Petersham: appears in Domesday Book of 1086 as Patricesham. It was held by Chertsey Abbey. Its assets were: 4 hides; 1 church, 5 ploughs, 1 fishery worth 1000 eels and 1000 lampreys, 3 acres (12,000 m2) of meadow. It rendered £6 10s 0d.
The town was the birthplace in 1682 of Archibald Campbell, later 3rd Duke of Argyll and Earl of Islay. He went on to found the Royal Bank of Scotland in Edinburgh in 1727, and his face adorns the obverse of all banknotes issued by the Royal Bank since 1987. Explorer George Vancouver retired to Petersham, where he wrote the Voyage of Discovery whilst living in what is now called the "Navigator's House" in River Lane. He died in 1798 and is buried in the churchyard of St. Peter's. In 1847 Queen Victoria granted Pembroke Lodge in the Petersham part of Richmond Park to John Russell, 1st Earl Russell and it became their family home. Lord Russell's grandson, Bertrand Russell, spent some of his childhood there also.

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