Brook Street Chapel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Brook Street Chapel |
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Brook Street Chapel, Tottenham
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 Brook Street Chapel
Location in Greater London
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| 51°35′35″N 0°04′09″W / 51.5931931°N 0.0690588°W | |
| Location | Brook Street, High Road, Tottenham, London N17 9JG |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Open Brethren |
| Website | [www.brookstreetchapel.co.uk] |
| History | |
| Founded | 1839 |
| Founder(s) | Robert and John Eliot Howard |
Brook Street Chapel is a special church building located in Tottenham, North London. It was built a long time ago for local Christians. These Christians were part of a group known as the Plymouth Brethren. It's a place where people gather to worship and learn together.
Contents
The Story of Brook Street Chapel
The story of Brook Street Chapel began in 1838. A small group of about eight people started meeting. They had previously been part of the Quakers but decided to form their own group. They met at the home of a Mrs. Sands.
In 1839, the Brook Street Meeting House was built and opened. Two important people among the first members were the chemist John Eliot Howard and his brother Robert. Their father, Luke Howard, who studied weather, also helped with money. He moved to Tottenham shortly after.
You can find plaques in Tottenham that remember the Howards. There's a blue plaque for Luke Howard at 7 Bruce Grove. A green plaque for John Howard is where his home used to be.
Growing Together
Tottenham grew a lot during the 1800s. The group of Christians also grew quickly. By 1842, there were about 88 members. In 1851, there were around 140 people.
Working with local children was very important to them. Around the year 1900, their Sunday School had about 600 children! Because of this, the original Meeting House (now called Brook Street Chapel) was used only for children's activities. Other meetings for adults were held in different rooms across the High Road from 1880 to 1903.
The Chapel building was made bigger in 1939 and again in 1955. They added a schoolroom and a hall for youth activities. Today, the building takes up the whole of Brook Street. This happened because houses further down the road were destroyed during World War II bombing.
The Tottenham Memorandum
Inside the Chapel, you can see something called the Tottenham Memorandum. This document was created when the Brethren movement split into two groups: the Open Brethren and the Exclusive Brethren.
The Memorandum shows that Brook Street Chapel remained 'open'. This means they welcomed any Christians who truly believed in Jesus Christ. They just needed to show that their faith was genuine.
People Connected to the Chapel
Many interesting people have been part of or visited Brook Street Chapel.
- The Howard family, who helped start the chapel.
- James Von Summer, who started the Echoes of Service magazine.
- Edmund Gosse, who taught at the Sunday School.
Other important Christians who taught or visited include:
- John Nelson Darby
- Anthony Norris Groves
- George Müller
- James Hudson Taylor
- Thomas Barnardo
- Philip Gosse, a famous naturalist and Edmund's father.
- His wife, Emily Bowes, who married Philip at the chapel in 1848.
Where the Chapel Is Located
The chapel was built when Tottenham was a rich area outside London. Like the Plough pub next door, it was set back from Tottenham High Road. Over time, new buildings were built in front of the chapel. These buildings now house a Ladbrokes shop.
Because of this, the chapel's front is partly hidden from the High Road (which is now the A10). This is why it's sometimes called "the hidden church."
The land south of the chapel was once its burial ground. When it was no longer used for burials, the land was given to the London County Council. They promised to keep it as an open public space forever. Today, it is a children's playground and a paved area for everyone to enjoy.
