A Brief History of English Martyrs Walworth
Education always a priority
As happened up and down the country the first building to be put in place
was a school
and for the first 13 years this was also used for the celebration
of Mass. Even before
work was completed the school opened its doors on
10th March 1890. At the time
Rev. Reeks was criticised for building such a
large school which was way beyond the
needs of the parish. The school
was designed to take 678 pupils - by 1898 there were
690 children with
731 by 1916!
How the money was raised
At this time the diocese was involved in a major church building programme and there
was no money available for a church in Walworth. Neither was itpossible for the
parishioners themselves to raise the money. The Guild of Our Lady of Ransom
undertook to raise funds nationally for what came to be known as the
"Thanksgiving Church" in Walworth. The Guild was dedicated to the conversion
of England to the Catholic Faith and this church was to be build in Thanksgiving for those
received into the Church. Appeals were made in the
press and money came in from
all over the country and from abroad (often from recent converts).
The Martyrs of Blessed Memory
The original title of the parish was "The Church of the Five Wounds and the Blessed
English Martyrs" but this was later shortened. It was build in honour of those who died
for the faith under the Penal Laws introduced at the Protestant Reformation. A number
of these died at St. Thomas Watering (North Surrey Gallows) which was within the
parish bounds (at the junction of modern Albany and Old Kent Roads). Names that
have come down to us of the martyrs are John Stone (1538), John Griffin (1539),
Nicholas Ware (1539), David Gonson (1541), John Jones (1598), John Rigbye (1600)
and John Pybush in 1601.
