In 1877 a new suburb of London, Peckham, started to be built for a large population. The London Mission Committee of the United Methodist Free Churches decided to get in on the ground floor, and commissioned a design of a chapel and Sunday School from Frederick Boreham. This is the building illustrated. The memorial stones were laid on Tuesday 24th April 1877, with stirring words from the ex-President Rev. J. Kirsop, followed by the inevitable Methodist tea, and an evening public meeting.
The plans were a leap of faith “Although operations will commence on this plot with but one family already identified with us, yet our prospects are cheering.” The Sunday School was erected in 1877, and was used for worship until the cause took off, at which point the church was built, opening on 21 May, 1885. The chapel seated 550.
Eighteen months later, on 24th October 1886, a morning congregation of 98, and evening congregation of 157 were reported to the Religious census of London. In 1902-03 another survey was held, The Religious life of London. The morning congregation was then 154, made up of 31 men, 31 women and 92 children, the evening attendance was calculated as 137 (38 men, 73 women and 26 children).
The building was sold to the Congregationalists of Hanover Chapel in November 1920. It still exists in religious use as can be seen in this page created by the Peckham Society
There are photographs by Bill Smith on the British Methodist Buildings website of both the church (which was built without a spire) and Schoolroom.
Sources:
The United Methodist Free Churches Magazine Vol. XX, 1877 pp366-367 and 441-442
The Religious census of London. Hodder and Stoughton, 1888
The Religious life of London. Hodder and Stoughton, 1904
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