Our History / Family History Searches
Westerham (Oistreham) is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, and was a significant settlement at the time. The earliest parts of the present building date from the 13th century and it has been added to and modified many times over the years. Indeed it is believed that there has been a church on this site since the 7th century.
Download the leaflet below to discover more of the history of our church.
St Mary’s Westerham Heritage Trust is a registered charity which exists to help in the work of preserving, restoring, improving and caring for our beautiful ancient church building, its furnishings and grounds. Find out more at their website.
For Family History Searches (all but the most recent baptisms and marriages) the local Diocesan Record Office is:
Centre for Kentish Studies
County Hall
Maidstone
Kent
ME14 1XQ
Tel 01622 694363
Some more recent records continue to be held by the church. Please note that our churchyard and its records are extensive and searching the records can take time. There are also busy times in our office and so we cannot always accommodate "drop in" inquiries. So if you are planning to visit the church please contact the Parish Office in advance, providing as much information as possible, so that we have the opportunity to search our records thoroughly on your behalf.
There is a charge for this service which our Parish Administrator will be happy to explain to you.