The Ancient Parish of Hornsey
Hornsey was an Ancient Parish in the county of Middlesex, where it formed part of the Finsbury division of the Ossulstone hundred subdivision of the county. Civil Parishes took over from Ancient Parishes in the 1860s, followed by Urban District Councils in 1894 and then London Boroughs in 1965. Hornsey now forms part of the London Borough of Haringey.
Places in the parish include Crouch End, Finsbury Park, Fortis Green, Harringay, Highgate, Hornsey, Manor House, Muswell Hill, Stroud Green and Turnpike Lane. Surrounding Hornsey are the Middlesex parishes of Friern Barnet, Edmonton, Tottenham, Stoke Newington, Islington, St Pancras and Finchley.
The Society has produced a Parish Guide to Hornsey.
St Mary, Hornsey
There has been a church at Hornsey for a great many years: the first mention of one is from a document dated 1291. By the 19th century this church had become quite dilapidated and a new one was built on the same footprint in 1833. A rapidly increasing local population soon made this new church too small and, although the medieval bell tower continued to be used, the rest of this church was knocked down in 1927. A new larger church on glebe land to the east of the churchyard was consecrated in 1889, however, it was discovered that the ground here was unstable and this church had to be taken down in 1969. Worship was moved to the Church Hall in Hornsey High Street and then in 1982 the congregation joined that of St George, Cranley Gardens and this church became known as St Mary with St George.
Records of the parish include baptisms (1653-1964), marriages (1654-1966), burials (1654-1892) and are at London Metropolitan Archives, Ref: DRO/020.
All Saints, Church Road, Highgate
This was established as a mission church by St Michael’s Church, Highgate (which is actually in St Pancras parish), to serve the poorer community living in the northern part of Highgate in 1864. Records of the parish include baptisms (1864-1970), marriages (1875-1991) and are at London Metropolitan Archives, Ref: DRO/196.
Christ Church, Crescent Road, Crouch End
Services in Crouch End were held in Broadway Hall from 1833 until the church was built in 1862.
Records of the parish include baptisms (1863-1914), marriages (1863-1919) and are at London Metropolitan Archives, Ref: DRO/023.
Highgate Chapel
The Bishop of London gave land at the top of Highgate Hill for a hermitage and its chapel, which was dedicated to St Michael, existed from at least 1387. This chapel was shut in 1539 during the Dissolution of the Monasteries and the land was purchased by Sir Roger Cholmeley. A school was set up in his name, to which a chapel was added in 1576 and as the nearest churches were some miles away, local people also used this chapel and its attached burial ground. In 1832 the chapel was replaced by St Michael’s Church which is actually in the parish of St Pancras. The chapel registers were transferred to St Michael and so appear in its archive at LMA. The following records from this archive must relate to Highgate Chapel as they are dated to before St Michael’s Church was built: baptisms (1634-1832), marriages (1635-1812), burials (1933-1832) and are at London Metropolitan Archives, Ref: DRO/P90MIC1.
Holy Innocents, Tottenham Lane, Crouch End
This church was built in 1876 as a daughter church of St Mary.
Records of the parish include baptisms (1877-1992), marriages (1878-1971) and are at London Metropolitan Archives, Ref: DRO/190.
Holy Trinity, Granville Road, Stroud Green
This parish was formed in 1881 from those of Holy Innocents, Tottenham Lane and Saint John the Evangelist, Brownswood Park, Hackney. It merged with St Luke, Mayfield Road, Hornsey in 1981. The original church was damaged during the Second World War and had to be pulled down in 1960. The adjoining hall was then used as the church. Records of the parish include baptisms (1881-1967), marriages (1881-1971) and are at London Metropolitan Archives, Ref: DRO/133.
St Andrew, Alexandra Park Road, Muswell Hill
A mission district was created in 1899 on the detached part of the parish of St James, Clerkenwell with an iron church erected in 1901. The parish of St Andrew was created from this mission district together with part of the parish of St Michael, Wood Green. A permanent church was built in 1903, was bombed in 1944 and then remodelled in 1957. The parish was united with St Saviour, Alexandra Park Road in 1993. Records of the parish include baptisms (1899-1969), marriages (1903-1978) and are at London Metropolitan Archives, Ref: DRO/121.
St Andrew’s Mission Chapel, Shepherds Hill, Hornsey
St Andrew was opened as a chapel of ease to Christ Church, Crouch End, in 1890 but shut in 1907.
Records of the parish include baptisms (1890-1905) and are at London Metropolitan Archives, Ref: DRO/023.
St Augustine of Canterbury, Archway Road, Haringey
This church was started in 1887 but not finished and consecrated until 1914. No registers have been deposited at LMA but the church can be contacted via its website, which also has a history: https://www.saintaugustine.org.uk
St George, Cranley Gardens
A church was built on the corner with Park Road in 1907 but this suffered heavy damage in 1940 and had to be rebuilt in 1959. The mother church of St Mary had to be taken down in 1969 and the congregation moved to St George, with the church becoming known as St Mary with St George. This church is now the parish church for Hornsey. No registers from St George have been deposited at LMA.
St James, Muswell Hill
This church was built as a chapel of ease to St Mary, Hornsey and was consecrated in 1842. A much larger church had to be built in 1900 to accommodate the enlarged population. A daughter parish was formed in 1939 – St Matthew, Muswell Hill, which was reunited with St James in 1979.
Records of the parish include baptisms (1843-1950), marriages (1844-1964) and are at London Metropolitan Archives, Ref: DRO/049.
St Luke, Mayfield Road, Hornsey
This started as a London Diocesan Home Mission iron church in 1898 with a permanent building started in 1903. The parish was taken from those of Christ Church, Holy Trinity and Holy Innocents. Records of the parish include baptisms (1903-1980), marriages (1903-1980) and are at London Metropolitan Archives, Ref: DRO/134.
St Matthew, Coppetts Road, Muswell Hill
This mission church was built in 1926 and a parish was assigned from that of St James in 1939. The church closed in 1978 and the parish reunited with St James. Records of the parish include baptisms (1926-1977), marriages (1934-1978) and are at London Metropolitan Archives, Ref: DRO/050.
St Paul, Burgoyne Road, Harringay
This opened as an iron mission church in 1883 with a permanent church being consecrated in 1891 and a parish assigned in 1892. Part of the parish of St Ann, Tottenham was added to St Paul’s parish in 1903. The church was destroyed by fire in 1984. A striking brand new building was dedicated in 1993 on nearby Wightman Road. Records of the parish include baptisms (1884-1977), marriages (1892-1956) and are at London Metropolitan Archives, Ref: DRO/053.
St Peter, Wightman Road, Hornsey-now St John, Greek Church
This church was founded as a chapel of ease to St Mary in an iron building in 1884. A consolidated chapelry was formed from Hornsey and part of Tottenham in 1898 when a purpose built brick church opened. In 1977 the parish joined that of Christ Church, West Green, Tottenham. The church is now used by the Greek orthodox community and has been rededicated to St John the Baptist. Records of the parish include baptisms (1898-1976), marriages (1898-1974) and are at London Metropolitan Archives, Ref: DRO/038.
St Peter le Poer, Colney Hatch Lane, Muswell Hill
This church was built in 1909 using money raised from the sale of the site of the church of the same name in Old Broad Street in the City of London, which was demolished in 1907. The font and other items were moved from the old church to Muswell Hill. There is an archive included in the collection of St James, Friern Barnet at LMA, Ref: DRO/112, which contains correspondence relating to the site for St Peter’s church dating from 1883 but no registers have been deposited at London Metropolitan Archives.
St Saviour, Alexandra Park Road, Haringey
Also beginning as an iron building, a permanent St Saviour’s church was built in 1904. The parish was united with St Andrew, Alexandra Park Road, in 1993. Records of the parish include baptisms (1899-1956), marriages (1904-1961) and are at London Metropolitan Archives, Ref: DRO/122.