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Bromley

OS Grid Reference: TQ4069
The 1841 population was 4,325

"Bromley is a respectable town in the western division of the county, situated on the Hastings line of road....
The parish contains also the hamlets of Southborough, Farwig, Plaistow and Widmore, and extends over 4,646 acres, with a population of 4,127 in 1851; it is ... under the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan police, who have a station here, and of the Central Criminal Court; it is a County court district for 16 parishes, held every month at the White Hart Inn.
The manor was conferred by Ethelbert, King of Kent, on the Bishops of Rochester; and the Bishops had a palace here, a plain brick building, rebuilt in 1777, now the residence of Coles Child, Esq., who is lord of the manor; in the garden is a chalybeate spring, called Blaise's well...
Bromley College is an establishment at the entrance of the town from the London road, which was endowed and founded by John Warner, D.D., Bishop of Rochester, in 1666, for the benefit of 20 poor widows of loyal and orthodox clergymen ...
Bromley is one of the polling places for West Kent. The fairs, on the 14th February and 5th august, are extensive for cattle of all kinds, and are held in Widmore-lane, and near the church.
The National schools are liberally supported. Here are four Dissenting places of worship (two Independent and two Wesleyan). Here is a Savings bank, and a Literar institute, with a libary of 1,650 volumes. Magistrates' meetings are held the second Monday in every month, for the western division of the county, atthe Police station, Sidcup; the third Monday in every month at Locks bottom, Farnborough; ad all other Mondays at the Bell Inn, Bromley ... Bromley is partially paved and well lighted with gas." 1852 directory.

Placename Origin

Bromley = Clearing where broom grows. OE brom leah.
Bromley Kent Map North West Kent Family History Society

Administrative Units

Bromley fell within the Hundred of Bromley & Beckenham. Its 19th century Registration District & Poor Law Union was Bromley.
Probate Jurisdiction was Rochester to 1845, PCC 1846-57.

Bromley included the settlements Bickley and Plaistow.

See NWKFHS publications West Kent Sources and School Records for further information.

Census Publications

  • 1851 Name Index and Page Images published on CD-Rom as part of CD7 (Bromley Registration District).
  • 1851 Name Index (only) published on microfiche as part of Volume I (Bromley Registration District).
  • 1891 Transcript published on CD-Rom as part of CD2 (Bromley Registration District).


For ordering details see Census CD-ROMs on the Publication List page.

Church and Chapels (pre 1910)

Bromley, St Peter & St Paul

Ancient Parish Church

Rebuilt 1948-57 after bombing.

The church was much altered from its 14 c. works but bombing in 1941 left only the tower of Kentish flints. The new church built in 1948-57 by J Harold Gibbons is of Gothic style. Some of the original brasses remain although damaged, including Richard Thornhill 1600.

Original Registers

These date from 1558.

St Peter & St Paul - Oct 2006
St Peter & St Paul Bromley North West Kent Family History Society

Bromley, Christ Church, Highland Rd

Church built 1887; parish created 1955 from St Peter & St Paul.

 

Christ Church - Oct 2006
Christ Church Bromley North West Kent Family History Society

Bromley, St John the Evangelist, Park Rd

Church built 1879-80; parish created 1880 from St Peter & St Paul and Plaistow.

Original Registers

These date from 1898.

 

St John the Evangelist - Oct 2006
St John the Evangelist Bromley North West Kent Family History Society

Bromley, St Mark, Westmoreland Rd

Church built 1897-8, Bombed 1941, rebuilt 1953; parish created 1948 from St Peter & St Paul.

 

St Mark - Oct 2006
St Mark Bromley North West Kent Family History Society

Bickley, St George, Bickley Park Rd

Church built 1863-5; parish created 1866 from St Peter & St Paul.

Original Registers

These date from 1865.

 

St George - Apr 2002
St George Bickley North West Kent Family History Society

Plaistow, St Mary, College Rd

Church built 1863-4; parish created 1863 from Bromley St Peter & St Paul.

Original Registers

These date from 1863.

Memorial Inscriptions

Transcript published by NWKFHS (Micofiche Ref. F37). See MI Publications.

 

St Mary - Oct 2006
St Mary Plaistow North West Kent Family History Society

Bromley Common, Holy Trinity, Church Lane

Church built 1839-42; parish created 1839 from Bromley St Peter & St Paul.

Original Registers

These date from 1843.

Transcript published by NWKFHS (Microfiche Ref. F23). See Parish Register Publications.

Memorial Inscriptions (1989)

Transcript published by NWKFHS (Micofiche Ref. F5). See MI Publications.

 

Holy Trinity - Apr 2002
Holy Trinity Bromley Common North West Kent Family History Society

Bromley Common, St Luke, Southlands Rd

Church built 1886-90; parish created 1889 from Bromley Common Holy Trinity.

Original Registers

These date from 1883.

 

St Luke - Oct 2006
St Luke Bromley Common North West Kent Family History Society

Roman Catholic: Bromley, St Joseph, Plaistow Lane

Built 1911, succeeding iron church (Freelands, 1892).

Original Registers

These date from 1888.

St Joseph - Oct 2006
St Joseph Bromley North West Kent family History Society

Baptist: Bromley, Widmore Rd

Built 1864-5.

Baptist Oct - 2006
Baptist Bromley North West Kent Family History Society

Presbyterian: Bromley, Freelands (now Upper Park Rd)

Built 1895, now URC.

Presbyterian Oct - 2006
Presbyterian Bromley North West Kent Family History Society

Primitive Methodist: Bromley Common, Bloomfield Rd

Built 1877, now Bromley Common Methodist Church.

Primitive Methodist Oct - 2006
Primitive Methodist Bromley Common North West Kent Family History Society

Baptist cont.

  • Baptist: Sherman Rd. Iron church, built 1887, surviving 1962. No information on registers.
  • Baptist: Salisbury Rd, Southborough, Bromley Common. 1898-WW2. Original registers from 1870.

Independent/Congregational

  • Independent: Bethel, Centenary Place. Built 1835 (succeeding 1788 foundation?), superseded 1881. Original registers from 1788.
  • Congregational: Widmore Lane. Built 1881, succeeding previous chapel; destroyed 1941. No information on registers

Wesleyan/Methodist cont.

  • Wesleyan: Chislehurst Rd., Widmore Green. (1776-1884). No information on registers
  • Wesleyan: Tylney Rd. Built 1884-5, closed 1975 and converted to flats. No information on registers
  • Wesleyan: High St. Built 1875-6, closed 1964, demolished 1965. No information on registers
  • Wesleyan: Zion Chapel, Farwig Lane. Built 1883, succeeded 1905. No information on registers
  • Wesleyan: Zion Chapel, High St. Built 1825, superseded 1876. Original registers from 1820.