1700 -1840
1700's
Police, Crime and Punishment.
Until 1793 hangings were carried out on “Gallows tree Common” at lower Barley. Subsequent executions usually took place in public view at the county jail. Multitudes gathered to see the hideous act.
The county Gaol prior to 1793 occupied the site of the existing Chapel of St. Mary’s in Castle Street.
Prior to the institution of police in 1833, Reading had 13 watchmen going around. The public were required under penalties to aid in quelling a breach of the peace. It failed however to hold crime in check. Robberies, begging annoyances, street fights, and nightly disorders, facilitated by ineffective street lights, were a standing topic of complaint. Within sight of Reading, coaches and, horsemen were stopped and robbed.
There was a general decline in the National Church and the persecution of non-conformists persisted. Reading was greatly influenced by John Wesley from 1739-1781. During this time the Methodists began to play their part in the history of Reading. John Kennick became the first of Wesley’s lay preachers in the town.
Wesley quoted in his diary “in the evening I preached at Reading. How we were beating the air at this town? Stretching out our hands to a people as stupid as oxen! But, it is not so at present. That generation is passed away, and their children are of a more excellent spirit.”
1700
Reading had returned to comparative prosperity. The use of the rivers helped trade immensely, but it was General Banking that made all this possible. Two of three local banks are still with us: Stephen's Blandy & Co. became Lloyds bank and J.C. Simonds & Co. became Barclays Bank.
1704
Father Grimston hired a room for the “convenience of poor Catholics to serve God.”
1707
Reverend Samuel Doolittle became minister of Broad St Chapel. He was the son of Reverend Thomas Doolittle who had been ejected from St Alphege’s, London Wall and who kept an Academy at Islington for the training of young men in the ministry.
1715
It is recorded that there were 800 in the congregation of Broad Street Chapel.
1717
Reverend George Burnett became minister of Broad St. Chapel.
1718
There was a split at Broad Street Chapel when the Presbyterians left and formed a separate Church in Sun Lane now known as King Street. The new congregation was subsequently dissolved.
1739-74
St. Giles church experienced a great ‘awakening’ through the Rev. William Talbot. He was described as being “baptised with the Holy Spirit and with fire, fervent in spirit and setting his face like flint.” His preaching saw many converts. During his 6 years in Reading, 200-300 souls came to Christ. He died in 1774, and his wife Sarah continued to live in Reading at 55 Castle Street.
1740
The Reverend John Burnett became Minister of Broad Street Chapel and remained until 1746.
1741
By this time there was a catholic congregation of 300. What later became Finch’s Buildings in Hosier Street was the centre of most of the early work. When French priests were driven out of France they came to England and five began to minister in Reading from Hosier Street.
1747
John Wesley preached in Reading under threat that a hired mob were coming to tear down the preaching house. John Wesley formed chapels in London Street (1814) and Church Street (1817).
1748
The Reverend Evan Jones took up the post of Minister. During his time at Broad Street Chapel a new parsonage was secured.
1764
The beginning of Reverend Thomas Noon’s ministry. He was an “adopted son” of Lady Huntingdon. She desired that Thomas become a part of the Countess of Huntingdon Connection but he had set his mind on becoming an Independent minister, partly through the influence of the preaching of Whitefield. Reverend Noon was the grandfather of T.N. Talfourd who became member of parliament for Reading.
1775
The vicarage of St. Giles was offered to William Cartogan, the grandson of Lord Cartogan, who lived at Caversham. Cartogan was said to have been “arrogant and self-opinionated, but had a mis-guided zeal for God's Word.” On his arrival at St. Giles he dismissed Talbot's evangelical curate. He also rejected Wesley’s preaching.
As a result of this change of emphasis many of St. Giles congregation left and went to Hosier Lane Baptist Chapel, which was experiencing revival through the ministry of Thomas Davies.
1780
After four years as vicar of St Giles, Cartogan declared publicly his change of heart. This change was largely brought about through the prayers and encouragement of Sarah Talbot. A period of most effective ministry began for him. As a result many of those who had left returned to St. Giles.
1796
By the end of 1796 there were 200 Catholic clergy working out of Hosier Street.
1796
The Reverend Archibald Douglas became Minister of Broad Street Chapel. In this year he opened a Sunday School for boys which was the first of its kind in Reading. This was followed by a girls school. The boys school was in Dukes Head Yard which now forms part of Queen Victoria Street and the girls school was in Upper Friar Street. It is an interesting fact that up until recently descendants of those first pupils still worshipped at Broad Street Chapel.
1797
Mr Douglas formed the Reading Evangelical Society in which two other Nonconformist Churches united with Broad Street Chapel to do evangelistic work in the villages near Reading. Several village chapels were established at this time including the Congregational Church in Tilehurst.
The work at Broad Street Chapel so prospered under the ministry of Mr Douglas that the old building was pulled down and another built on the same site. This is now Waterstones Bookshop. They have restored the stained glass window and it stands for all to see. A house next to the site was purchased for the parsonage and ground next to the chapel was used for burial.
1797
The Kings Arms Inn at the top of Castle Street housed 231 refugee Roman Catholic priests and there were 104 more in other parts of the town. The Kings Arms Inn became a Reading House where Masses were held each day from 5 a.m. to noon, High Mass on Sundays and Feast Days and also daily Benediction in their chapel which held 400 people.
1797
Cartogan died. At his funeral Cartogan’s motto was read out; “Go on...strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus; and doubt not, that you shall find the grace of Christ as sufficient for you... He will be to you the same yesterday, today and forever.”
1798
Joseph Eyre became the next vicar of St. Giles.
He opposed the evangelical doctrine publicly and through newspaper articles. His stance eventually caused a split in the congregation of St. Giles and they had to find a place where the Gospel could be preached and the Prayer book used.
Former members of St. Giles helped found Castle Street Chapel, an evangelical independent Anglican church. It was a 1000 seater building - which at that time held a 10th of Reading’s population.
The Chapel’s first minister was William Green. On his induction he preached “the fields are white already unto the harvest.”
Castle Street Chapel was built on the site where the old County Gaol stood.
Two prominent members of the congregation, Peter French and Thomas Ring founded the chapel at Peppard at their own expense. Dr. Ring was characterised as a “fearless professor of faith of Christ Crucified.”
The only denomination at this time still without any proper place of worship were the Roman Catholics. St James’ Catholic Church, close to the site of the Abbey was opened in 1840.
1799
The second minister of Castle Street Chapel was Rev. Henry Gauntlett. He was attracted to it because of its partial conformity. He ministered there for two years and then moved to Nettlebed. However, he remained a friend of the Chapel all his life. He came to its defence when it was attacked by a noted Reading historian, who claimed that all the congregation did was read the Bible. In one of Gauntlett’s letters he said, “This assertion, sir, is the highest compliment you can possibly pay to the inhabitants of Reading.”
1793-1815
Napoleonic wars brought military activity to Reading, along with many European refugees and prisoners of war who lived locally on parole. During the French revolution, Reading became a refuge for émigré French Priests. The government requisitioned the King's Arms on Castle Hill where some 200 were housed.
1800
The new Broad Street Chapel building was opened for worship on 2nd December.
Rev. Douglas moved a resolution adopting a Declaration of Faith and Order as that of the Congregational Body. A quote from the Reverend William Legge who wrote a history of the Broad Street Chapel says “Mr Douglas was fitted for the age of Societies and there was not a Committee formed in Reading for the redress of any oppression or for the cure of any sorrow by which our race can be visited or for the diffusion of any blessing of which mankind can partake in common, of which he was not chosen a member. On several of these Committees he co-operated most cordially with various clergymen of the Church of England.”
1802
The reading house was closed and most of the French priests returned to France. It was in this year that Abbe Francois Languet, a Roman Catholic Priest, began his ministry in Reading. He was much loved and widely known. In 1817, he was murdered near the Army Barracks on the Oxford Road it was felt to be a great loss to the town.
St James Roman Catholic Church was built during the ministry of Father Francis Bowland. The church was built almost totally with materials from Reading Abbey.
1803 -1820
This was a time of crisis for Castle Street Chapel.
Discontented members of St. Lawrence joined the Chapel. They began to rebel against the Anglican use of the prayer book; the Lord's Supper and the baptism of infants. The rebels eventually left, and reopened the chapel in Minster Street with a few equally discontented individuals from Hosier Lane and Broad Street Independent Chapel. In 1827 this congregation folded and rejoined Broad Street Independent Chapel.
Meanwhile, Castle Street Chapel had many problems and was without a permanent minister until 1809. Joseph Watkins, who was living in the Chapel house since the departure of Gauntlett, was ordained and employed as the minister. The congregation drew up a trust deed, designed to make clear their allegiance to the doctrine and order of the Church of England. This was followed by comparatively uneventful 20 years.
1820
James Sherman became minister of Castle Street Chapel. This an excerpt from his journal
“For sometimes a divine influence fell upon the word which astonished both minister and people. Some of those ‘times of refreshing’ can never be forgotten. One Whitsunday morning, I was preaching. The congregation was melted to tears; and every one felt as if he wished to be alone with God... The congregation caught the infection, and hands seemed involuntarily stretched out as if ready to sign their names... A large number had never partaken of the bread and the cup before tremblingly to the table: weeping mothers bringing their stalwart sons; ...lt pleased God to move eighty-one souls, most of them young, to devote themselves to His Church and service that day.” 1834. “Oh, let your hearts be lifted up to Christ, that He may take entire and eternal possession of your souls, and that, by His life in you, you may never dread to die. Be ye also ready for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.”
In his probationary period James Sherman made a big impression all around Reading. The Cross was the centre of his preaching, but he also resourced the daughter Chapel at Peppard.
1826
Was the beginning of Mr Thomas Chivers Everett becoming the co-pastor of Broad Street Chapel. He was a young man “of the loftiest and most saintly character.” The congregation grew under his joint leadership with Rev. Douglas and it was necessary to build galleries at the side of the Chapel.
1827
James Sherman founded Woodley and Caversham Hill Chapel. He was determined to succeed where others had failed at Theale, which was often called ‘Little Sodom.’ A butcher, who was converted at Castle Street, provided his kitchen for services. He later built a chapel in his garden which still exist today.
1835
Binfield and Wargrave Chapels were founded by Sherman. Wargrave has been noted for its opposition to the Gospel.
1836
Sherman left Castle Street Chapel feeling that Reading was showing signs for the better. At that time St. Lawrence, St. Giles and Holy Trinity, founded in 1827, all had evangelical vicars.
Four days after Sherman’s departure, Thomas Ring showed his fellow Trustees a license from the Bishop of Salisbury, authorising the use of the Chapel for C. of E. services. This eventually brought about a split in the congregation. About 200 people, lead by John Hinton, went to Broad Street Chapel. It was resolved to form “a new congregation in Reading on dissenting principles.”
1837
The first marriage performed in a chapel.
1837
Almost opposite Castle St Chapel a new building was built, capable of seating approx. 1000. The Rev. Sherman came and took the opening service. He was very sad that the split came about and many people were deeply wounded by it all.
This chapel’s first minister was Mr. Spedding Curwen. The declining town centre population and falling attendance resulted in its closure 1856. The remaining congregation transferred to a new chapel in Southcote. The building, in Castle Street, is now an entertainment complex, comprising of nightclub, restaurant and gym.
Meanwhile, Charles Goodhart became the minister of Castle Street chapel. In his induction he preached “Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today and forever.” He was also a keen supporter of the mission to the Jews in London. In 1898 Goodhart founded Tolker's Green Chapel, in Caversham.
Do events from the past have any influence on the way we are today?
- Oxford Road site of murder of Roman Catholic Priest.
- John Wesley visited and preached here.
- 800+ at Broad St Chapel.
- A great awakening at St Giles.
- Broad Street split.
- Hosier Lane Baptists experiencing revival.
- Broad Street and two other non-conformist chapels unite in evangelism and plant churches.
- St Giles new vicar against evangelical doctrine caused split.
- Former members of St Giles found Castle Street Chapel (1000 seater church).
1066 - 1540 The Middle Ages including Reading Abbey
1540-1700 including The Civil War
Historical Streets and Places in Reading
Praying together for Reading - What is God doing?
Words, Pictures, Prophecies and Promises
Principle Sources and Further Reading