Petersham
Encyclopedia
Petersham is a place in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
on the east of the bend in the River Thames
south of Richmond, which it shares with neighbouring Ham. It provides the foreground of the scenic view from Richmond Hill across Petersham Meadows, with Ham House further along the River. Other nearby places include: Twickenham
, Isleworth
, Teddington
, Mortlake
and Roehampton
.
of 1086 as Patricesham. It was held by Chertsey Abbey
. Its assets were: 4 hide
s; 1 church, 5 plough
s, 1 fishery
worth 1000 eel
s and 1000 lamprey
s, 3 acres (12,140.6 m²) of meadow
. It rendered £6 10s 0d.
The town was the birthplace in 1682 of Archibald Campbell
, later 3rd Duke of Argyll and Earl of Islay. He went on to found the Royal Bank of Scotland
in Edinburgh in 1727, and his face adorns the obverse of all banknotes issued by the Royal Bank since 1987.
Explorer George Vancouver
retired to Petersham, where he wrote the Voyage of Discovery whilst living in what is now called the "Navigator's House" in River Lane. He died in 1798 and is buried in the churchyard of St. Peter's.
In 1847 Queen Victoria granted Pembroke Lodge in the Petersham part of Richmond Park
to John Russell, 1st Earl Russell
and it became their family home. Lord Russell's grandson, Bertrand Russell
, spent some of his childhood there also.
Lynne Truss
was born and educated in the town at the Petersham Russell Infant School and Orchard Junior School.
Ham Polo Club
is situated at the end of a driveway off the Petersham Road and the Petersham Bowl is played for in June.
. Listed buildings include a watchman's
box that also served as a village lock-up
and dates from 1787. HMS Petersham
was a Ham class minesweeper
and a Petersham was also a type of greatcoat
.
London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames is a London borough in South West London, UK, which forms part of Outer London. It is unique because it is the only London borough situated both north and south of the River Thames.-Settlement:...
on the east of the bend in the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
south of Richmond, which it shares with neighbouring Ham. It provides the foreground of the scenic view from Richmond Hill across Petersham Meadows, with Ham House further along the River. Other nearby places include: Twickenham
Twickenham
Twickenham is a large suburban town southwest of central London. It is the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and one of the locally important district centres identified in the London Plan...
, Isleworth
Isleworth
Isleworth is a small town of Saxon origin sited within the London Borough of Hounslow in west London, England. It lies immediately east of the town of Hounslow and west of the River Thames and its tributary the River Crane. Isleworth's original area of settlement, alongside the Thames, is known as...
, Teddington
Teddington
Teddington is a suburban area in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in south west London, on the north bank of the River Thames, between Hampton Wick and Twickenham. It stretches inland from the River Thames to Bushy Park...
, Mortlake
Mortlake
Mortlake is a district of London, England and part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is on the south bank of the River Thames between Kew and Barnes with East Sheen inland to the south. Mortlake was part of Surrey until 1965.-History:...
and Roehampton
Roehampton
Roehampton is a district in south-west London, forming the western end of the London Borough of Wandsworth. It lies between the town of Barnes to the north, Putney to the east and Wimbledon Common to the south. The Richmond Park golf courses are west of the neighbourhood, and just south of these is...
.
History
Petersham appears in Domesday BookDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
of 1086 as Patricesham. It was held by Chertsey Abbey
Chertsey Abbey
Chertsey Abbey, dedicated to St Peter, was a Benedictine monastery located at Chertsey in the English county of Surrey.It was founded by Saint Erkenwald, later Bishop of London, in 666 AD and he became the first abbot. In the 9th century it was sacked by the Danes and refounded from Abingdon Abbey...
. Its assets were: 4 hide
Hide (unit)
The hide was originally an amount of land sufficient to support a household, but later in Anglo-Saxon England became a unit used in assessing land for liability to "geld", or land tax. The geld would be collected at a stated rate per hide...
s; 1 church, 5 plough
Plough
The plough or plow is a tool used in farming for initial cultivation of soil in preparation for sowing seed or planting. It has been a basic instrument for most of recorded history, and represents one of the major advances in agriculture...
s, 1 fishery
Fishery
Generally, a fishery is an entity engaged in raising or harvesting fish which is determined by some authority to be a fishery. According to the FAO, a fishery is typically defined in terms of the "people involved, species or type of fish, area of water or seabed, method of fishing, class of boats,...
worth 1000 eel
Eel
Eels are an order of fish, which consists of four suborders, 20 families, 111 genera and approximately 800 species. Most eels are predators...
s and 1000 lamprey
Lamprey
Lampreys are a family of jawless fish, whose adults are characterized by a toothed, funnel-like sucking mouth. Translated from an admixture of Latin and Greek, lamprey means stone lickers...
s, 3 acres (12,140.6 m²) of meadow
Meadow
A meadow is a field vegetated primarily by grass and other non-woody plants . The term is from Old English mædwe. In agriculture a meadow is grassland which is not grazed by domestic livestock but rather allowed to grow unchecked in order to make hay...
. It rendered £6 10s 0d.
The town was the birthplace in 1682 of Archibald Campbell
Archibald Campbell, 3rd Duke of Argyll
Archibald Campbell, 3rd Duke of Argyll, 1st Earl of Ilay was a Scottish nobleman, politician, lawyer, businessman and soldier...
, later 3rd Duke of Argyll and Earl of Islay. He went on to found the Royal Bank of Scotland
Royal Bank of Scotland
The Royal Bank of Scotland Group is a British banking and insurance holding company in which the UK Government holds an 84% stake. This stake is held and managed through UK Financial Investments Limited, whose voting rights are limited to 75% in order for the bank to retain its listing on the...
in Edinburgh in 1727, and his face adorns the obverse of all banknotes issued by the Royal Bank since 1987.
Explorer George Vancouver
George Vancouver
Captain George Vancouver RN was an English officer of the British Royal Navy, best known for his 1791-95 expedition, which explored and charted North America's northwestern Pacific Coast regions, including the coasts of contemporary Alaska, British Columbia, Washington and Oregon...
retired to Petersham, where he wrote the Voyage of Discovery whilst living in what is now called the "Navigator's House" in River Lane. He died in 1798 and is buried in the churchyard of St. Peter's.
In 1847 Queen Victoria granted Pembroke Lodge in the Petersham part of Richmond Park
Richmond Park
Richmond Park is a 2,360 acre park within London. It is the largest of the Royal Parks in London and Britain's second largest urban walled park after Sutton Park, Birmingham. It is close to Richmond, Ham, Kingston upon Thames, Wimbledon, Roehampton and East Sheen...
to John Russell, 1st Earl Russell
John Russell, 1st Earl Russell
John Russell, 1st Earl Russell, KG, GCMG, PC , known as Lord John Russell before 1861, was an English Whig and Liberal politician who served twice as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in the mid-19th century....
and it became their family home. Lord Russell's grandson, Bertrand Russell
Bertrand Russell
Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell, OM, FRS was a British philosopher, logician, mathematician, historian, and social critic. At various points in his life he considered himself a liberal, a socialist, and a pacifist, but he also admitted that he had never been any of these things...
, spent some of his childhood there also.
Lynne Truss
Lynne Truss
Lynne Truss is an English writer and journalist, best known for her popular book Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation.-Early life:...
was born and educated in the town at the Petersham Russell Infant School and Orchard Junior School.
Ham Polo Club
Ham Polo Club
Ham Polo Club is a Hurlingham Polo Association Polo Club situated in Richmond, South West London. It is one of the oldest polo clubs in the United Kingdom and the last surviving club in London. The club occupies a location between Richmond Park and the River Thames overlooked by Ham House, eight...
is situated at the end of a driveway off the Petersham Road and the Petersham Bowl is played for in June.
Geography
Petersham is home to actor Richard E. GrantRichard E. Grant
Richard E. Grant is a Swaziland-born British actor, screenwriter and director. His most notable role came in the film Withnail and I. He holds dual British and Swazi citizenship.-Early life:...
. Listed buildings include a watchman's
Watchmen (law enforcers)
Watchmen were groups of men, usually authorised by a state, government, or society, to deter criminal activity and provide law enforcement. Watchmen have existed in various guises throughout the world and were generally succeeded by the emergence of formally organised policing.-Early origins:An...
box that also served as a village lock-up
Village lock-up
Village lock-ups are historic buildings that were used for the temporary detention of people in rural parts of England and Wales. They were often used for the confinement of drunks who were usually released the next day or to hold people being brought before the local magistrate. A typical village...
and dates from 1787. HMS Petersham
HMS Petersham
HMS Petersham was a of the Royal Navy.Their names were all chosen from villages ending in -ham. The minesweeper was named after Petersham in Surrey.-References:*Blackman, R.V.B. ed. Jane's Fighting Ships...
was a Ham class minesweeper
Ham class minesweeper
The Ham class was a class of inshore minesweepers , known as the Type 1, of the British Royal Navy. The class was designed to operate in the shallow water of rivers and estuaries. It took its name from the fact that all the ship names were British place names ending in -"ham"...
and a Petersham was also a type of greatcoat
Greatcoat
A greatcoat, also known as a watchcoat, is a large overcoat typically made of wool designed for warmth and protection against the weather. Its collar and cuffs can be turned out to protect the face and hands from cold and rain, and the short cape around the shoulders provides extra warmth and...
.
Education
- The German School London is in Petersham.
- See also List of schools in Richmond upon Thames