Morden, Surrey

Description
Mordon or Morden, a village and a parish in Surrey. The village stands 1 1/2 mile SW of the river Wandle, and has a station on the L.B. & S.C.R., 12 miles from London, and 5 1/2 WNW of Croydon. Post town, Mitcham. Acreage of parish, 1475; population, 763. The parish council consists of seven members. Mordon Hall and Mordon Park are chief residences. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Rochester; value, £430. The church was rebuilt of brick in 1636, has stone decorated windows which belonged to the previous church, has also an embattled tower, and contains some brasses and monuments. A tradition runs thus:-After the church was plundered by Henry VIII. and his daughter Mary, Queen Elizabeth, riding past from Croydon to Nonsuch Park, saw the church roof going to ruin, asked how it came to pass, was told, then ordered all the churches in Surrey to make collections for the restoration of the ruined fabric. So it was done at the end of the 16th century, and George Garth restored the rectorial rights; hence on his tomb in the chancel he is called " Ecclesise Amicus."