith, and the produce of the poor's land, amount to nearly £300 per annum. There area savings-bank and police stations.

Among the interesting spots in Camberwell, are the house in which Sir Christopher Wren lived, situated in Camberwell-road; St. Thomas' Watering, where pilgrims used to rest on their way to the shrine of St. Thomas-a-Becket, at Canterbury; Oak of Honour Hill, where Queen Elizabeth is said to have once dined under an oak; the curious old manor-house at Denmark Hill, with its fine hall and painted apartments; Grove Hill, formerly the seat of the eminent physician, Dr. Lettsom; near which is the site of the old house in which lived the uncle of George Barnwell, the murderer, and hero of a once celebrated tragedy. The spring from which Camberwell derived its name is near Grove Hill, and in many places the ancient Ermine Street may be traced.

Camberwell cemetery is on high ground near Oak of Honour Hill. It has two chapels, and is pleasantly laid out. The seat of Sir J. Key, Bart., is on Denmark Hill; and that of Lady de Crespigny at Champion Hill. A pleasure fair is held annually in August on Camberwell Green.

[Description(s) from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868)
Transcribed by Colin Hinson ©2003] These pages are intended for personal use only, so please respect the conditions of use.