In 1881 St Saviour’s was a new church, built to serve a new suburb. This book describes the ups and downs of life in the parish during its formative years. It shows how St Saviour’s reflected the character of its neighbourhood, and examines its role in the religious and cultural life of south London during a period of rapid social change.

Richard Olney was an archivist at Lincolnshire Archives Office 1969-1975 and an Assistant Keeper with the Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts 1976-2003. His doctoral thesis was published as Lincolnshire Politics 1832-1885 in 1973, and since then he has written various books and articles on English nineteenth-century political, social and local history. He and his wife live in St Saviour’s parish.