Christian History in London
Southwark Cathedral
If you have south London ancestors, you may have come across baptism or marriage records for them from the busy parish of Southwark St Saviour. This parish church became Southwark Cathedral in 1905. It stands at the oldest crossing point of the River Thames. For hundreds of years, this was the only entrance to the City of London from south of the river. Even today, it is an exciting place to cross the river (across London Bridge), with magnificent views on both sides.
The church was renamed St Saviour after Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539. Prior to this, the building had been dedicated to St Mary since the 12th century. Known as St Mary Overie (“over the river”), the church was the resting place of notable people of the Middle Ages, such as John Gower (1330–1408), official poet to Kings Richard II and Henry IV, and a friend of fellow writer, Geoffrey Chaucer (c1343–1400).
In 1588, Alderman Hugh Offley gave the church its official Parish Chest. Known as the…
