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Tonbridge

OS Grid Reference: TQ5946
The 1841 population was 12,530

Administrative Units

Tonbridge fell within the Hundred of Tonbridge. Its 19th century Registration District & Poor Law Union was Tonbridge.
Probate Jurisdiction was Rochester to 1845, PCC 1846-57.

Tonbridge was a very large parish which included the settlements of Tunbridge Wells, Southborough and Hildenborough. These were not given separate parochial status until 1833, 1847 and 1844 respectively.

See NWKFHS publications West Kent Sources and School Records for further information.

Tonbridge Map North West Kent Family History Society

Church and Chapels (pre 1910)

Tonbridge, St Peter & St Paul

Church of England - Ancient Parish Church

Original Registers

These date from 1553.
St Peter & St Paul - Aug 1998
St Peter & St Paul Tonbridge North West Kent Family History Society

Hildenborough, St John the Evangelist, London Rd

Church built 1843-3; parish created 1844 from Tonbridge & the detached part of Leigh.

Original Registers

These date from 1844.
St John the Evangelist
St John the Evangelist Tonbridge North West Kent Family History Society

Southborough, St Peter, Church Rd

Church built 1830-1; parish created 1847 from Tonbridge Sts Peter & Paul.

Original Registers

These date from 1831.

Memorial Inscriptions

Transcript published by NWKFHS (Microfiche Ref. F10) See MI Publications.
St Peter - Sep 1999
St Peter Southborough North West Kent Family History Society

Southborough, St Thomas, Pennington Rd

Church built 1860; parish created 1860 from Southborough St Peter.

Original Registers

These date from 1860.
St Thomas - Jun 2000
St Thomas Southborough North West Kent Family History Society

Southborough, Christchurch, Prospect Rd

Church built 1870-1 as a chapel-of-ease to Southborough St Peter.

Original Registers

These date from 1888.
Christchurch - Jun 2000
Christchurch Southborough North West Kent Family History Society

Southborough, St Matthew, High Brooms Rd

Church built 1902, succeeding mission church 0f 1886; parish created 1899 from Southborough St Peter & Tunbridge Wells St John.

Original Registers

These date from 1902.
St Matthew - Jun 2000
St Matthew Southborough North West Kent Family History Society

Tunbridge Wells, King Charles the Martyr

Church built 1678, parish created 1889 from Tunbridge Wells Christ Church & Rusthall.

Original Registers

These date from 1745.
King Charles the Martyr - Aug 1998
King Charles the Martyr Tunbridge Wells North West Kent Family History Society

Tunbridge Wells, Holy Trinity, Church Rd

Church built 1827-9, parish created 1833 from Tonbridge Sts Peter & Paul.

Original Registers

These date from 1830.
Holy Trinity - Jun 2000
Holy Trinity Tunbridge Wells North West Kent Family History Society

Tunbridge Wells, Christ Church, High St

Church built 1835-41, Demolished 1996 & Rebuilt; parish created 1856 from Tunbridge Wells Holy Trinity.

Original Registers

These date from 1856.
Christ Church
Christ Church Tunbridge Wells North West Kent Family History Society

Tunbridge Wells, St John, London Rd

Church built 1858, rebuilt 1896; parish created 1859 from Tunbridge Wells Holy Trinity.

Original Registers

These date from 1858.
St John - Jul 2013
St John Tunbridge Wells North West Kent Family History Society

Tunbridge Wells, St James, Sandrock Rd

Church built 1860-2, rebuilt 1896; parish created 1862 from Tunbridge Wells Holy Trinity.

Original Registers

These date from 1862.
St James - Jun 2000
St James Tunbridge Wells North West Kent Family History Society

Tunbridge Wells, St Peter, Windmill Fields (Bayhall Rd)

Church built 1874-5; parish created 1876 from Tunbridge Wells Holy Trinity.

Original Registers

These date from 1875.
St Peter - Jun 2000
St Peter Tunbridge Wells North West Kent Family History Society

Tunbridge Wells, St Barnabas, Stanley Rd

Church built 1889-90 replacing St Stephens mission (1870); parish created 1881 from Tunbridge Wells St James.

Original Registers

These date from 1881.
St Barnabas - Jun 2000
St Barnabas Tunbridge Wells North West Kent Family History Society

Church of England cont.

  • St Stephen: Quarry Hill Rd. Church built 1851-4; parish created 1853 from Tonbridge Sts Peter & Paul. Original registers from 1852.
  • St Saviour: Dry Hill Park. Church built 1876 as chapel-of-ease to Tonbridge. Original registers from 1876.

Roman Catholic: Tunbridge Wells, St Augustine, Grosvenor Rd

Church built 1837-8, campanile added 1889; demolished 1968 and a new church built in Crescent Rd.

Original Registers

These date from 1837.
St Auguistine - ?1830s
St Augustine Tunbridge Wells North West Kent Family History Society

Roman Catholic cont.

  • Corpus Christi: Lyons Crescent.  Church built 1904, succeeding iron church of 1894. Original registers from 1894

Strict Baptist: Tunbridge Wells, Rehoboth, Chapel Place

Built 1851, now converted to commercial use (hair salon).
Rehoboth - Aug 2010
Baptist Rehoboth Tunbridge Wells North West Kent Family History Society

Baptist cont.

  • Baptist: High St. (1871). No information on registers.
  • Baptist: Zion, Pembury Rd. (1867). No information on registers.
  • Baptist: Bethel, Western Rd, Southborough. (1882). No information on registers.
  • Strict Baptist: Hanover Chapel, Hanover Rd, Tunbridge Wells. Built 1834. Original registers from 1831.
  • Baptist: Tabernacle, Calverley Rd, Tunbridge Wells. Built 1883, succeeded by 1938 church in Upper Grosvenor Rd. No information on registers.

Independent/Congregational

  • Independent: (1743). Original registers from 1752.
  • Independent: Ebenezer, Bradford St. (1898). No information on registers.
  • Congregational: Mt Pleasant, Tunbridge Wells. Built 1845-8, succeeding Mt Zion chapel of 1720. Original registers from 1830.
  • Independent: Salem, St Johns Rd, Tunbridge Wells. Built 1866, used by Brethren 1903-34 then sold. No information on registers.
  • Congregational: Cage Green Mission Room, Shipbourne Rd. (1874-1970 demolished). No information on registers.
  • Congregational: High St. (1875). No information on registers.
  • Congregational: Bethel, Tutty's village, Tunbridge Wells. Built 1839, continued in use until 1894. No information on registers.
  • Congregational: Albion Rd, Tunbridge Wells. Built 1873, closed c.1929. No information on registers.
  • Congregational: Forest Rd, Hawkenbury, Tunbridge Wells. Built 1889. No information on registers.

Wesleyan: Tunbridge Wells, Vale Rd

Built 1872-3, succeeding earlier building of 1812.

Original Registers

These date from 1802.
Wesleyan Tunbridge Wells North West Kent Family History Society

Lady Huntingdon's Connexion: Tunbridge Wells, Emmanuel, Mt Ephraim

Built 1867, succeeding wooden chapel of 1769; demolished 1974 for hospital forecourt extension.

Original Registers

These date from 1769.
Emmanuel
Emmanuel Tunbridge Wells North West Kent Family History Society

Wesleyan/Methodist cont.

  • Wesleyan: Swan Lane. (1829) later East St (1872). Original registers from 1835.
  • Wesleyan: High Brooms Rd, Southborough. (1898). No information on registers.
  • Wesleyan: London Rd, Southborough. (1871). No information on registers.
  • Methodist: Methodist Circuit. Original registers from 1838.
  • Methodist: Priory St. (1868-1919 closed). No information on registers.
  • Primitive Methodist: Down Lane, Tunbridge Wells. (1874-84 sold). No information on registers.
  • Primitive Methodist: Camden Rd, Tunbridge Wells. (1878). Original registers from 1861.

Other

  • Other: Disciples of Christ, Commercial Rd, Tunbridge Wells. (1877). No information on registers.