Beddington History

BEDDINGTON, a parish in the second division of the hundred of Wallington, in the county of Surrey, 2 miles to the W. of Croydon, its post town, and 1 from the Carshalton station, on the Croydon and Epsom railway. Beddington is also a station on the Wimbledon branch of the London, Brighton and South Coast railway. It is pleasantly situated on the river Wandle, which turns several mills, and contains the hamlet of Wallington, which has given name to the hundred. A Roman road crosses the parish, which is mentioned in Domesday Book as Beddintone.

The living is a rectory* in the diocese of Winchester, of the value of £1,212, and in the patronage of the Rev. Alexander Bridges, M.A., of Beddington House. The present rector is the Rev. W. Marsh, D.D., Hon. canon of Worcester Cathedral.

The church, dedicated to St. Mary, was built in the reign of Richard II. It is a handsome structure of flint, in the perpendicular style of architecture, with a good tower, and has several stained windows, recently inserted. It contains a very ancient font, and four monumental brasses of the Carew family,-to whom the manor belonged. One of these brasses bears the date of 1432. There are parochial schools for boys and girls, presented by the late rector, the Rev. J. Hamilton, who also built a handsome rectory-house in the Gothic style of architecture, and added a new north wing to the church. At Beddington Corner, a large hamlet of this parish, a school of tasteful Gothic architecture was erected as a memorial to the Rev. J. B. Ferrers, formerly rector of the parish for more than fifty years.

Beddington Park is the seat of the Carews. The mansion was partly rebuilt in 1709, the old hall, with its open timber roof, remaining. At this seat Queen Elizabeth was entertained in August, 1599, by Sir Francis Carew; and again in the following year. Here were grown the first orange trees in England, raised from pips brought ever by Sir Walter Raleigh, who resided some time in this parish with his brother-in-law, Sir Francis Carew. The property has almost entirely passed out of the hands of the Carew family, since 1860. The family mansion, however, remains in its original state. The Wandle is a well-known trout stream.

[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.