HISTORY
===========================================
Documentary evidence on Mottingham dates back to Saxon times,
being first mentioned in a Charter of King Ethelbert dated AD 862
and it seems that the area of Mottingham had connections with
St. Edward the Confessor extending back well over 900 years.
===========================================
For another 800 years Mottingham was an agricultural community.
The first parish church of St.Andrews was built in 1880
and adequately served Mottingham Village until
extensive development of the area during the 1930s as part of the
LCC rehousing schemes for London.
During this time it was agreed that a new parish would be formed,
supported by the rector of St. Andrews.
===========================================
The area was initially made a 'Conventional District' which meant it was
ecclesiastically independent but remained legally part of St. Andrews.
The hall, Vicarage and Church were to be built in memory of
Bishop Edward Stuart Talbot,the first Bishop of Southwark in 1905
and the parish was to be known as the Bishop Talbot Memorial Parish.
The church hall was opened and dedicated on 14th July 1937
by the Bishop of Southwark and the following year the vicarage was built
and blessed for use on 12th April 1938.
===========================================
Due to lack of funds, the decision to drop the title of
Bishop Talbot Memorial Church was dropped
along with the plans for the elaborate design in favour of the simpler
neo-gothic design we see today.
At the same time the decision was also made to call the parish
St. Edward the Confessor.
===========================================
On 29th June 1957 the corner-stone of the church was laid
by Rev'd K G Hoare, the first priest of the parish and
dedicated by the Bishop of Woolwich.
The parish became legal in its own right, separate from St. Andrews
and the Consecration of the church of St. Edward the Confessor
was on Saturday 19th July 1958
and the service was led by the Rt. Rev. Bertram Simpson,
the Bishop of Southwark.
The vicar at the time was the Rev'd A J Buckley.
============================================
The present church is flanked by the church hall and vicarage.
It comprises a nave, chancel, south east chapel, clergy vestry, narthexe
which is extended northward to provide a choir vestry and link into the hall.
There is an imposing square tower sited centrally at the west end.
The chancel is of one and a half bays,
the main bay accommodating the choir and the half bay the sanctuary.
The nave is of five bays.
There are narrow single storey side aisles with flat roofs over.
=============================================
Documentary evidence on Mottingham dates back to Saxon times,
being first mentioned in a Charter of King Ethelbert dated AD 862
and it seems that the area of Mottingham had connections with
St. Edward the Confessor extending back well over 900 years.
===========================================
For another 800 years Mottingham was an agricultural community.
The first parish church of St.Andrews was built in 1880
and adequately served Mottingham Village until
extensive development of the area during the 1930s as part of the
LCC rehousing schemes for London.
During this time it was agreed that a new parish would be formed,
supported by the rector of St. Andrews.
===========================================
The area was initially made a 'Conventional District' which meant it was
ecclesiastically independent but remained legally part of St. Andrews.
The hall, Vicarage and Church were to be built in memory of
Bishop Edward Stuart Talbot,the first Bishop of Southwark in 1905
and the parish was to be known as the Bishop Talbot Memorial Parish.
The church hall was opened and dedicated on 14th July 1937
by the Bishop of Southwark and the following year the vicarage was built
and blessed for use on 12th April 1938.
===========================================
Due to lack of funds, the decision to drop the title of
Bishop Talbot Memorial Church was dropped
along with the plans for the elaborate design in favour of the simpler
neo-gothic design we see today.
At the same time the decision was also made to call the parish
St. Edward the Confessor.
===========================================
On 29th June 1957 the corner-stone of the church was laid
by Rev'd K G Hoare, the first priest of the parish and
dedicated by the Bishop of Woolwich.
The parish became legal in its own right, separate from St. Andrews
and the Consecration of the church of St. Edward the Confessor
was on Saturday 19th July 1958
and the service was led by the Rt. Rev. Bertram Simpson,
the Bishop of Southwark.
The vicar at the time was the Rev'd A J Buckley.
============================================
The present church is flanked by the church hall and vicarage.
It comprises a nave, chancel, south east chapel, clergy vestry, narthexe
which is extended northward to provide a choir vestry and link into the hall.
There is an imposing square tower sited centrally at the west end.
The chancel is of one and a half bays,
the main bay accommodating the choir and the half bay the sanctuary.
The nave is of five bays.
There are narrow single storey side aisles with flat roofs over.
=============================================
Clergy
1936 -1943 Rev K G Hoare
1943 -1948 Rev E B Hutchinson
1948 -1956 Rev E F Smith
1956 -1973 Rev A J Buckley
1976 -1980 Rev E Allison
1980 -1983 Rev M J Kingston
1983 -1992 Rev. B Campen
1992 -1997 Rev N Carver
1998 - 2017 Rev M J Jackson
2017 - 2024 Rev Dr Catherine Shelley