Church Building and History
A
condensed history of Morden and St Lawrence
Morden gets its name either from the Saxon words "Mawr" (high) and Don (a hill), or possibly "The Den on the Moor". Most of Southern England was a great forest, and where the Romans cut Stane Street through the trees from Chichester to London, 10 miles from London would have been the lunch stop for legionaries, a 1/2 day's march between London and Leatherhead. The George, which is now a Harvester, could have served refreshments to them.
After the Romans came the Saxons. The first church building here was possibly wooden - churches dedicated to St Lawrence were usually Saxon in origin. The mound in Morden park may be a Saxon burial mound. Augustine who was sent by Pope Gregory of Rome was the first Archbishop of Canterbury, Lawrence was the second - and was martyred. Ethelstan the Etheling, son of Ethelred (the Unready), left "land at Mordune" to Christ and St Peter in 1015.
The first stone
and brick church would have been built soon after the Norman conquest.
Merton Abbey was nearby, so Morden would not have been very important -
until Merton Abbey was closed down by Henry VIII and the estate sold.
Edward Whitchurch and Lionel Dutchet, printers of the first England Bible,
bought it, but had to flee to Europe when Queen Mary took over, and the
estate went to the Garth family. See the "Ecclesiae Amicus" (Latin for
Friend of the Church) inscription on the gravestone of Richard Garth by
the Communion table.
By the 1630's, the Garth's were Puritans, and St Lawrence church was rebuilt in Protestant style - i.e. no places for images of saints, or reservation of bread and wine. In the Civil War, villagers would have been for Parliament against the King. The East Window, with the Ten Commandments (Moses and Aaron either side) gives an extra severe touch! But of course it was in this period that our modern democratic form of government developed.
St Lawrence's Building and Churchyard
The large Queen Anne coat of Arms preserved on the south wall shows that democratic monarchy is where our heart lies. It may also have something to do with the fact that Queen Anne established the Church Commissioners, which paid Church of England clergy until recently! Note the words over it - Fear God (i.e. respect Him, and find your self-respect) and Honour the Queen!
Other features to note are: the plain Communion table (50 years ago, we were still sensitive to Catholic symbols!).
The Pulpit itself has a sounding-board over it (1700's amplification). The monument opposite to Elizabeth Gardiner commemorates a benefactor to the first Morden school - the Old School House (now part of the Parish Hall Community) over the road is still used for educational purposes.
The coats of arms along the ceiling are called Hatchments - in the 1700's families liked to display their coats of arms, in a funeral procession! Where there is a half-black and half-white background, that shows there was a surviving spouse. The gallery at the back used to have a pipe organ in it, but was originally built for a Sunday School. In the tower are three bells, which can only be tolled, i.e. not swung right over - English Heritage won't let us renew the frame.
Our
Churchyard contains some interesting gravestones - however, please
remember that whilst history is important, our new Church Centre as well
as the Parish Hall are used during the week for a Counselling Centre,
Play-group, Dance and Badminton clubs, Children's and youth-clubs. Our
four Church services each Sunday are at the heart of our being the living
church - hopefully inspiring people to be effective Christians at work;
helping people
of all ages to find the fullness of life which Jesus promises, a promise
which people all over the world find to be true.
Four of the graves that you might like to look for in the churchyard:
Augustus Shermuly - died 1929, inventor of the pistol rocket life-saving apparatus. On the gravestone the inscription "Homeward bound" with a sailing ship engraved.
Gilliat Hatfeild (yes, that is the correct spelling) - Morden's last Squire - 1861 - 1941. The inscription "Faithful to his trust" reminds us not only of his foresight in protecting Morden Hall Park and Morden Park for our enjoyment, but challenges us to be faithful to our trust.
Jessie and John Clover, (died 1939/49). The inscription at the foot of their red tombstone is a good statement of Christian hope:
"Them in their perfect rest unseen, no gulfs of space from us divide, 'Tis but the Lord who walks between, and they His other side."
Captain Alexander Maconochie - he was one of the first governors of an Australian penal settlement, Morden obviously made a comfortable place to retire to!
The Parish Hall Community
Morden Parish
Hall Community has been set up on the site of the Parish Hall in Central
Road, Morden. The site has been used in the past as a School House and as
clergy accommodation. The site consists of three accommodation units: the
Old School House, an eighteenth century cottage, and Hall Cottage bo
th
attached to the Hall, and New Row, built recently consisting of
seven bed/sitting rooms and two shower/ toilets, built behind the hall.
There is room for eight people living on site at the present.
For more information about the Parish Hall Community please see the parish hall page.