The Church of the Holy Cross and St. Lawrence, Waltham
Abbey (Waltham Holy Cross)
Pigot's Directory, 1839:
"WALTHAM ABBEY is a market town in the parish of its name
(or Holycross,) and hundred of Waltham--12 miles N. from
London, and the like distance S.S.E. from Hertford;
situated on the banks of the river Lea, which here
separates into several streams, and divides the counties
of Essex and Herts."
"The church, dedicated to the Holy Cross and Saint
Lawrence (and which comprises the nave only of the old
abbey church), is a spacious structure in the Norman
style, with a tower of later erection; it contains a Lady
chapel, and several interesting monuments and memorial
tablets;"
The burial registers include
entries for people from the Waltham Abbey Workhouse (in
the Edmonton Poor Law Union after 1837 and then closed),
and deaths from an explosion at the Royal
Gunpowder Mills. The churchyard was closed to
further burials except for the use of family vaults from
1st January 1857, with the last burial taking place on
13th December 1856. Entries from 1857 would appear to be
burials in consecrated ground at Waltham Abbey Cemetery in Sewardstone Road with
the exception of some burials in family vaults in the
church yard.
The following are available to search:
Inscriptions:
1555 - 1875 by William Winters, 1885
Burials: 1813 - 1878
The burial register starting in
1813 has a note at the start:
Thomas Picthall - Minister
Spencer Newman}
John Keys }
Church wardens
William Hasler }
The churchyard was divided in
to areas by William Winters for the putpose of recording,
as follows:
I - "Churchyard East" - the south eastern part of the
churchyard near the rear of the Harp Inn
II - "The New Ground" - from the north east of the
churchyard to the east end of the church
III - "The East End" - between the east end of the church
and the foot path to the abbey gardens
IV - "The slip fronting Lady Chapel" - south of Lady
Chapel
V - "The slip fronting south side of the Church" - south
of the nave
VI - "Centre of the Churchyard" - west of Lady Chapel
Church web
site
British
History entry on Waltham Abbey churches
"Our
Parish Registers" by William Winters, 1885
Church location: Highbridge
Street, Waltham Abbey,
Search for someone listed in the burial
register: