The Ancient Parish of Hendon
Brent Cross, part of Child’s Hill, Church End, Clitterhouse, Colindale, part of Cricklewood, Golders Green, Grahame Park, some of Hampstead Garden Suburb, Holders Hill, Mill Hill, Temple Fortune, The Burroughs, The Hyde, The Welsh Harp and West Hendon are places in the Ancient Parish of Hendon, which formed part Gore hundred subdivision of the county of Middlesex. Civil Parishes took over from Ancient Parishes in the 1860s, followed by Urban District Councils in 1894 and then London Boroughs in 1965. Hendon now forms part of the London Borough of Barnet.
Surrounding Hendon are the Hertfordshire parishes of Elstree, Shenley, Chipping Barnet and Totteridge and the Middlesex parishes of Finchley, Hampstead, Willesden, Kingsbury, Little Stanmore and Edgware.
The Society has produced a Parish Guide to Hendon.
St Mary, Church End, Hendon
A church has probably been on this site since the 9th century and the Abbot of Westminster was granted land in the village of Hendon in 959. The foundations of the old church are under the chancel of today’s Lady Chapel and a Norman font is still in use. The oldest parts of the current church building date to the 13th century but it has been rebuilt several times since then and was last restored in 1915.
Records of the parish include baptisms (1653-1992), marriages (1653-1989), burials (1653-1953), and more are at London Metropolitan Archives, Ref: DRO/029.
Also here are records of St Mary Magdalene, Holders Hill Road, Hendon, a mission church of St Mary’s which opened in 1934 and remains part of the same parish. There are also two items for Christ Church, Brent Street, Hendon, another daughter church which became an independent parish in 1923.
All Saints, Church Walk, Childs Hill
Baptisms started in 1857 but registers have not been deposited at LMA. The church was badly damaged by fire in 1940 but has subsequently been restored. You can contact the church via its website: https://www.allsaintschildshill.com/
Christ Church, Brent Street, Hendon
Christ Church was founded in 1881 as a chapel of ease to St Mary, with the foundation stone being laid by Baroness Burdett-Coutts. A separate parish was assigned to Christ Church in 1923, although in 2001 the two parishes were once again united. The earlier baptisms are in with the parish records of St Mary at London Metropolitan Archives, Ref: DRO/029/197 with the rest, which include baptisms (1894-1966), marriages (1923-1971) and Banns (1923-1969) in Ref: DRO/149.
John Keble Church, Mill Hill
This church was constructed in 1936 to cater for the newly-built suburbs around the Hale, with the parish being created out of those of St Michael, Mill Hill and St Alphage, Burnt Oak. Baptisms started at this time but registers have not been deposited at London Metropolitan Archives. They may still be at the church, which can be contacted via its website: https://www.johnkeble.org.uk/
Little St Peter, Claremont Way, Cricklewood
This was built as a chapel of ease to St Peter’s Church and opened in 1958 as the local population increased, closing in 1983 when attendances fell.
Records of the parish including baptisms (1958-1983), banns (1941-1982) and marriages (1970-1982) are at London Metropolitan Archives, Ref: DRO/082-1.
St Alban the Martyr, North End Road, Golders Green
This church was built in 1910 as a chapel of ease to All Saints, Childs Hill. It was given its own parish in 1922. In 1979 the parish joined St Michael to form the new parish of Golders Green.
Records of the parish including baptisms (1910-1958), banns (1921-1988) and marriages (1921-1967) are at London Metropolitan Archives, Ref: DRO/087.
St Alphage, Montrose Avenue, Burnt Oak
This church was built in 1927 as the centre of a new parish which covered the Watling estate. It was damaged during the Second World War but has been repaired. The baptism register started in 1927 but it has not been deposited at LMA. Details on how to contact the church can be found on its website: https://www.stalphage.org/
St Augustine, Grahame Park, Barnet
This is a daughter church to St Alphage, Burnt Oak. Registers have not been deposited at London Metropolitan Archives. The church was only built in 1975 so is likely to retain its register. You can contact it here: http://www.saintaugustinecolindale.com/
St Barnabas, Temple Fortune, Hendon
A mission from St Mary first conducted services in Temple Fortune at 24 Hendon Park Row in the 1890s. In 1915, a London Diocesan Home Mission took over, holding services in Cranbourne Gardens. It was not until 1923 that a parish was created, using parts of St Mary Hendon and parts of St Mary Finchley. The church was closed in 1994 with the parish joining that of Golders Green.
Records of the parish of St Barnabas, including registers of baptisms (1915-1992), banns (1921-1994) marriages (1921-1955), and more are at London Metropolitan Archives, Ref: DRP/103.
St John, Algernon Road, West Hendon
Baptism commenced here in 1895. Some of the fittings came from City churches that were about to be demolished: panelling from St George, Botolph Lane and St Bartholomew-by-the-Exchange and a pulpit from St Michael Bassishaw. Registers have not been deposited at LMA. You can contact the church via its website: https://www.stjohnswesthendon.org/
St Mary Magdalen, Holders Hill Road, Hendon
This church opened in 1934 and was a mission church of St Mary, Hendon, and remained part of that parish. In the Parish Chest at London Metropolitan Archives, Ref: DRP/029, is a licence to the vicar of Hendon to officiate here so perhaps dating from when it opened? There are some general ledgers and service registers in the St Mary, Church End Parish Chest but no baptism or marriage registers. This church has since closed down.
St Matthias the Apostle, Rushgrove Avenue, Colindale
A mission district was formed in 1934 from the parishes of St John, West Hendon and St Alphage. It became its own parish in 1951. Work commenced on a permanent church building here in 1972. The church has a Facebook page.
St Mellitus, Colindale
This mission church was active from 1905. No registers have been deposited at London Metropolitan Archives and it does not appear that the church is still there.
St Michael, Golders Green Road, Golders Green
This started as a mission church with services held in an iron church in 1910. In 1914 a parish was taken from that of St Mary and a stone church was built. The parish merged with that of St Alban the Martyr in 1979 and the church is now used by a Greek Orthodox community.
Records of the parish of St Michael, Golders Green, including registers of baptisms (1910-1931), marriages (1914-1964) and banns (1937-1979) are at London Metropolitan Archives, Ref: DRO/088.
St Michael and All Angels, Flower Lane, Mill Hill
A brick church was consecrated in 1909 to serve the population who lived near to Mill Hill railway station, with a permanent church being built next door. The parish was taken out of that of St Paul, Mill Hill in 1926. The baptism register started in 1921 but it has not been deposited at LMA. The church has a website: https://www.smmh.org.uk/
St Paul, The Ridgeway, Mill Hill
This church was consecrated in 1833. The baptism register apparently starts from 1836 but it has not been deposited at London Metropolitan Archives, however, some Bishop’s Transcripts are there, Ref: DL/DRP/BT/035. These comprise: baptisms (1836-1871); marriages (1849) and burials (1842-1871). The church has an interesting website at: http://www.stpaulschurchmillhill.co.uk/ which includes photographs of the churchyard and a history of the church in relation to both William Wilberforce and the Middlesex Regiment.
St Peter, Cricklewood Lane, Cricklewood
A mission church started here in 1882 with a permanent building constructed in 1891. Its parish was formed out of St Mary, Hendon and All Saints, Childs Hill. The church was rebuilt in the 1970s and closed in 2004.
Records of the parish of St Peter including registers of baptisms (1892-1970), marriages (1892-1964), banns, confirmations, financial accounts; and minutes are at London Metropolitan Archives, Ref: DRO/082. This archive includes baptisms at St Helena’s Home, 1937-1949.