Lewisham Heritage holds historic materials for the borough of Lewisham and is situated in Catford Library
We can help you to discover:
The history of the borough
The history of houses in the borough (when they were built, and who lived there)
The history of an area within the borough, for a school project or for general interest
Your family history (ancestors in Lewisham, or general information)
Local information on specific topics (for example, famous people who have lived in the borough).
Visiting the reading room
Please contact us in advance of your visit, to check that we have the material you want to see, or for advice on your project.
To use the resources available at Lewisham Heritage, you need to register for an Archives Card. You’ll then need to book an appointment
Archive material is available by appointment only.
The material we hold is in many cases irreplaceable, so it must be treated with great care. You will need to leave any large bag in a locker, and to use a pencil rather than a pen for making notes from archives.
Food and drink must not be consumed anywhere in the local history and archives centre.
The area we cover
The borough of Lewisham includes the ancient parishes of St Margaret, Lee and St Mary, Lewisham, also the parish of St Paul, Deptford (the ancient parish of Deptford was divided in 1730 into the parishes of St Nicholas and St Paul. The parish of St Nicholas is now in the London Borough of Greenwich).
The borough also includes the following districts: Bellingham, Beckenham (part), Blackheath (part), Brockley, Catford, Crofton Park, Downham, Forest Hill, Grove Park, Hatcham, Hither Green, Ladywell, New Cross, Southend, Sydenham.
This area was in the county of Kent until 1889 when the London County Council was formed. The exception was the Hatcham/New Cross area of Deptford, which was in Surrey.
Deptford was in the Greenwich Registration District. Lee and Lewisham were in the Lewisham Registration District.
Contact: [email protected]