Gavin Darcy: Posted on 30 May 2012 15:20
Informationand history of Putney and the Commons goes back many years. It was first foundwithin the Doomsday Book in 1086. The ancient survey mentions that Putney or"Putelei" was owned by Mortlake at this time, and was not consideredto be a manor. Today, this Londondistrict is one of the thirty five centres inside the Greater London area. TheCommons however, are strikingly different. TheCommons are a large area of conservatory land in South West London vicinity.The entire vicinity is well over one thousand acres of land. Some of theCommons is woodland and heath land. Some areas are well groomed recreationplaces and you will find nine different ponds. Thereis an abundance of wild life in this unfenced Commons. It never closes and isopen to everyone all day and all night. On weekends it is not uncommon to seeten thousand visitors or more to the area. It is an excellent location to getaway from normal city life and commune with nature. This region has produced two famous statesmen. The Earl of Essex, Thomas Cromwell,and the Bishop of Ely, Nicolas West, have gained notoriety for their manyachievements. TheEarl of Essex began life as Thomas Cromwell, a blacksmith's son, in 1485. Hewas very active in the Reformation. When Henry VII sought a divorce fromCatherine, the Earl of Essex assisted with the process. He was Henry's chiefminister for eight years from 1532 until 1540. He also played a major role inchurch activities during his lifetime. Cromwell'srise to power was only succeeded by his fall. As he was instrumental in Henry'smarriage to Anne of Cleves, he was also blamed for its failure. In fact, he wasexecuted for reasons of heresy and treason in July 1540. NicolasWest started out in life as a baker's son. In time, his career allowed him tobecome chaplain to King Henry VII. He rose to the post of Bishop of Ely in1515. West was sent many places in the name of Henry to negotiate treaties andonce to arrange a marriage. His diplomatic skills were excellent and he gainedwide notoriety. Putneyin the early years became well known for its ferry crossings. This wasindicated in the household writings of Edward I. The ferry was mentioned in theDoomsday Book and eventually a bridge was built to Fulham. Later a bridge wasconstructed across the Thames. Thislocation is famous for its many historic monuments. It is a walk back intohistory to view and read all of the inscriptions. Many writings can be foundall around and inside the church. Thearea is well known for its rowing competitions since the mid 1800s. Commutingis improved thanks to the railway and bridge construction. Since 1829 theUniversity Boat Race has been held on the Putney River.There are over twenty rowing clubs on the river today. There is such a greatdeal of information and history of Putney and the Commons; it would take farmore than this simple space to convey all of the important and historic thingsthat have occurred.
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