Stoke Newington (parish) - Ecclesiastical Parish

Ecclesiastical Parish

The ancient parish, dedicated to St Mary, was in the Diocese of London. Parish was sometimes called Newington Canonicorum.

As the population increased the parish was divided:

• In 1849 a new parish of Stoke Newington, St Matthias was formed from part of the ancient parish and part of neighbouring Hornsey. St Matthias Church was completed in 1853 to the designs of William Butterfield, services previously being held in a local school. It was known as one of London’s foremost High Churches, as part of the impetus and money for its founding came from a rich doctor named Robert Brett, who thought that the Dissenting chapels such as Newington Green Unitarian Church were attracting so many worshippers in part because the Anglican pews were full.

• In 1873 two new parishes of Stoke Newington, All Saints and Stoke Newington, St Faith were carved out of the parishes of St Mary and St Matthias. All Saints church was in Aden Grove, replacing an earlier iron structure, in 1876. It was demolished in 1956. St Faith's church was built on Londesborough Road in 1873, badly damaged by bombing in 1944, and finally abandoned and demolished in 1949.

• In 1883 the parish of Stoke Newington, St Andrew was created from part of St Mary's parish and part of Stamford Hill. The church was built in 1884 on Bethune and Fairholt Roads.

• The final division of the parish was in 1892, when Stoke Newington, St Olave was formed from part of St Mary's, part of St Andrew's and also included parts of the parishes of Stamford Hill, Vartry Road and Hanger Lane. The church, in Woodberry Down, was completed in 1893 to the designs of Ewan Christian. The bells, font and pulpit from the City of London church of St Olave's, Jewry, demolished in 1891 were moved here.

• There was also the parish of Stoke Newington Common, created in 1886. This was outside the area of the ancient parish, being made from parts of Stamford Hill and West Hackney.

Many of the churches were severely damaged by bombs during World War II. Although both St Mary's and St Matthias were eventually restored, the extent of the damage, combined with a decrease in the population of the area, led to a number of these parishes being combined in the 20th century. For instance, in 1951 St Faith and St Matthias parishes were merged. in 1956 they were again merged with All Saints to form Stoke Newington, St Faith with St Matthias and All Saints In 1974 the name of the combined parish was shortened to Stoke Newington, St Matthias.

As of June 2006 the parishes are known by the following names:

• St Mary, Stoke Newington
• St Matthias, Stoke Newington
• St Andrew, Bethune Road
• St Olave, Woodberry Down