St Mary's Church, Downe

St Mary's Church in the village of Downe, Bromley (formerly Kent) is the Church of England Parish Church for the parish of Downe. It is a Grade II* listed building, which dates from the 13th century.[1] The church is dedicated to either St Mary the Virgin or St Mary Magdalene.

Darwin family

The Church, as with the village of Downe itself, is closely linked with the naturalist Charles Darwin who lived at nearby Down House from 1842 to his death in 1882. John Brodie Innes was the vicar from 1846. Darwin played a leading part in the parish work of the church,[2] but from around 1849 would go for a walk on Sundays while his family attended church.[3] Charles's wife, Emma Darwin, was Unitarian and the family would face away when the Anglican Trinitarian Creed was read.

Several members of the Darwin family are buried in the churchyard, Charles's brother Erasmus Alvey Darwin (died 1881), Emma Darwin (1896), Charles and Emma's children Mary Eleanor Darwin (1842), Charlie (1858), Elizabeth (1926), Henrietta (1927); Elinor Monsell (1954) and her husband, Charles and Emma's grandson Bernard Darwin (1961). Charles Darwin had wished to be buried here too but was instead buried in Westminster Abbey.

Emma Darwin's sister Elizabeth Wedgwood and Charles and Emma's Aunt Sarah Wedgwood are also buried together in the St Mary the Virgin churchyard.

Present day

St Mary's stands in the Conservative Evangelical tradition of the Church of England.[4]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to St Mary's Church, Downe.

Historic England. "Church of St Mary the Virgin (Grade II*) (1359316)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
"Darwin Correspondence Project - Darwin and the church". Archived from the original on 2010-10-07. Retrieved 2010-09-29.
van Wyhe, John (2008). Darwin: The Story of the Man and His Theories of Evolution. London: Andre Deutsch Ltd (published 1 September 2008). p. 41. ISBN 978-0-233-00251-4.
"Downe: St Mary Magdalene, Downe". A Church Near You. Archbishops' Council. Retrieved 21 May 2017.

London Borough of Bromley
Districts	Anerley Aperfield Beckenham Berry's Green Bickley Biggin Hill Bromley Bromley Common Chelsfield Chislehurst Coney Hall Crystal Palace Cudham Downe Eden Park Elmers End (including Upper Elmers End) Elmstead Farnborough Foxbury Goddington Green Street Green Hayes Hazelwood Hockenden Horns Green Keston Kevington Leaves Green Locksbottom Longlands Luxted Mottingham New Beckenham Orpington (including: Broom Hill, Crofton, Derry Downs and Ramsden) Park Langley Penge Petts Wood Plaistow Poverest Pratt's Bottom Ruxley St Mary Cray St Paul's Cray Shortlands Single Street Southborough South Street Sundridge Sydenham Upper Norwood West Wickham Widmore
Attractions	Bethlem Gallery Bethlem Museum of the Mind Bromley Little Theatre Chislehurst Caves Churchill Theatre Crofton Roman Villa Crystal Palace Crystal Palace Bowl Crystal Palace Dinosaurs Down House St. Blaise's Well
Parks and open spaces	Betts Park Chislehurst Common Crofton Wood Crystal Palace Park Cuckoo Wood Downe Bank Elmstead Wood Hayes Common High Elms Country Park Jubilee Country Park Kelsey Park Keston Common Norman Park Ruxley Gravel Pits Saltbox Hill Scadbury Park Sundridge Park The Warren West Kent Golf Course nature reserve
Places of worship	St George's Church, Beckenham St John the Evangelist's Church, Penge St Mark's Church, Bromley St Mary's Church, Downe St Mary the Virgin, Hayes St Peter and St Paul's Church, Bromley
Constituencies	Beckenham Bromley and Chislehurst Lewisham West and Penge Orpington
Rail stations and tram stops	Anerley Avenue Road Beckenham Road Beckenham Junction Bickley Birkbeck Bromley North Bromley South Chelsfield Chislehurst Clock House Crystal Palace Eden Park Elmers End Elmstead Woods Hayes Kent House Knockholt Lower Sydenham New Beckenham Orpington Penge East Penge West Petts Wood Ravensbourne St Mary Cray Shortlands Sundridge Park West Wickham
Other topics	Coat of arms Council Grade I and II* listed buildings Parks and open spaces People Public art Schools
Category Commons

Churches in Bromley
Ancient parish churches (pre-1800)	All Saints, Orpington Keston Parish Church St George, Beckenham St Giles the Abbot, Farnborough St John the Baptist, West Wickham St Martin of Tours, Chelsfield St Mary Magdalene, Downe St Mary, St Mary Cray St Mary the Virgin, Hayes St Nicholas, Chislehurst St Peter and St Paul, Bromley St Peter and St Paul, Cudham St Paulinus, St Mary Cray
Anglican daughter churches	Church of the Annunciation, Chislehurst Christ Church, Beckenham Christ Church, Bromley Christ Church, Orpington Christ Church, Penge Holy Trinity, Bromley Common St Andrew, Orpington St Francis of Assisi, Petts Wood St John the Evangelist, Penge St Luke, Bromley Common St Mark, Biggin Hill St Mark, Bromley St Mary, Bromley St Mary, Green Street Green
Other denominations	Beckenham Baptist Beckenham Methodist Bromley Baptist Bromley Common Methodist Bromley Methodist Bromley United Reformed Chelsfield Methodist Chislehurst Baptist Chislehurst Methodist Christ Church, Petts Wood Congregational Church, Penge Holy Innocents, Orpington Farnborough Methodist Orpington Baptist Orpington Methodist Petts Wood Methodist St Anthony of Padua, Anerley St Edmund of Canterbury, Beckenham St George's RAF Chapel Of Remembrance St James, Petts Wood St Joseph, Bromley St Joseph, St Mary Cray St Mark, West Wickham St Mary, Chislehurst St Michael and All Angels, Farnborough St Patrick, West Chislehurst St Swithin, Bromley Common St Theresa of the Child Jesus, Biggin Hill

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