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Category Archives: Croydon Minster
Swimmer who made a splash with Tarzan at Paris Olympics
SUNDAY SUPPLEMENT: Diving back into the parish register from more than 100 years ago, DAVID MORGAN has found the story of a medal-winner from Croydon who raced at the Chariots of Fire Games The 2024 Olympics are fast approaching. The … Continue reading
Croydon’s Lifeboat parades that answered a Mayday appeal
SUNDAY SUPPLEMENT: Newspaper archive reports going back more than a century reveal a regular Croydon town centre fund-raiser: the Lifeboat Day procession, as DAVID MORGAN takes us back in time… The RNLI, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, celebrates its 200th … Continue reading
Posted in David Morgan, History
Tagged Croydon, David Morgan, Frederick Edridge, Queen Victoria, RNLI, Royal National Lifeboat Institution
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Join our tour to see the Minster’s windows on the world, May 21
Join Inside Croydon later this month for an exclusive guided tour around one of the oldest buildings in the borough, and discover more about the history and craftsmanship that went into making the stained glass windows in Croydon Minster. On … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Minster, David Morgan, History, Inside Croydon
Tagged Croydon Minster, David Morgan, History tour, Inside Croydon
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Defeated Dutch admiral who endured his parole in Croydon
SUNDAY SUPPLEMENT: Researching the history of Croydon’s part in the wars fought across Europe and North America in the late 18th and early 19th centuries has taken DAVID MORGAN, right, in another, somewhat unexpected direction Researching a particular topic can … Continue reading
Artist Nash who captured Croydon church’s great disaster
SUNDAY SUPPLEMENT: A pupil at a school in the town centre went on to become a noted Victorian era illustrator, an artist to the Queen, and responsible for probably the most famous image of the dreadful blaze that almost destroyed … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Croydon Minster, David Morgan, History
Tagged Croydon, Croydon Minster, Croydon Parish Church, David Morgan, Joseph Nash
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Hallowell’s voyage from Boston to Beddington, via Brickwood
SUNDAY SUPPLEMENT: The naval career of an American-born admiral who provided the hero of Trafalgar with his coffin, traced all the way to Croydon and then to Carew Manor by DAVID MORGAN What is the most unusual gift that you … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Minster, David Morgan, History
Tagged Admiral Sir Benjamin Hallowell Carew, American Revolution, Battle of the Nile, Battle of Trafalgar, Benjamin Hallowell, Boston, Brickwood House, Carew Manor, Croydon Minster, David Morgan, HMS Swiftsure, HMS Victory, Horatio Nelson, John Singleton Copley, L'Orient, Lord Nelson
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Tracking the life and suspicious death of Benjamin Bowles Esq
SUNDAY SUPPLEMENT: Not all the documents and wills in the Croydon Minster archive give up the full details of the lives of long-dead parishioners, as DAVID MORGAN found with his latest researches After reading Inside Croydon’s recent report which highlighted … Continue reading
Posted in Church and religions, Croydon Minster, David Morgan, History, Whitgift Foundation
Tagged Beddington, Benjamin Bowles, Carew Manor, Croydon, Croydon Minster, Croydon Parish Church, David Morgan, Lambeth, Loughborugh House, Magdalen Hospital, Rev Dr William Dodd, Samuel Johnson, Sir John Fielding, Tyburn hangings, Whitgift Foundation
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Minster carvings recall ancient traditions of The Green Man
SUNDAY SUPPLEMENT: Has there been an outbreak of paganism in the pews of Croydon’s oldest church? Spring’s in the air as DAVID MORGAN investigates Visitors to Croydon Minster are often amazed at the detail in the wooden carvings on the … Continue reading
Addiscombe military college’s professor who was all at sea
SUNDAY SUPPLEMENT: A friend and colleague of Sir Walter Scott and JMW Turner, a painter to Queen Victoria and her family, John Schetky was fondly remembered as a professor at Addiscombe military college. Using the Minster archive, DAVID MORGAN traces … Continue reading
Posted in Addiscombe East, Art, Croydon Minster, David Morgan, History, Waddon
Tagged Addiscombe, Battle of Trafalgar, Croydon, Croydon Minster, David Morgan, East India Company, East India Company College, JMW Turner, Queen Victoria, Schetky, Sir Walter Scott, The Loss of Royal George, Waddon, Waddon Lodge
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The 550-year rise and fall of Croydon’s annual Walnut Fair
SUNDAY SUPPLEMENT: The account of life in Croydon written by the son of Charles Dickens’ illustrator offers fascinating details into a long-forgotten annual festival on the ‘Fair Field’, as DAVID MORGAN explains “Try your hand at the Lucky Bag!” “Walk … Continue reading
Posted in David Morgan, History
Tagged Charles Dickens, Croydon, Crystal Palace, David Morgan, Edgar Browne, Fair Field, Phiz, Queen Victoria, Walnut Fair
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A Dickensian tale which adds extra Phiz to its Croydon twist
SUNDAY SUPPLEMENT: A careful search of the registers at Croydon Minster by DAVID MORGAN has uncovered a new and exciting link between the church and Charles Dickens It has been known for almost 200 years that Charles Dickens, the great … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Broad Green, Croydon Minster, David Morgan, History, Thornton Heath
Tagged A Tale of Two Cities, Anthony Trollope, Boz, Charles Dickens, Croydon, Croydon Minster, David Copperfield, David Morgan, Hablot Browne, Hablot Knight Browne, Nicholas Nickleby, Phiz, Sketches by Boz, Vanity Fair, William Makepeace Thackery
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Minster archive reveals butchers, bakers and… peruke-makers
SUNDAY SUPPLEMENT: A must-have fashion item from the late 1600s is now rarely seen or heard about. DAVID MORGAN, pictured right, had some hairy moments delving into the long-lost trade of Restoration period wig-makers A look through the burial records … Continue reading
Dutch courage of brewer who brought his beer to Croydon
SUNDAY SUPPLEMENT: An ancient document suggests that a Dutch businessman was doing very well in Croydon more than 500 years ago, writes DAVID MORGAN Dusting off a 520-year-old last will and testament has helped reveal aspects of life in Croydon … Continue reading
Minster choir’s heavenly voices transcend even BBC Radio 3
SUNDAY SUPPLEMENT: Whatever you might be doing at 3pm today, turn on BBC Radio 3. But don’t be late, says STEVEN DOWNES So this must be what a choir of angels sounds like when you arrive in heaven. As I … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Church and religions, Croydon Minster, Music
Tagged BBC, BBC Radio 3, Choral Evensong, Croydon Minster, Croydon Minster choir, Justin Miller, Larry King, Martin How
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Hymns and arias: Whitgift’s key role in Bible’s Welsh translation
SUNDAY SUPPLEMENT: Elizabeth I’s family background and Croydon’s most famous Archbishop encouraged a work of scholarship that has preserved a vital piece of heritage, writes DAVID MORGAN A couple who visited Croydon Minster last year had planned their trip for … Continue reading
Posted in Church and religions, Croydon Minster, David Morgan, History
Tagged Archbishop John Whitgift, Croydon, Croydon Minster, David Morgan, John Whitgift, Llandaff, Llangollen, Llangollen International Eisteddfod, Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochant, Queen Elizabeth, Queen Elizabeth I, St Asaph, The Bible, Welsh translation, William Morgan
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Lockjaw, honours and pantomimes: Happy New Year from 1924
SUNDAY SUPPLEMENT: For his first column of the year, DAVID MORGAN has delved into the Minster archive to look at newspaper reports of what was happening in Croydon 100 years ago It is almost as if nothing has really changed. … Continue reading
Posted in Church and religions, Croydon Minster, Crystal Palace FC, David Morgan, History
Tagged Croydon, Croydon Minster, Crystal Palace, Crystal Palace FC, David Morgan, FA Cup, Grand Theatre, Grand Theatre and Opera House, Jack Alderson, Jack the Giantkiller, Lockjaw, Mayday Hospital, pantomime
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Croydon lad who did a Runner for the Blind Beak of Bow Street
SUNDAY SUPPLEMENT: Policing the streets in the early 19th Century was an almost privatised service, funded by the parish. DAVID MORGAN delves into the Minster archive and finds how this borough helped frame the formation of the Metropolitan Police In … Continue reading
The Cause of Many Troubles: Handel Lucas’s lifelong struggles
SUNDAY SUPPLEMENT: Born to a family based on Church Street and named after a great musical composer, he became one of Victorian England’s leading painters, as DAVID MORGAN explains I wonder how many child prodigies there are in Croydon today? … Continue reading
Empire pioneer who put Croydon on the map in Australia
SUNDAY SUPPLEMENT: His tour of places named after Croydon has brought DAVID MORGAN all the way back to the old Parish Church, after an arduous trip to the other side of the world In a twist to the tales about … Continue reading
Minster tour delights audience – and discovers ‘new’ history
Inside Croydon would like to thank the two dozen loyal readers who attended our latest event this week, and with their generous donations have raised £200 towards Croydon Minster’s restoration funds. Leading the way on Tuesday evening, after the iC … Continue reading
