Place Name
Edward Penner was a (now obscure) churchwarden of St Mary’s Church, Wimbledon, in 1803, according to the Wandsworth Heritage Service’s Street and Place Name Origins Card Index. He was likely also one of the local overseers, collecting taxes for poor relief and administering the local workhouse. Churchwardens were lay officials elected by parishioners or appointed by local clergy to manage the secular affairs of a parish church. Their primary responsibilities included maintaining the church building and its grounds, overseeing church property, and managing finances related to the upkeep of the church. They often collected parish rates (local taxes for church expenses), supervised repairs, and purchased supplies for services. They were also responsible for maintaining order during services, ensuring appropriate behaviour in church, and sometimes acting as intermediaries between the clergy and congregation. They could play a quasi-legal role by reporting offences like absences from church or other moral transgressions to ecclesiastical courts. Each parish typically had two churchwardens, one chosen by the parishioners and one by the incumbent (the local priest or vicar). Their role, while largely administrative, was essential to the functioning of parish life, helping the church remain a central part of community and social welfare.
