Croydon is a town nine and a half miles south of Charing Cross, London.

Wesleyan Methodists

There was a small licensed Methodist meeting place in 1788 with around 30 people attending in the morning and around 100 in the evening. The meeting house was three cottages in North End knocked into one. In 1829 a Wesleyan chapel was built in Narrow Alley, North End. This was replaced by a new chapel in Tamworth Road which was opened on Wednesday 3 February 1858. The old chapel was retained and used as a Sunday school. By 1862 a Day School for boys and girls was started. When North-end Lodge and its extensive grounds on London Road were put up for auction in 1893 a group of Methodists bought both house and grounds. They rented out the northern part of the grounds, including the house, to a private school, but retained the southern part in order to build a new church. The memorial stones were laid on 20 September 1899. The opening ceremony of the 1000 seat church was on Thursday 6 September 1900. On 14 September 1927, following a major renovation of the premises and a newly built Junior School Hall, the premises were opened by Lady Rosa Dorothea Lamb (1883-1979) who was deputising for her husband Sir Ernest H. Lamb. The original church was demolished and replaced with the West Croydon Methodist church hall which was opened on 4 April 1956.

South Croydon Wesleyan Church

On Thursday 2 May 1895 eight memorial stones were laid in Brighton Road for a new church to seat 600 people. The foundation stones for a new Sunday school were laid on Thursday 1 June 1911 and the new Sunday School was opened on 25 October 1911. In 1977 South Croydon Methodist Church and the Aberdeen Road Congregational Church united, forming the South Croydon United Church, Aberdeen Road.

Primitive Methodists

Croydon was first missioned in 1848 by David Hodgson, a Local Preacher who became a PM travelling preacher in September 1848. In 1849 the Croydon Mission was created with Rev. Edward Powell (1823-1902) as the minister who continued in post until 1852. Mr David Hodgson bought a plot of land for £120 and gave it to the mission. On Sunday 1 September 1861 a Camp Meeting was held on the land on Laud Street close to the corner of Wandle Street. The trustees erected a temporary wooden chapel. On Monday 4 September 1865 a memorial stone was laid by J. T. Matthews, Esq., for a chapel, Sunday school and minister's house. The chapel, seating 250 people, was opened on Thursday 28 June 1866. After a little less than a century, the final service was held on Monday 21 March 1960.

Entry written by: DHR
Category: Place
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