Wycliffe Chapel facts for kids

The Wycliffe Chapel was a special church building in London. It was a Congregational Chapel, which means it was a church where people made their own decisions about how to worship, rather than following a strict hierarchy like some other churches. This chapel started way back in 1642, meeting in different places before finding its home at 44 Philpot Street.

The Story of Wycliffe Chapel

The first building for this church was built in 1780 on New Road (now part of Cannon Street Road). A schoolroom was added in 1785, and a Sunday School began in 1790. The chapel was long and narrow, and it could fit up to 800 people. It was lit by brass chandeliers holding candles, which had to be trimmed during the service!

From 1811, the minister was a famous helper of others, Rev Dr Andrew Reed (1787-1862). In 1831, the church moved to a bigger, new building in Philpot Street. This new place was named Wycliffe Chapel. Here, the number of people attending church grew a lot, from 100 to 2,000!

Andrew Reed had an interesting start to his life. He was an apprentice to a watchmaker. He also worked in his parents' china shop. This shop was called Beaumont House and was very old, built in 1581. It was decorated with roses, crowns, and dragons.

Before Andrew Reed, the minister was Thomas Bryson. After Bryson, Samuel Lyndall took over. He had studied at Rotherham Academy. In 1805, he wrote a sermon about Popery, which was a term used to describe the Roman Catholic Church at the time.

Andrew Reed's Amazing Work

Andrew Reed was a very kind and helpful person. In 1813, he started the East London Orphan Asylum. This was a home for children who had lost their parents. He got the idea after helping three young apprentices whose shoemaker boss went bankrupt.

Reed was good at finding people to support his causes. Even important people like the Duke of Kent attended his first dinner for the asylum. The orphanages moved to bigger places over time. They went from Hackney Road to Bethnal Green, then to Clapton, and later to Watford. Today, this school is known as Reed's School in Cobham.

He didn't stop there! Andrew Reed also founded other important places:

• The Infant Orphan Asylum in 1827, later called the Royal Wanstead School.
• The Asylum for Fatherless Children in 1844, later called Reedham School.
• The Asylum for Idiots in 1847, which became the Royal Earlswood Hospital.
• The Royal Hospital for Incurables in 1854, now in Putney.

Andrew Reed wanted these places to be non-denominational. This means they would help children from any religious background, not just one specific church. He and his wife Elizabeth also wrote hymns, which are church songs. One of his hymns, "Spirit divine, attend our prayers," is still sung today. In 1834, he visited the United States. Yale University was so impressed by him that they gave him a special degree, making him a Doctor of Divinity.