NORLAND CHAPEL, QUEEN’S-ROAD, NOTTING-HILL.
Norland Chapel is situate in the Queen’s-road, Notting-hill, and on the extreme western boundary of the Parish of Kensington. The boundary stone of the parish is fixed in the wall which surrounds the chapel, and the iron pillar which marks the line of the Hammersmith Parish stands near to it about half a foot further west. It was built in the year 1859, the foundation-stone being laid in May of that year by the late Robert Hanbury, Esq., M.P., for Middlesex. The architect was Mr. Stent, of Warminster, and builders, Messrs. Hill and Robinson, of Whitechapel. Mr. Hill was the builder of the new Holborn-viaduct, and is now building the streets connected with the Holborn-valley improvement. In architecture it is of a very various order, but may be defined as “mixed Italian.” The front, which is towards the south, is somewhat picturesque. The porch is reached by a wide flight of steps, and is adorned with four neat columns of Portland stone, with carved capitals of Bath stone; and surmounted with a large circular window; the whole front having Bath-stone dressing upon coloured brick. There are two side doors, which lead to the gallery in the south end. The building, as a whole, is of plain brick and has a substantial appearance. The west front corner was intended to receive a spire; which, however, has not yet been built. Its erection would certainly be a great improvement to the edifice. In the interior, the space is well economised. Beneath the floor of the chapel, there is a spacious school-room; which serves also as a week-night lecture, preaching, and anniversary tea-meeting room. It is well furnished, and has a harmonium to assist in the services held there. The space behind is laid out in class-rooms, minister’s vestries, and offices. A more compact and commodious suite of rooms for the space at disposal we have seldom met with. The chapel proper provides sittings for 650 people—500 on the ground-floor and 150 in the end gallery. The sittings are let at from 2s. 6d. to 5s. per quarter, and the congregation averages from 300 to 400. A modern raised platform pulpit is an ornament, flanked with two handsome gas pillars; and the pewing is in stained wood, and looks as good as new, after a dozen years’ wear. In lieu of columns to support the roof the ribs which span it rest on ornamental Bath-stone corbels inserted in the walls at about 12 feet high, which are really stronger than they look, and are adopted to prevent the obscurity of the view, and the absorption of space by columns. The chapel is lit by gas pendants from the roof, and is warmed in winter by the same, being lit over night. By this means a comfortable heat is diffused through the building, reaching, if required, to seventy degrees. This method of warming will, of course, be greatly improved, if the gas companies will adopt the patent gas offered them by the “Patent Gas Company,” which professes to reduce the amount of sulphur in every hundred feet of gas from forty-four degrees to about four. In that case, warming by gas would no doubt soon supersede some other methods. Red baize with brass mouldings faces the side walls all round to a certain height above the pews, which gives a comfortable and cheerful appearance to the whole interior. The original cost of the building, including the freehold site, was 3,000l.
The church and congregation at this place are Baptist; but open their communion to all who “profess and give evidence of the New Birth;” and are sufficiently open occasionally to receive any Christian person at the Lord’s Supper who may desire it, and who has previously sent a note or card to the vestry. The basis of its membership is thus expressed in its articles: “We enter this fellowship as Christians, each one holding that the other is united to the Lord Jesus Christ by faith in him according to the Scriptures.” Prior to the present chapel, the congregation met temporarily in an old building facing Shepherd’s-bush-green; but removed to the new and more commodious edifice, with their first minister, the Rev. John Stent, as soon as it was ready. Mr. Stent continued the pastor until he had completed eight years. He was then succeeded by the Rev. W. H. Tredray, who after two years was in turn superseded by the Rev. W. P. Balfern. After two years also of ministerial labour, Mr. Balfern has just been compelled to retire in consequence of ill-health. The church has thus for some little time been deprived of a stated ministry; but we understand, that a minister is upon the point of being formally invited, and will, in all probability, be settled for a period. We heard a plain, earnest sermon from an occasional supply on the morning of our visit. The service was conducted in the way ordinary to Baptist chapels; but we were particularly struck with the excellence of the congregational singing, to which we believe the late pastor devoted much attention. The people appeared very well trained to the perception of harmony, and had in use the Bristol Tune-book, which is well known to be one of the best extant. They were, moreover, effectually sustained by the organ, which is a capital 250l. instrument, by Jones, of Brompton, and well played by the son of the senior deacon of the church.
The support of the ministry is from pew-rents and the proceeds of a weekly offering. The other active institutions are a Sunday-school, with over 300 scholars; a home missionary, supported by the late minister, Mr. Balfern; a Dorcas meeting, maternal society, tract society, and a mothers’ meeting. There is in addition a penny bank, in which a number of poor people and children store their little savings. The order of services is—Sunday, at 11 a.m. and 6.30 p.m., Sunday-school in the afternoon; prayer and preaching on Friday evening at 7.30; a psalmody class meets every Thursday evening for the practice of singing.
LANCASTER-ROAD CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, NOTTING-HILL.
The foundation-stone of this chapel was laid by Samuel Morley, Esq., M.P., in July, 1865, when, although so recent, the whole of that part of North Kensington in which it is situated was open field, with here and there a dotting of new buildings commenced, and new streets laid out. At the present time the occupied suburbs extend quite a mile beyond it either North or West. The congregation worshipping here first assembled in smaller numbers in Westbourne-hall, where they kept together for between two and three years, always with a view to a separate building as opportunity offered. The present freehold site was ultimately obtained for 1,350l., and the cost of the building raised upon it, including the schoolrooms, was 3,500l. It is a substantial structure with a Gothic expression, although totally devoid of ornament. It was, however, originally designed, and is yet intended to have a spire, which certainly will be a vast improvement to the exterior. The interior is light and pleasant, without galleries, with a plain pulpit and pewing, affording accommodation for 500 persons, 100 of the sittings being free, all the remainder let at prices ranging from 5s. to 1l. 1s. per annum. The chapel was opened in January, 1866, by inauguratory services conducted by the Hon. and Rev. Baptist Noel and the Rev. Samuel Martin, of Westminster. From the first the stated minister has been the Rev. Jas. Stuart Russell, whose ministry is highly appreciated as pious, scriptural, able, and earnest. During its continuance there has been gradual prosperity, the church now numbering about 120 communicants, and the congregation reaching an average of between three and four hundred. There is a large Sunday-school, with, including infants, 250 scholars, attended by a goodly staff of teachers: morning and afternoon, under the superintendence of Mr. S. Hicks. The form of service is what is understood as Congregational, and the Congregational Hymn-book is used. An organ well suited to the dimensions of the building is efficiently employed by Mr. Charles Wetton, Jun., in aid of the devotional singing, which seems to lose nothing of its congregational life and character by the presence of the instrument. Divine Service is held on the Sabbath at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m., and in the schoolroom during the week, on Monday and Wednesday evenings, at 7.30. A Communion service on the first Sunday in every month. There are at present four deacons, Messrs. Hicks, Ellerton, W. Knowles, and Wetton, Sen. The locality of this chapel is one which furnishes ample scope for Christian labour and extension on every side. The district in the heart of which it stands, that of All Saints’, has a population of 20,747, according to the figures of the recent census, and it is the only Congregational place of worship within the bounds.
THE “TALBOT TABERNACLE” NOTTING-HILL.
This is an iron church, situate in the Talbot-road, Notting-hill, and a few steps only from and on the same side of the road as “All Saints’” Church. It has the same general features as all the iron buildings, but is larger than most of them, having an end gallery, and affording ample accommodation for one thousand persons. The north end or chancel is occupied with a platform, which serves as a pulpit, and the benches of the auditorium come close to it. It is well warmed with a stove, and lit with plain gas pendants; and altogether has a very comfortable appearance. The history of this building must be traced in connexion with the career of Mr. Gordon Forlong, a name now well known in and beyond the immediate scene of his labours. This gentleman is a Scotch barrister, who, a few years ago (in 1856), felt moved to give up the pursuit of his profession for the work of an evangelist. His endeavours to make known the Gospel appear to have been highly appreciated in his native Aberdeenshire; and were soon sought for in different parts of Scotland and in Edinburgh, where Mr. Forlong spent some time. After a trial, however, he found that the condition of an itinerant preacher, with a family, became impracticable, and resolved on seeking a settled charge in London. Here his first appearance was in the Victoria-hall, Archer-street, in October, 1867. The hall, which he hired on his own responsibility, was generally well attended at his services, and continued to be used by him until 1869. In the latter half of that year, the present building was secured at a cost in all of 2,000l., to be liquidated by instalments, there being also a ground-rent of 96l. per annum. Apart from a little aid which Mr. Forlong has drawn from his friends in the North and elsewhere, the whole financial obligation of this enterprise has rested with himself and the friends who have been inclined to assist him on the spot. That it has been a great struggle is not surprising. At the end of the first year there was a balance on the wrong side of the sheet to the amount of 476l. 1s. 9d., which, being paid by the minister, left the total amount advanced by him for the church 714l. 9s. 6d. This, it may be hoped, has been ere now discharged by the congregation; more especially as up to the present time, the minister’s services, both at the Hall and in the new church, have received no remuneration. There are about 150 sittings, let at from 4s. to 30s. per seat per annum; and there are church-boxes for weekly offerings and various collections through the year. This together may be considered a sufficient financial basis to work upon, in order to place the concern, not long hence, in a free and prosperous condition.
Mr. Gordon Forlong rejects the title of Reverend. Having never obtained or sought ordination in any church, he looks upon himself as a lay preacher of the Gospel, called and set apart by God only; and treats with indifference and even contemns all ministerial titles and peculiar functions, as looking in the direction of priestcraft, which he abhors. He has, from the first, taken his special mission in the neighbourhood to be to oppose Ritualism, which he found developing itself on his arrival, and to call together a people to exemplify spiritual religion. To these objects he has certainly confined himself with great steadiness, and not without success. A number of persons, it is said, find refuge at the “Tabernacle” who have been alienated from their mother Church hard by through Ritualistic practices; and the truth of this statement, it appears, cannot be challenged. The character of the church and congregation which Mr. Forlong has formed is non sectarian, and does not allow itself to be called either Baptist, Congregational, or Wesleyan, or anything else but the Church of Christ; although the mode of conducting the service may be described as a free adaptation of any and all of these. Along with the reading of the Scriptures there is exposition. The hymns used are gathered from all the Nonconformist collections, under the title of “Psalms and Hymns,” published by Elliott, of Tichborne-street. It contains selections from the principal writers—Watts, Doddridge, Toplady, Wesley, &c. One we heard sung was one of the finest and most impassioned of the latter author, commencing—
O Love Divine, how sweet thou art!
When shall I find my willing heart
All taken up by thee?
I thirst, I faint, I die to prove
The greatness of redeeming love,
The love of Christ to me!