Godstone, Surrey Family History Guide
Godstone is an Ancient Parish in the county of Surrey.
Parish church:
Parish registers begin:
- Parish registers: 1662
- Bishop’s Transcripts: 1679
Nonconformists include:
Table of Contents
Adjacent Parishes
- East Grinstead, Sussex
- Blindley Heath
- Chelsham
- Bletchingley
- Horne
- Warlingham
- Tandridge
- Woldingham
- Oxted
- Caterham
Parish History
Comprehensive Gazetteer of England and Wales 1895
Godstone, a village and a parish in Surrey. The village stands on Broadmead Water, on the line of a Roman road, under Tilburstow Hill, 8 miles NNW of Godstone station on the S.E.R., 3 SSE of Caterham, 6½ E by N of Reigate, and 20 from London. Post, money order, and telegraph office, Reigate. Acreage of civil parish, 6830; population 2478; of ecclesiastical, 1542.
Godstone shows many marks of antiquity, is supposed by some to have got its name with some allusion to the Saxon Woden, by others from excellent quarries of freestone much in request for wet docks and for ovens, is a seat of petty sessions, and has a fair on 22 July. There is a literary institute with a good library. Almshouses were erected in 1874 for eight aged persons.
Two small tumuli are on the green in the way to Bletchingly, and two more are in adjoining fields on the N. A pond adjacent and other ponds in the neighbourhood are noted for pike, carp, tench, and perch.
Tilburstow Hill on the S is an elevation of the Shanklin Sand, possesses considerable interest for geologists, and commands very fine and extensive views. A chalybeate spring is at the S foot of the hill, and was once in considerable medicinal repute. Remains of an ancient fortification, also a well called Diana, are on Castle Hill, SE of the village.
Leigh Place, Book’s Nest, Marden Park, and other fine seats are in the neighbourhood.
Godstone railway station is surrounded with oaken coppices, and serves for many neighbouring villages. An ancestor of the Evelyn family who purchased the manor was, in his time, the only maker of gunpowder in England, and Sir John Evelyn his son built a house here which cost £9000.
The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Rochester; value, £330 with residence. The church was restored and enlarged in 1872, and contains a very fine altar-tomb of Sir John Evelyn. During the process of restoration remains of six Norman arches were found built into the east wall.
The perpetual curacy of Blindley Heath and the donative of Felbridge are separate benefices. There is a Baptist chapel.
Source: The Comprehensive Gazetteer of England and Wales 1895 by Brabner, John Henry Fryden
The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales 1870
GODSTONE, a village, a parish, a sub-district, and a district in Surrey. The village stands on Broad-Mead water, on the line of a Roman road, under Tilburstow hill, 2 miles NNW of Godstone station with telegraph, on the Red Hill and Tunbridge branch of the South-eastern railway, 3 miles SSE of Caterham r. station, and 6½ E by N of Reigate.
It shows many marks of antiquity; is supposed by some to have got its name with some allusion to the Saxon Woden, by others, from excellent quarries of freestone much in request for wet docks and for ovens; is a seat of petty sessions; and has a head post office, two inns, and a fair on 22 July.
Two small tumuli are on the green, in the way to Bletchingly; and two more are in adjoining fields on the N. A pond adjacent, and other ponds in the neighbourhood, are noted for pike, carp, tench, and perch. Tilburstow hill, on the S, is an elevation of the Shanklin sand; possesses considerable interest for geologists; and commands very fine and extensive views.
A chalybeate spring is at the S foot of the hill; and was once in considerable medicinal repute. Remains of an ancient fortification, also a well, called Diana, are on Castle hill, SE of the village.
Leigh Place, Rook’s Nest, Marden Park, and other fine seats are in the neighbourhood. Godstone r. station is surrounded with oaken coppices, and serves for many neighbouring villages.
The parish comprises 6,783 acres. Real property, £9,327; of which £532 are in quarries. Pop. in 1851, 1,657; in 1861, 1,853. Houses, 356. The increase of pop. arose partly from the convenience of railway communication, partly from the erection of cottages for the labouring classes. The property is considerably divided.
An ancestor of the Evelyn family who purchased the manor was, in his time, the only maker of gunpowder in England: and Sir John Evelyn, his son, built a house here which cost £9,000.
The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Winchester. Value, £334. Patron, Rev. G. T. Hoare. The church was recently, in part, restored; and contains a very fine altar-tomb of Sir John Evelyn. During the process of restoration, remains of six Norman arches were found built into the east wall.
The p. curacy of Blindley Heath and the donative of Felbridge are separate benefices.
There are a national school, and charities £178.
The sub-district and the district are co-extensive; and they contain the parishes of Godstone, Caterham, Bletchingly, Horne-with-Harrowsley, Tandridge, Oxted, Crowhurst, Limpsfield, Titsey, Tatsfield, Woldingham, Warlingham, Chelsham, and Farley. Acres, 43,848. Poor rates in 1863, £6,236. Pop. in 1851, 8,868; in 1861, 9,642. Houses, 1,803.
Marriages in 1862, 40; births, 320, of which 11 were illegitimate; deaths, 137, of which 48 were at ages under 5 years, and 5 at ages above 85. Marriages in the ten years 1851-60, 474; births, 2,979; deaths, 1,533.
The places of worship, in 1851, were 16 of the Church of England, with 1,398 sittings; 1 of Independents, with 120 s.; 2 of Baptists, with 358 s.; and 2 of Wesleyan Methodists, with 90 s.
The schools were 18 public day schools, with 963 scholars; 14 private day schools, with 354 s.; 18 Sunday schools, with 1,135 s.; and 3 evening schools for adults, with 44 s.
The workhouse is in Bletchingly.
Source: The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales [Wilson, John M]. A. Fullarton & Co. N. d. c. [1870-72].
Parish Records
FamilySearch
Maps of Godstone
OS Grid Reference: TQ3510451707 (all-numeric format: 535104 151707)
Administration
- County: Surrey
- Civil Registration District: Godstone
- Probate Court: Court of the Archdeaconry of Surrey
- Diocese: Winchester
- Rural Deanery: Ewell
- Poor Law Union: Godstone
- Hundred: Tandridge
- Province: Canterbury