The Church of England's founding was heralded by Henry VIII's split with Rome and the Dissolution of the Monasteries by which all of the abbots were retired, and their institutions' endowments – such as in this parish – were confiscated.

Until about the 1840s, much of the population was scattered in rural farmhouses, country houses and cottages or those living along the east side of the High Street and thus not in Gravesend parish.

Just as Northfleet developed to the west of Gravesend, so decennial censuses record that this parish saw an almost fourfold increase in population between 1831 and 1901 (from 4,348 to 9,256, in 1851, to 15,534 in 1901).

[2] In the next ten year census the number of houses slightly increased, as did occupation rates; the population next stood at 14,994.

[6] In other faith centres, the parish has the more protestant place of worship of St Paul's United Reformed Church, and two small independent churches/chapels.