Lamorbey was part of the old Manor of Bexley from the 15th century and was owned by the Archbishops of Canterbury. Over 150 years ago, the lands and grounds of Lamorbey House came into the Estate of the Malcolm family of Poltalloch in Argyllshire when Neill Malcolm married the daughter of Dr David Orme (owner from 1783 - 1812). Lamorbey and most of the Sidcup area was then in the Parish of St Mary Bexley. Those who lived in Lamorbey had to travel to Bexley to attend divine worship or the occasional Services of Holy Baptism, the Solemnisation of Marriage or the funerals of loved ones. In 1838 John Malcolm, succeeded his brother and took charge of the estate making arrangements for the Reverend William Peart to come to Lamorbey to conduct services in one of the farmhouses. He moved into Abbey Hill House (now the Montrose Club in Hurst Road). John Malcolm commissioned the building of Lamorbey Chapel to accommodate 120 people, on a site between Burnt Oak Lane and the present Church building, its cost was met by subscription and donations. The names and amounts are listed on a wall plaque on the north side of the church building. It is noted that The Malcolm family were generous benefactors covering nearly half of the cost.
The Chapel was consecrated by the Archbishop of Canterbury on 3rd June 1840. John Malcolm then set up funds which provided interest to pay the priest’s stipend and income for a repair fund. Since that time the Malcolm family has been the private Patron for the purposes of presenting new Vicars to the Diocesan Bishop, on the benefice being vacant, and on rare occasions, as in the case of the presentation of Father George, this right reverts to the Archbishop of Canterbury. The Chapel was altered in 1851 to create additional seating and space for sacramental worship, inspired by the Tractarians & Oxford Movement.
In 1866 the loop-line of the South Eastern Railway was constructed and Sidcup Station was opened, the result of this was an increase in house building to meet the population expansion. The Chapel could not cope with the increased population in the area, as a result the architect Ewan Christian (1814-1895) was commissioned to design a new church building. He was at the time involved in the redevelopment of the National Portrait Gallery in London.
A new parish of Lamorbey was created in 1879 and Holy Trinity Church was consecrated by the Archbishop of Canterbury on 21st June 1880. In 1905 Lamorbey became part of the Diocese of Rochester; in 1909 a mission hall was set up in Days Lane, to provide for the needs of the expanded population in the north of the Parish, this eventually became the Parish of Holy Redeemer, Lamorbey in 1933.
In 1944 as a result of enemy action (a flying bomb impacting nearby) Holy Trinity and the Old Church School were severely damaged. The west end of the church was blown in, the blast destroyed all eight stained glass windows. Only the East end stained glass window was replaced: the ‘Te Deum’ window, designed by Martin Travers the architect commissioned to rebuild the church after the war damage.
