Sir William’s magnificent tree – commemorating Rotherhithe’s Lord of the Manor who helped create Southwark Park

Recently a new tree was planted in Southwark Park to commemorate Sir William Maynard Gomm. Pat Kingwell, a founder member of the Southwark Park Association 1869, attended the planting ceremony along with his band of merry people. Sadly I couldn't join them but he gave me this information about Sir William and what a great chap he'd been; alongside a very colourful and distinguished career he did so much for the people of Rotherhithe , writes Debra Gosling...

Born into a military family Gomm lost both his parents when very young. He was brought up by his aunt Miss Jane Gomm, and her friend Miss Martha Caroline Goldsworthy, who had both been governesses to the daughters of King George III. In recognition of his father’s services, Gomm received his first commission in the Army at ten years of age.

In a long career he served in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, including at Waterloo. He later became Chief Commander in Jamaica, Governor of Mauritius, Commander in Chief of India, Field Marshal of the Coldstream Guards and Constable of the Tower of London. On his death in 1875 he had been in the Army for 80 years, the longest service on record.

His connection with Rotherhithe came through his aunt Jane Gomm. On her death in 1822 he succeeded to her large property holdings in the area and became Lord of the Manor of Rotherhithe, a position he held for 53 years until his own passing. He married twice – first to Sophia Penn, granddaughter of William Penn of Pennsylvania, who died in 1827; and secondly, in 1830, to Elizabeth Kerr. He had no children by either of these marriages.

Sir William Maynard Gomm. Public Domain.

Gomm, a Christian, was the staunch friend of the Reverend Edward Blick, Rector of Rotherhithe and his successor Rev Edward Josselyn Beck. He supported many church schemes. In 1839 the new church of Christ Church was built on land given by him near what is today BOSCO and King’s Stairs Gardens.

In 1840 All Saints Church in Lower Road was built on land donated by Gomm – today the site is King George’s Field. The site for St Mary's National Schools in the Lower Road was his gift and he laid the first stone of new schools in Paradise Street.

All the Rotherhithe schools were generously aided by his yearly subscriptions. In 1872 he gave largely towards the erection of St Barnabas Church in Plough Road, and to the Gomm Schools in the same district.

The Black walnut tree. Copyright Sarah Vaughan 2025

The Gomm connection with Southwark Park is a very direct one. In 1866 Sir William sold some sixty acres of market-garden ground to the Metropolitan Board of Works to form the park, for which he received £56,200 in payment. An entrance was named after the nearby road which had borne his name since at least 1850.

The Christ Church entrance is named after the church he helped establish. Maynard Road was also named after him, later submerged within the 1970s Osprey Estate, Lower Road.

On his death on March 15 1875, aged 91, Sir William bequeathed his estates to his widow Elizabeth, who became Lady of the Manor of Rotherhithe. Lady Gomm survived her husband for two years, passing on November 30, 1877. She was buried beside her husband at Christ Church.

When this church was demolished in 1979 the Gomms’ remains were re-interred at Nunhead Cemetery, the lid of the sarcophagus was made into a seat at the home of Richard Carr Gomm in Frome, Somerset. That's extreme recycling for you!

Lady Gomm founded a charity for Rotherhithe pensioners and left £5000 for the benefit of the parish, with which her trustees erected the Lady Elizabeth Memorial Mission Hall and Accident Hospital in Hawkstone Road right next to Southwark Park. Opened in 1885 the former hospital building survived as Lady Gomm House, and is today used by Cavendish School.

Lady Gomm bequeathed the Manor to her niece, Emily Blanche Carr, wife of Francis Culling Carr. Emily and her husband and children assumed the name of Gomm after their name of Carr. The Carr-Gomms carried on benevolent work in Rotherhithe, including in 1885 the sale of a house on the border of Southwark Park for £120, which was demolished to create the Dilston Grove entrance.

In 1887 the family gave the land to build the Rotherhithe Public Baths and Washhouses in Lower Road. This site later became the Seven Islands Leisure Centre.

In 1897 the family gave land to build Rotherhithe Town Hall. The Caryatides from the Town Hall were relocated to Southwark Park in 2011. Today the site contains Neptune Street Park.

The commemorative tree is a Black Walnut which will grow into a huge and beautiful specimen. It is a piece of living history which will be appreciated by so many generations to come. Very fitting for a man so decorated!