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England London  Croydon)

Guide to London Borough of Croyden history, family history, and genealogy: parish registers, census records, birth records, marriage records, and death records.



History
Croydon is a large town south east of London, England, 9.5 miles (15.3 km) south of Charing Cross. Croydon has one of the largest commercial districts outside Central London, with an extensive shopping district and night-time economy.

As with most of the other London Boroughs, the Central Government extensively modified town and borough boundaries when the town was amalgamated into Greater London in 1965. From a historic and family history perspective, researchers should be looking at Croydon as a town in the county of Surrey.

Historically part of the hundred of Wallington in the county of Surrey, at the time of the Norman conquest of England Croydon had a church, a mill, and around 365 inhabitants, as recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086. The name of this place in Doomsday, is called Croindone, and is frequently so spelt in records of a later date.

The town of Croydon had a market on Wednesdays, as early as the reign of Edward I. procured by archbishop Kilwardby, and a fair which began on the eve of St. Botolph, and lasted nine days. Another market on Thursdays, was granted to archbishop Reynolds, by Edward II. and a fair on the eve and morrow of St. Matthew. A third market upon Saturdays, the only one of the three now continued, was granted by Edward III. to archbishop Stratford, and a fair on the Feast of St. John the Baptist. Of the fairs, the two last only are now held.

The church, which is dedicated to St. John the Baptist, is built of stone and flint; it is situated at the bottom of the town, near the source of the Wandle. It consists of a nave, two aisles, and three chancels; at the west end is a handsome square tower, with pinnacles. The nave is separated from the aisles, by light clustered columns, with pointed arches, between which are several grotesque heads and ornaments. The church appears to have been rebuilt in the time of archbishop Chicele, who was a great contributor to the work; his arms are upon the west door, under the tower. The old font, which stands at the west end of the south aisle, appears to be of the same date.

In the Survey of 1646, it is described as being "830 acres, in which the inhabitants of "Croydon have herbage for all manner of cattle, and mastage for swine without stint." Shirley Heath Common is said, in the same Survey, to contain 300 acres; Croydon Heath 340 acres. The soil, as may be supposed in so extensive a parish, is very various: indeed it is so various, that chalk, gravel, sand, clay, and peat, may be found in the same field. About a mile from the town, near the road to Addington, is a large chalk-pit, which produces a great variety of extraneous fossils.

Croydon expanded in the Middle Ages as a market town and a center for charcoal production, leather tanning and brewing. The Surrey Iron Railway from Croydon to Wandsworth opened in 1803 and was the world's first public railway. Later nineteenth century railway building facilitated Croydon's growth as a commuter town for London. By the early 20th century, Croydon was an important industrial area, known for car manufacture, metal working and Croydon Airport. In the mid 20th century these sectors were replaced by retailing and the service economy, brought about by massive redevelopment which saw the rise of office blocks and the Whitgift Centre, the largest shopping center in London until 2008. Croydon was amalgamated into Greater London in 1965.

Croydon was the site of one of the most important airfields in the London area, and was thus bombed extensively. Croydon airport took an active role in the Battle of Britain, as well as providing a base for subsequent WWII raids.

Cemeteries (Civil)
Stockport Crematorium and Cemetery


 * Buxton Rd
 * Stockport SK2 6LS
 * Phone: +44 161 480 5221

Stockport Cemetery


 * Lisburne Ln
 * Stockport SK2 5NP
 * Phone: +44 161 439 5963

Highfield Cemetery


 * 3BZ, Highfield Ave
 * Bredbury, Stockport SK6

Mill Lane Cemetery


 * Manchester Rd
 * Cheadle SK8 2PX
 * Phone: +44 161 491 0629

Parishes
Christ Church


 * Chester Rd
 * Woodford, Stockport SK7 1PR
 * Phone: +44 161 439 2286

St Mary's


 * Red Lane
 * Disley, Stockport SK12 2NP
 * Phone: +44 1663 762068

Christ Church Stockport


 * Walthew House
 * 112 Shaw Heath
 * Stockport SK2 6QS
 * Phone: +44 7770 824190

St Thomas the Apostle


 * Stockport SK4 5AE

St Mark's Parish Church


 * 38 Stockport Rd E
 * Bredbury, Stockport SK6 1AL
 * Phone: +44 161 430 6617

St Paul's


 * Highfield
 * St Paul's Rd
 * Stockport SK4 4RY
 * Phone: +44 161 432 1227

Norbury Parish Church


 * London Rd
 * Hazel Grove, Stockport SK7 4RF
 * Phone: +44 161 483 6325

St Thomas


 * 17 Canley Cl
 * Stockport SK1 3QB
 * Phone: +44 161 429 9524

St George's, Heavily


 * 28 Buxton Rd
 * Stockport SK2 6NU
 * Phone: +44 161 480 2453

St Matthew's


 * Grenville St
 * Stockport SK3 9EE
 * Phone: +44 161 480 5896

Non Conformists
Other Christian groups follow:


 * Baptists
 * Chirstian Science
 * Church of Christ
 * Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
 * Heaton Christian Church
 * Jehovah's Witnesses
 * Methodist
 * Presbyterian
 * Roman Catholic
 * Salvation Army
 * Seventh Day Adventists
 * Spiritual Church

Non Christian faiths include the following:


 * Buddhist
 * Hindu
 * Jewish
 * Muslim
 * Sikh

Civil Registration
Stockport does have a civil registrar office:


 * Town Hall
 * John St, Stockport SK1 3XE
 * Phone: +44 161 217 6007


 * Cheshire BMD: Stockport


 * freebmd.org

As historically part of Stockport resided in the County of Lancashire, the following might help:


 * Lancashire BMD.org

Local Histories

 * A Brief History of Stockport


 * visionofbritain: Stockport


 * workhouses.org: Stockport


 * Stockport, a History by Peter Arrowsmith


 * Stockport through Time by Coral Dranfield

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Michelin map of Stockport


 * oldmapsonline: Stockport


 * old maps of Stockport


 * forebears.io GAzetteer of Stockport


 * BBC Domesday: Stockport

Newspapers
Stockport does not have a dedicated newspaper. The following all have news of Stockport:


 * Manchester Evening News


 * Stockport Express on Line


 * Independentnewspapers.co.uk: Stockport

Occupations
Historically, the North of England provided the workers and industries for the country, while the south of England consisted more of the landed gentry and the nobility. When England lost most of its manufacturing base, shortly after the end of WWII, and as the manufacturing might of first, Japan, and then China emerged, it was the North that suffered the most.

Fortuitously, Stockport is located in the larger megalopolis of Manchester, and has benefited from both the national drive to rebuild the major cities of the north, but also due to the ease of commuting either into Manchester or from Manchester, commuting into workplaces in Stockport.

Such large companies as P. International Holdings Ltd, Beckhall Property Management Ltd., Broadstone Mills Ltd, Central Glass Ltd., and Potomac Capital Ltd., have chosen to make Stockport their National Headquarters. Others, such as SKY TV, Payzone, Landys and Gyr, the Royal Mail, and British Gas have selected Stockport as their regional headquarters.

This has provided employment for, and attracted qualified candidates to Stockport in such disciplines as: Engineering, IT, architectural planning, pharmaceutical manufacture, banking and finance, and education. In fact, Stockport has been one of the fastest growing towns in North England, and has had steady economic and population growth for the past seven years.

Societies

 * The Family History Society of Cheshire


 * The Manchester and Lancashire Family History Society


 * Stockport Historical Society

Archives

 * Stockport Council Archives


 * The National Archives: Stockport


 * Cheshire Archives


 * Lancashire Archives

Web Sites

 * Stockport Council


 * Stockport, wikipedia


 * Greater Manchester Councils