Clapham in 1842
Clapham lies south-west of Stockwell, on the road from London to Epsom, Horsham, and Worthing. It is mentioned in ‘Domesday,’ where it is called Clopeham. The area of the parish is 1,070 acres : the population, in 1831 was 9,958. Clapham Common, an open space of about 200 acres, partly in this parish and partly in Battersea, is planted with trees, so as to present the appearance of a park, and is surrounded by handsome houses. There are also a number of handsome houses along the road from London to the common. At one corner of the common is the parish church, a plain brick building. There are two episcopal chapels ; St. Paul’s, on the site of the old parish church, and St. James’s, a modern building of Gothic architecture, in what is termed Clapham Park. There are some dissenting places of worship. The living of Clapham is a rectory, of the clear yearly value of £1,275, with a glebe-house. The clear yearly value of the perpetual curacies of St. Paul’s and St. James’s is £200 and £500 respectively. |