Place Name
Dr John Warner (1581 – October 14, 1666) was a former Bishop of Rochester and royalist. During the overthrow of the monarchy in the wake of the English Civil War, Warner and several other bishops refused to take an oath to the Parliamentarians. They in turn ordered the sequestration of his lands and goods in 1643, and Warner had to leave Bromley Palace in disguise. For three years he led a wandering life in the west of England. On the restoration of Charles II, in 1660, Warner was returned to his former role and the Palace, which had been taken from the church and sold during the Commonwealth, given back. Although married he did not have any children and upon his death his estates were inherited by his nephew John Lee, archdeacon of Rochester. As was common Lee adopted his uncle’s name in compliance with the terms of the bishop’s will. It was Warner who endowed Bromley College (or Bishop Warner’s College at Bromley) as a home for 20 widows of clergyman, to be supported by his estate at Swaton. However, money he left for Scottish scholarships at Magdalen College was refused and Balliol College took it up instead. This street, like many others locally, is named after one of the former Bishops of Rochester who from the 12thCentury to 1845 resided at Bromley Palace (also known as the Bishop’s Palace). It is now part of the Civic Centre.
