Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1790-1939 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
0.46 linear metres
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
George Whitefield (1714-1770), the famous evangelical preacher, obtained a lease of the site for his Chapel in Tottenham Court Road in 1756. Whitefield had been driven to seek a place where he would be free from the opposition encountered from the vicar of St Martin-in-the-Fields at the Long Acre Chapel where he had been a minister. The Chapel, built and probably designed by Matthew Pearce, was opened for public worship in 1756 and was enlarged in the winter of 1759 to 1760. Whitefield died in Boston, America in 1770 and his memorial sermon was preached in the Chapel by John Wesley.
When the original lease expired in 1827, the freehold was purchased by Trustees, who reconditioned the Chapel which was reopened for services in October 1831. In 1853 the burial ground which had been in use since 1756 with an interval of eight years, 1823-1831, was closed. There was a dispute when in 1856 the Reverend J.W. Richardson endeavoured to use part of it for building purposes, and owners of the graves applied for an injunction against the disturbance of the ground. However, in 1895 it was laid out and opened as a public garden.
In 1856 the Chapel was repaired, only to be almost wholly destroyed by fire in February 1857. The property was then bought up by the London Congregational Building Society who erected a new building designed by John Tarring. However, in 1889 the foundations began to give way, probably because of the numerous burials within the building which disturbed the filling to the pond underneath.
The Chapel was closed and services were carried out in a temporary iron structure until the new building was opened in November 1899. On 25 March 1945 the Chapel was totally destroyed by bombing and was subsequently replaced by a new building which still remains on the site.
Repository
Archival history
ACC/1801 1790-1939 Collection 0.46 linear metres Whitefields Chapel , Tottenham Court Road
George Whitefield (1714-1770), the famous evangelical preacher, obtained a lease of the site for his Chapel in Tottenham Court Road in 1756. Whitefield had been driven to seek a place where he would be free from the opposition encountered from the vicar of St Martin-in-the-Fields at the Long Acre Chapel where he had been a minister. The Chapel, built and probably designed by Matthew Pearce, was opened for public worship in 1756 and was enlarged in the winter of 1759 to 1760. Whitefield died in Boston, America in 1770 and his memorial sermon was preached in the Chapel by John Wesley.
When the original lease expired in 1827, the freehold was purchased by Trustees, who reconditioned the Chapel which was reopened for services in October 1831. In 1853 the burial ground which had been in use since 1756 with an interval of eight years, 1823-1831, was closed. There was a dispute when in 1856 the Reverend J.W. Richardson endeavoured to use part of it for building purposes, and owners of the graves applied for an injunction against the disturbance of the ground. However, in 1895 it was laid out and opened as a public garden.
In 1856 the Chapel was repaired, only to be almost wholly destroyed by fire in February 1857. The property was then bought up by the London Congregational Building Society who erected a new building designed by John Tarring. However, in 1889 the foundations began to give way, probably because of the numerous burials within the building which disturbed the filling to the pond underneath.
The Chapel was closed and services were carried out in a temporary iron structure until the new building was opened in November 1899. On 25 March 1945 the Chapel was totally destroyed by bombing and was subsequently replaced by a new building which still remains on the site.
Received in 1982 (Acc/1801).
Records of the Whitefields Chapel, Tottenham Court Road, 1790-1939, including registers of burials, service sheets, index of speakers, financial accounts, Council and Finance Committee agenda and minutes, magazines, notices and calendars of activities, correspondence relating to financial, management and organisational arrangements and inventories.
In three sections: Registers; Administration and Finance; Correspondence and General Papers
These records are available for public inspection, although records containing personal information are subject to access restrictions under the UK Data Protection Act, 1998.
Copyright: Depositor
English
Fit
Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm
See also LMA/4472 and LMA/4143.
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997. January to March 2009 Whitefield , George , 1714-1770 , Calvinistic Methodist evangelical preacher Religions Ancient religions Christianity Protestantism Evangelicalism Evangelicals Primary documents Church records and registers Religious activities Religious practice Preaching Information sources Clergy Documents Parish records Burial registers Architecture Buildings Religious buildings Chapels Nonconformist chapels Religious groups Christians UK England London Camden Tottenham Court Road Protestants Nonconformists Organisation and management Administration Church administration Whitefields Chapel , Tottenham Court Road Western Europe Europe Burial records
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Received in 1982 (Acc/1801).
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Records of the Whitefields Chapel, Tottenham Court Road, 1790-1939, including registers of burials, service sheets, index of speakers, financial accounts, Council and Finance Committee agenda and minutes, magazines, notices and calendars of activities, correspondence relating to financial, management and organisational arrangements and inventories.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
In three sections: Registers; Administration and Finance; Correspondence and General Papers
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
These records are available for public inspection, although records containing personal information are subject to access restrictions under the UK Data Protection Act, 1998.
Conditions governing reproduction
Copyright: Depositor
Language of material
- English
Script of material
- Latin
Language and script notes
English
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
See also LMA/4472 and LMA/4143.
Finding aids
Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Publication note
Notes area
Note
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
- Religions
- Religions » Ancient religions
- Religions » Ancient religions » Christianity
- Religions » Ancient religions » Christianity » Protestantism
- Documents » Primary documents
- Religious activities
- Religious activities » Religious practice
- Information sources
- Religious groups » Clergy
- Documents
- Architecture
- Architecture » Buildings
- Religious buildings
- Religious groups
- Religious groups » Christians
- Administration
Place access points
Name access points
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
Language(s)
- English