Notable People
Some Noteworthy People Associated with St Mary’s...
Charles Dickens
(1812-1870)
Made Putney Church the setting for
David Copperfield's marriage to Dora Spenlow.
Thomas Cromwell
(1485-1540)
Born in Putney. Chancellor of England 1533. Earl of Essex.
Henry VIII's agent in the dissolution of the monasteries.
Lost favour through his part in disastrous marriage of
Henry to Anne of Cleaves. Executed at Tower Hill.
Samuel Pepys
(1633-1701)
Mentions St Mary's in his diary for 1667, when he attended a service where he heard a "good sermon" and where "I saw the girls of the school, few of which were pretty".
Nicholas West
(1461-1533)
Born in Putney. Educated at Eton and
Cambridge. Doctor of Law. Protégé of Sir
Thomas More. Chaplain to Henry VII.
Dean of Windsor 1510-1515.
Consecrated Bishop of Ely 1515. One
of Henry VIII's ambassadors and advisers. Sided with Catherine of Aragon in royal
divorce dispute and died out of favour at Ely.
Oliver Cromwell
(1599-1658)
During the Civil War, the headquarters of Cromwell's army was briefly located at Putney. In 1647, meetings of the Army Council were held in the then Chancel of the church. These discussions on the future government of the realm were published as the "Putney Debates".