St Mary's Church, Downe

St Mary's Church in the village of Downe, Kent is the Church of England Parish Church for the parish of Downe in Kent (now officially within the London Borough of Bromley). It is a Grade II* listed building, which dates from the 13th century.^[1] The church is dedicated to "St Mary the Virgin", although St Mary Magdalene.

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, including Emma's sister Sarah Elizabeth Wedgwood (died 1880), 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.

References

↑ 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". Retrieved 2010-09-29.
↑ van Wyhe 2008b, p. 41

Coordinates: 51°20′09″N 0°03′16″E / 51.3359°N 0.0544°E / 51.3359; 0.0544

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London Borough of Bromley

Districts	Anerley Aperfield Beckenham Berry's Green Bickley Biggin Hill Bromley Bromley Common Broom Hill Chelsfield Chislehurst Crystal Palace Cudham Downe Eden Park Elmers End Elmstead Farnborough Foxbury Goddington Green Street Green Hayes Hazelwood Hockenden Horns Green Keston Leaves Green Locksbottom Longlands Luxted Mottingham New Beckenham Orpington Park Langley Penge Petts Wood Plaistow Poverest Pratt's Bottom Ruxley St Mary Cray St Paul Cray Shortlands Single Street Southborough South Street Sundridge Sydenham Upper Norwood West Wickham Widmore

Attractions	Bromley Museum Chislehurst Caves Churchill Theatre Crofton Roman Villa Crystal Palace Museum Down House Wickham Theatre

Parks and open spaces	Petts Park Bromley Wood Chislehurst Common Covet Wood Crystal Palace Park Cuckoo Wood Cudham Frith Darrick Wood Elmstead Wood Hayes Common High Elms Country Park Jubilee Country Park Kelsey Park Norman Park Poverest Recreation Ground Scadbury Park Sundridge Park

Places of worship	St George's Church, Beckenham St John the Evangelist, Penge 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

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	Christ Church, Beckenham 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, Green Street Green

Other denominations	Congregational Church, Penge

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