Topic ID 6893
Can anyone tell me the history of this (apologies to anyone concerned)boring looking place of worship at the end of Nelson Street? What was there before - and, why is it such a boring looking building that doesn't seem to fit in with the rest of the streetscape?
Reply ID 91151
quote:Arty - I think it is all (and still) linked to The Goldings Estate (Thomas Barnado) and still under the ownership of The Abel Smith Estate. It may have been used by Abel Smith's son, Robert, who became a devotee to Brethren and may have used the property as a meeting place. I would imagine it is so boring because it has not been sold for development, something the religion seems keen to avoid worldwide. It was built c1866.
Originally posted by Arty
Can anyone tell me the history of this (apologies to anyone concerned)boring looking place of worship at the end of Nelson Street? What was there before - and, why is it such a boring looking building that doesn't seem to fit in with the rest of the streetscape?
Reply ID 91152
James - are you talking about the Plymouth Brethren hall at the bottom of Nelson St.? I'd have thought that was much later than 1866 but to be honest I haven't really studied it in detail. Maybe I should have paid more attention when I lived three doors away; there could be more history to the premises than I always thought!
Reply ID 91153
My information is based on local books and also the Goldonian knowledge which has always been of specific interest to me. Have a look at this: http://www.goldonian.org/mem_sub_pages/time_linel.htm
Reply ID 91154
quote:The original site was c1866, the building you see today is obviously very much newer. Dave might be able to give further info (I think he may have done in his earlier posts).
Originally posted by Golden
James - are you talking about the Plymouth Brethren hall at the bottom of Nelson St.? I'd have thought that was much later than 1866 but to be honest I haven't really studied it in detail. Maybe I should have paid more attention when I lived three doors away; there could be more history to the premises than I always thought!
Reply ID 91161
Interesting. Most of the houses etc in that area were built around 1890 - 1897 BUT on the 1897 map there are NO buildings that side of Nelson Street at all and of course no Beane Road that was put in much later. The 1880 map only has houses on Port Hill Terrace - now Byde Street and the old Molewood Road now Fanshawe Street and Port Vale only as far as the railway bridge. Nothing except allotments on what is now Molewood Road, Wellington Street, Nelson Street so the 1860's building must have been elsewhere.
Reply ID 91165
My father remembers it was there when he was a boy so that would make it built between the 1898 map and about mid 1920's.
Reply ID 91180
If I read this right the brethren may have met at the "Hertford Town Church" building on Hartham Lane, that could be before Nelson Street was built.....needs investigating! That building I think was all that was left of a grand house that was pulled down. But that's off topic! http://www.hertfordtownchurch.org/history.htm If Nelson Street has something to do with Robert Abel Smith I wonder if it was built by him or in his memory I think he died of wounds during WW1. The Abel Smith of course built Christ Church in Port Vale so it was all probably their land.........
Reply ID 91900
The chapel on Hartham Lane was formerly used by the Open Brethren. The chapel on Nelson Street is used by the Exclusive Brethren and appears from the internet to have been in existence since at least the 1960s. I found a page on the internet that suggests this congregation may be merging with one in Barnet. As an aside the older Abel Smith was converted on his deathbed under the ministry of Bernard Gilpin (according to his Memoirs). Gilpin was minister of St Andrew's but left the CofE after deciding he could not accept some aspects of the Baptismal Service in the Book of Common Prayer. A chapel was built on Port Vale for the independent congregation he subsequently led. Regards, James Horgan Elder, Hertford Town Church
Reply ID 91918
quote:I think that was the chapel in Port Vale that later became a Laundry and glassworks and was replaced by houses between Russell Street and George Street. Not sure it was brethren though was it?
Originally posted by horganj
The chapel on Hartham Lane was formerly used by the Open Brethren. The chapel on Nelson Street is used by the Exclusive Brethren and appears from the internet to have been in existence since at least the 1960s. I found a page on the internet that suggests this congregation may be merging with one in Barnet. As an aside the older Abel Smith was converted on his deathbed under the ministry of Bernard Gilpin (according to his Memoirs). Gilpin was minister of St Andrew's but left the CofE after deciding he could not accept some aspects of the Baptismal Service in the Book of Common Prayer. A chapel was built on Port Vale for the independent congregation he subsequently led. Regards, James Horgan Elder, Hertford Town Church
Reply ID 91936
Dear Marilyn, you are correct, it wasn't brethren. It was an Independent chapel, perhaps best described as 'High Calvinist' and closed in 1922. Regards, James.
Reply ID 91943
Thanks for that, Mr Gilpin is listed on the census as an Independent Minister so I wasn't sure what that meant he lived in Bengeo Street in the mid 1800's and died in 1871 in Shropshire. Never quite worked out why his daughters was married at St Leonards in 1855 and 1856 and not the Port Vale chapel.
Reply ID 92184
I haven't much to add except that I live on that side of Nelson st and my home was built in 1900. I understand from neighbours who have lived in Nelson St 40 years plus that there have been some changes to the Brethern Meeting House to soundproof it. It may have been rendered at that stage which makes it harder to date.