I am surprised to see how long since I last wrote anything. My research is very low key now. But my mind would always be on the look out for some now angle and I am more interested in watching TV shows that relate to time period, occupation or place of forebears. Occasionally there is a book of interest, radio program or a local history talk.....
This week I visited London and was able to follow up on some long awaited lines of research. I visited the church opposite Waterloo Railway Station that a set of great great grandparents had married in in the 1860's. It was badly damaged in WW2 so I did not hope for much. I was however pleasantly surprised. The church had suffered two 'makeovers' one in 1880's and another in 1924 but the restoration of 1951 was true to the original design. It was a pleasant to linger a while and definitely a place of worship still. The original baptism font had survived. This was where older siblings of my great grandfather had been christened.
Close by was the address of my great great grandfather at the time of his marriage, Lower Marsh. It was close by to Waterloo station and suited his occupation being a cabbie driver.. Again I was pleased to see how it had retained its identity and was still a bustling street of commerce with some surviving building up to 3 stories in height on both sides. The street had survived being acquired for the expansion of Waterloo station, a fate that awaited other nearby streets including a church.
Walking on from there I ended up at the former Lambeth parish church, associated with several marriages of family. Sadly it is undergoing major redevelopment to suit its new role as a museum of the garden and will be closed until 2017. It was the only church of many associated with the family that was not damaged in WW2 bombing raids. It is just sad it is no longer a place of worship.
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