History of Rotherhithe
Throughout prehistoric times Rotherhithe was an uninhabited area of marshy land. It is first mentioned in an Anglo Saxon charter of 898. It was not mentioned in the Domesday Book, but it is possible that it was regarded as a hamlet attached to Bermondsey. Bermondsey Abbey had a large influence on life. The rights to the rectory of Rotherhithe lay with the Abbey Prior whilst the monks the monks played a major role in building and maintaining, the riverbank protection against the ever present danger of flooding.
The village of Rotherhithe has had a close relationship with the sea. Throughout history it was a favourite home for many seafarers, such as Captain Christopher Jones of The Mayflower and had a fine tradition of ship building. Two local Master Mariners, Peter Hills and Robert Booth founded a school to help the children of destitute sailors in 1613. Today the modern Peter Hills School is helping to educate the present generation of Rotherhithe children.
The first church St Mary was present in the Middle Ages though it is thought a church may have been on the site in Saxon times. The current church was built in 1715 after its predecessor was damaged in the flood of 1705. The church was designed by John James, who was much influenced by Sir Christopher Wren and to keep costs down the local ship builder's employed their skills to help build it, hence the church has wooden pillars rather than the more common stone pillars. The church is the burial place of three of the four owners of the Mayflower, Christopher Jones, Richard Gardner and John Moore.
Rotherhithe was home to many of the best shipbuilders in the world. Some of the first steamships were built In Rotherhithe and the first iron ship, Aaron Manby, was constructed in the local ship yards. Rotherhithe was also home to many associated industries, for example iron works and gun powder manufacturers. Greenland Dock was named as a reminder that whalers used to be based there. The dock was called Howland Great Wet Dock from it's foundation in 1693 until 1763 and was the largest commercial dock in the western world at the time, able to handle 120 merchant ships. It was the major whaling base in London until the trade died out in the 1840's after which it was used for the importation of timber.
As the sea faring era drew to a close, improving transport saw the population of Rotherhithe rise. The housing tended to be mixed - the rich enjoyed comfortable housing while the poor endured the very worse. Subsequent redevelopment has seen an end to the poor housing conditions and some very attractive housing has been built in the area over recent years.
