1
10
1546
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Architecture and Place
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Humanist Library and Archives
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2016
Description
An account of the resource
A collection of digitised items from the Humanist Library and Archives telling the story of buildings and spaces occupied by the Conway Hall Ethical Society (formerly the South Place Ethical Society). Also includes several born digital items.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Conway Hall Ethical Society
Subject
The topic of the resource
Architecture
Conway Hall (London, England)
South Place Chapel, Finsbury
Mansford, Frederick Herbert (1871-1946)
Language
A language of the resource
English
Still Image
A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials.
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
Postcard
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Library fireplace postcard
Description
An account of the resource
Fireplace in memory of John Aldred (1863-1925), Treasurer of the Society.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Unknown
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<p><a href="http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/"> <img style="border-style:none;" src="http://i.creativecommons.org/p/mark/1.0/88x31.png" alt="Public Domain Mark" /></a> <br /> This work (<span>Library fireplace postcard</span>, by <span><span>Unknown</span></span>), identified by <a href="www.conwayhall.org.uk"><span>Humanist Library and Archives</span></a>, is free of known copyright restrictions.</p>
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
OP127
Subject
The topic of the resource
Fireplaces
Furniture design
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
image/jpeg
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Unknown
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Still Image
Image
Aldred, John (1863-1925)
Humanist Library and Archives
Mansford, Frederick Herbert (1871-1946)
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Architecture and Place
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Humanist Library and Archives
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2016
Description
An account of the resource
A collection of digitised items from the Humanist Library and Archives telling the story of buildings and spaces occupied by the Conway Hall Ethical Society (formerly the South Place Ethical Society). Also includes several born digital items.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Conway Hall Ethical Society
Subject
The topic of the resource
Architecture
Conway Hall (London, England)
South Place Chapel, Finsbury
Mansford, Frederick Herbert (1871-1946)
Language
A language of the resource
English
Still Image
A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials.
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
Postcard
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
South Place Chapel postcard
Description
An account of the resource
Facade with four columns and main entrance of the South Place Chapel at Finsbury Park.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Unknown
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
OP263
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<p><a href="http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/"> <img style="border-style:none;" src="http://i.creativecommons.org/p/mark/1.0/88x31.png" alt="Public Domain Mark" /></a> <br /> This work (<span>South Place Chapel postcard</span>, by <span><span>Unknown</span></span>), identified by <a href="www.conwayhall.org.uk"><span>Humanist Library and Archives</span></a>, is free of known copyright restrictions.</p>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Chapels--England
Church architecture--Details
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
image/jpeg
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Unknown
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Still Image
Image
South Place Chapel, Finsbury
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Architecture and Place
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Humanist Library and Archives
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2016
Description
An account of the resource
A collection of digitised items from the Humanist Library and Archives telling the story of buildings and spaces occupied by the Conway Hall Ethical Society (formerly the South Place Ethical Society). Also includes several born digital items.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Conway Hall Ethical Society
Subject
The topic of the resource
Architecture
Conway Hall (London, England)
South Place Chapel, Finsbury
Mansford, Frederick Herbert (1871-1946)
Language
A language of the resource
English
Still Image
A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials.
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
Photo
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Photo of the interior of South Place Chapel
Description
An account of the resource
Interior view of South Place Chapel, showing the raised stage, the curved section of the left and right balconies - with seating, and the seating fronting the stage and to the left and right. The wall behind the stage has three panels (rounded tops) with the motto of the society: from left to right 'To Thine', 'Own Self' and 'Be True'.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
The City Studio
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<p><a href="http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/"> <img style="border-style:none;" src="http://i.creativecommons.org/p/mark/1.0/88x31.png" alt="Public Domain Mark" /></a> <br /> This work (<span>Photo of interior of South Place Chapel</span>, by <span><span>The City Studio</span></span>), identified by <a href="www.conwayhall.org.uk"><span>Humanist Library and Archives</span></a>, is free of known copyright restrictions.</p>
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
OP30
Subject
The topic of the resource
Chapels
Church architecture--Details
Church architecture--England
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
image/jpeg
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Image
Still Image
South Place Chapel, Finsbury
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Architecture and Place
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Humanist Library and Archives
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2016
Description
An account of the resource
A collection of digitised items from the Humanist Library and Archives telling the story of buildings and spaces occupied by the Conway Hall Ethical Society (formerly the South Place Ethical Society). Also includes several born digital items.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Conway Hall Ethical Society
Subject
The topic of the resource
Architecture
Conway Hall (London, England)
South Place Chapel, Finsbury
Mansford, Frederick Herbert (1871-1946)
Language
A language of the resource
English
Still Image
A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials.
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
Photo
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Photo of the interior of South Place Chapel
Description
An account of the resource
Interior view showing the back of South Place Chapel, with the organ, clock, paintings and sculpture.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
The City Studio
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<p><a href="http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/"> <img style="border-style:none;" src="http://i.creativecommons.org/p/mark/1.0/88x31.png" alt="Public Domain Mark" /></a> <br /> This work (<span>Photo of the interior of South Place Chapel</span>, by <span><span>The City Studio</span></span>), identified by <a href="www.conwayhall.org.uk"><span>Humanist Library and Archives</span></a>, is free of known copyright restrictions.</p>
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
OP31A
Subject
The topic of the resource
Chapels--England
Church architecture--Details
Church architecture--Details
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
image/jpeg
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Image
Still Image
Organs (musical instruments)
Paintings
Sculpture
South Place Chapel, Finsbury
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b5ed9d445beabe97bdd027defde36879
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Architecture and Place
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Humanist Library and Archives
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2016
Description
An account of the resource
A collection of digitised items from the Humanist Library and Archives telling the story of buildings and spaces occupied by the Conway Hall Ethical Society (formerly the South Place Ethical Society). Also includes several born digital items.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Conway Hall Ethical Society
Subject
The topic of the resource
Architecture
Conway Hall (London, England)
South Place Chapel, Finsbury
Mansford, Frederick Herbert (1871-1946)
Language
A language of the resource
English
Still Image
A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials.
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
Photo
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Photo of formal dinner and concert at South Place Chapel
Description
An account of the resource
A formal dinner and music concert taking place in the hall of South Place Chapel. In the background is the stage with a grand piano and attached to the curtains at the back of the stage is the portrait of John Saunders.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
The City Studio
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<p><a href="http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/"> <img style="border-style:none;" src="http://i.creativecommons.org/p/mark/1.0/88x31.png" alt="Public Domain Mark" /></a> <br /> This work (<span>Photo of formal dinner and concert at South Place Chapel</span>, by <span><span>The City Studio</span></span>), identified by <a href="www.conwayhall.org.uk"><span>Humanist Library and Archives</span></a>, is free of known copyright restrictions.</p>
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
OP74
Subject
The topic of the resource
Chapels--England
Concerts
Dinners and dining
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
image/jpeg
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Image
Still Image
South Place Chapel, Finsbury
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650d8b7368e78ab711689615acad3248
PDF Text
Text
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A n g e ll.
M r.
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H. B r a d i . a u g h B o n n e r .
H. J. B r i d g e s ( U. S. A.).
M r.
( U. S. A.) .
F. S. M
D r.
C.
P rof.
M r.
M r.
P e r c iv a l
D e lisle
E dw ard
B urns.
( U. S. A.).
Chubb
E u stace
D r.
B ernard
M r.
P rynce
D r.
L eonard
r.
M arsh.
M a rtin
arvin ,
G ilbert
M.A.
M urray.
H . W. N e v i n s o n .
G. E . O ’ D e l l ( U. S. A. ) .
P ro f.
D r . S tan to n C o it .
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C lo d d .
W.
Thom as
O key.
( U. S. A.). D r . M a r i o n P h i l l i p s .
G. L o w e s D i c k i n s o n , M.A. M r . S. K . R a t c l i f f e .
R t . H o n . J o h n M. R o b e r t s o n
H a m ilto n F y fe.
H o n . B e r t r a n d R u s s e l l , F.R.S
W . S. G o d f r e y .
M r . J o h n R u s s e l l , M.A.
H. J. G o l d i n g ( U. S. A.) .
M r s . C o n w a y S a w y e r (U. S. A. )
C. T. G o r h a m .
Miss A t h e n e S e y l e r .
M r . F . J. G o u l d .
M r . H arry S n el l, M .P .
P r o f . L. T. H o b h o u s e .
M r . G u s t a v S p ii.l e r .
M r . J o h n A. H o b s o n , M.A.
M r . W . C.
S ir
A rth u r
C onway
H ollander.
H o pk in s.
H uxley.
John son,
K f.ith ,
J. P. ,L. C. C.
F.R.S.
M r.
R.
M r.
C onrad
D im sd a le
W.
S tock er.
T h ie s.
P r o f. G raham W a llas.
M r.
C h a r le s
A.
W a tts.
M r s . G eorge W hale.
E N J O N S O N once sa id o f an im p o rta n t person
a g e , “ H i s so u l liv e s in a n a l l e y . ”
T h e churches
e n d e a v o u r to s a v e m a n k i n d f r o m su c h s p i r i t u a l
d e g r a d a t i o n . A ll r e li g io u s b o d ie s , o r t h o d o x a n d
h e t e r o d o x , a l t h o u g h d if f e r in g w i d e l y in o p in io n s ,
a r e in a c c o r d in t h i s e n d e a v o u r , b u t n a t u r a l l y e a c h o r g a n i s a t i o n
feels c o m p e ll e d to voice i n d e p e n d e n t l y its o w n p a r t i c u l a r b e
liefs.
F o r o v e r o n e h u n d r e d y e a r s t h e S o c ie ty h a d its c e n tr e a t
S o u t h P la c e in t h e C i t y o f L o n d o n , w h e re it f o s t e r e d f r e e d o m
in m o r a l a n d s p i r i t u a l li f e a n d t h o u g h t , (and it is in o r d e r to
h a v e a w i d e r r a n g e o f in flu e n c e a n d g r e a t e r scope f o r d e v e lo p
m e n t t h a t th e S o c ie ty h a s d e c i d e d t o b u i l d a n e w h o m e in R e d
L io n S q u a r e , B l o o m s b u r y .
T h e p r e s e n t a p p e a l is f o r h e l p t o e n a b l e t h e S o u t h P l a c e
E t h i c a l S o c ie ty t o c o n t in u e a n d in c re a s e its w o r k a n d a c tiv itie s
f o r a fu lle r a n d m o re v i g o r o u s m o r a l , in te lle c t u a l, a n d re lig io u s
life.
O u r S o c ie ty is t h e d ir e c t d e s c e n d a n t o f “ T h e P h i l a d e l
p h i a n s , ” o r L o v i n g B r o th e r s , a S o c ie ty f o u n d e d in 1793 a t
P a r l i a m e n t C o u r t C h a p e l , A r t i l l e r y L a n e , B i s h o p s g a t e , b y th e
Rev. Elhanan W inchester, a n A m e r ic a n e x - B a p t i s t p r e a c h e r a n d a
p io n e e r o f clerical d i s b e l i e f in t h e d o c t r i n e o f E t e r n a l Hell.
W i n c h e s te r w a s f o l l o w e d b y t h e Rcv« William Vidler, w h o
a d d e d U n i t a r i a n i s m t o W i n c h e s t e r ’s a f f ir m a tio n o f u n iv e rs a l
s a l v a t i o n , a n d u p h e l d w ith g r e a t c o u r a g e t h e p r in c i p le o f r e l i g i
o u s lib e r ty .
5
�\ i d l e r d i e d in 1816, a n d w a s s u c c e e d e d b y William Johnson
Fox, th e f a m o u s p o lit ic i a n , o r a t o r , a n d p r e a c h e r .
In h is
i n t r o d u c t o r y a d d r e s s to th e c o n g r e g a t i o n a t P a r l i a m e n t C o u r t ,
F o x m a d e th e f o llo w in g d e c l a r a t i o n , “ I believe in t h e d u t y o f
fre e in q u i r y , a n d in t h e r i g h t o f r e lig io u s l i b e r t y , ” a n d in 1842
h e re-affirm e d t h i s c o n f e s s i o n o f f a i t h in !an a d d r e s s a t th e
t w e n t y - f i f t h a n n i v e r s a r y o f h is s e t t l e m e n t w ith t h e S o cie ty .
T h e C h a p e l f lo u r i s h e d u n d e r h is m i n i s t r y , a n d F o x a l s o e x e r
c i s e d g r e a t p u b lic in flu e n ce b y h is e l o q u e n c e a n d h i s b r o a d a n d
e l e v a t e d view s u p o n th e q u e s tio n s o f th e d a y . T h e S o c ie ty ,
o u t g r o w i n g its h o m e in P a r l i a m e n t C o u r t, d e c i d e d t o o b ta in
l a r g e r q u a r t e r s , a n d in 1823 S o u t h P la c e C h a p e l w a s b u i l t .
It
w a s o p e n e d b y F o x o n F e b r u a r y 1, 1824, a s a U n i t a r i a n p la c e o f
w o rs h ip , a n d F o x c o n t i n u e d as m in i s te r u n til 1852. D u r i n g
h i s m i n i s t r y his r e li g io u s view s b e c a m e less a n d less s e c ta r i a n
a n d th e o lo g ic a l. H e p a s s e d f r o m U n i t a r i a n i s m t o T h e i s m ,
a n d , a s w a s th e c a se w ith h i s p r e d e c e s s o rs a n d w ith h is su c
c e ssors, c a r r ie d th e c o n g r e g a t i o n w ith h im in h is c h a n g e s o f
o p in io n .
1 he S o c ie ty in th e s e y e a r s w a s d e e p ly i n d e b t e d to
E l i z a a n d S a r a h b lo w e r . T h e s e tw o sis ters s a n g in th e ch o ir,
a n d th e ir g i f t s o f m u sic a n d p o e t r y w ere o f th e g r e a t e s t service
t o t h e m u sic a l a n d li t e r a r y a s p i r a t i o n s o f th e c o n g r e g a tio n .
S a r a h w ro t e m a n y o f th e h y m n s s u n g in th e C h a p e l , i n c l u d i n g
the w id ely know n “ N earer, m y G o d, to T h e e .”
E liz a com
p o s e d th e m u sic f o r th e h y m n s a n d a n t h e m s , a n d h e r w o rk
w o n th e p r a is e o f M e n d e ls s o h n .
The r e ti r e m e n t o f F o x w a s f o llo w e d b y a n in te r v a l d u r i n g
w h ic h v a r io u s p r e a c h e r s o c c u p ie d th e p u lp it , b u t in 1864
Moncure Daniel Conway b e c a m e th e p e r m a n e n t m i n i s t e r
He
h e l d t h i s p o s itio n u n til 1884, a n d u n d e r his t e a c h i n g t h e S o c ie ty
g a v e u p all t h e o lo g ic a l d o g m a , a n d w a s r e n a m e d t h e S o u th
P l a c e R e lig i o u s S o cie ty .
Dr. Stanton Coit w a s a p p o i n t e d in
1888, a n d th e S o c ie ty th e n a d o p t e d its p r e s e n t n am e.
D r.
6
C o n w a y r e s u m e d his m i n i s t r y in 1892, f i n a l l y r e t i r i n g in 1897.
The Right Hon. J. M. Robertson, 11 his a d d r e s s a t th e C e n
1
t e n a r y C e l e b r a t i o n o f S o u t h P la c e C h a p e l in 1924, s a i d , “ I t
is h a r d l y p o ssib le t o s p e a k o f M o n c u r e C o n w a y in S o u t h P l a c e
w i t h o u t a sp e cia l w a r m t h o f affection. . . . H i s p e r s o n a l c h a r m
w a s d e e p ly b o u n d u p w ith h is i n te lle c t u a l in fluence. . . . H e
c a m e in a p e r io d w h en sc ientific t h o u g h t w a s a d v a n c i n g r a p i d l y ,
a n d he r e s p o n d e d t o th e a d v a n c e a t e v e r y p o in t.
N o man
c o u l d m o r e w o r t h i l y h a v e f u l f i l l e d w h a t w e m a y c a ll th e S o u t h
P la c e t r a d i t i o n — l o y a l t y to f r e e d o m o f t h o u g h t a n d f r e e d o m
o f t e a c h i n g , r e s is ta n c e t o e v e r y f o r m o f t y r a n n y o f th e m i n d . ”
D r . C o n w a y in th e p r e f a c e to h is C e n t e n a r y H i s t o r y o f
c u r S o c ie ty well d e s c r i b e d t h e g r a d u a l c h a n g e s o f t h o u g h t t h a t
c h a r a c t e r is e d th e d e v e lo p m e n t o f th e S o c ie ty b e tw e e n 1793
a n d 1893, a n d h is s t a t e m e n t s a r e e q u a l l y a p p l ic a b le to t h e
a t t i t u d e o f t h e S o c ie ty a t th e p r e s e n t d a y . H e w r o t e : “ T h e
p r e s e n t m in i s te r o f th e S o u t h P la c e S o c ie ty [ M o n c u r e D a n i e l
C o n w a y 1 c la im s n o literal c o n t i n u i t y w ith th e p a r t i c u l a r d o c
t r in e s o f h is p re d e c e s s o rs , t h o u g h he believes t h a t th e ir s p ir it
h a s a n i m a t e d th e c h a n g e s it h a s u n d e r g o n e .
U n d e r its
successive
nam es,
adopted
or
giv en — ‘ P h ila d e lp h ia n s ,’
‘ U n i v e r s a l i s t s , ’ ‘ S o c ie ty o f R e lig i o u s D i s s e n t e r s , ’ ‘ S o u t h
P la c e U n i t a r i a n S o c i e t y , ’ ‘ T h e S o u t h P la c e S o c i e t y , ’ ‘ T h e
F r e e R e lig i o u s S o c i e t y , ’ [ ‘ T h e S o u t h
P la c e
R e lig io n s
S o c i e t y , ’ ], ‘ T h e S o u t h P la c e E t h i c a l S o c ie ty ’— is t r a c e a b le
a c o n s t a n t e n d e a v o u r to s t u d y c a r e f u l l y a n d k ee p a b r e a s t o f ,
th e g r o w i n g k n o w l e d g e o f th e w o r l d , a t w h a t e v e r cost t o
t r a d i t i o n a l p r e ju d i c e s o r o p i n i o n s ; t o d o t h i s in a s p ir it o f
to le r a n c e no less t h a n o f s i n c e r i t y . ”
T h e first c o n g r e g a t i o n t h a t a s s e m b l e d in P a r l i a m e n t
C o u r t C h a p e l w a s th e f o r e r u n n e r o f s u c c e e d in g c o n g r e g a t i o n s ,
w h o se b e lie f s h a v e g r a d u a l l y t e n d e d to s e p a r a t e t h e S o c ie ty
d e f in i te ly f r o m o r t h o d o x y .
T h e S o c ie ty t h r o u g h o u t its h is7
�F . J.
t o r y h a s a t t r a c t e d th o se w h o h a v e f o u n d t h e t h e o l o g y a n d
d o g m a s o f t h e C h u r c h e s u n a c c e p ta b le , a n d h a v e b e e n g l a d
t o m e e t w ith a n o r g a n i s a t i o n t h a t , n o t w i t h s t a n d i n g its
h e t e r o d o x y , s in c e re ly d e s ire s t h a t t h e so u l o f m a n s h o u ld
d w e ll in o p e n p la c e s w h e r e t h e r e is u n f e t t e r e d r o o m f o r
e xpansion.
I t h a s a t t r a c t e d also , a n d p e r h a p s in l a r g e r
n u m b e r s , m e n a n d w o m e n b r o u g h t u p in a n a t m o s p h e r e o f
re lig io u s f r e e d o m .
T o - d a y o u r S o c ie ty a i m s a t m a i n t a i n i n g
t h e p r o g r e s s iv e c h a r a c t e r o f th e t r a d i t i o n s o f its f o r b e a r s , a n d
it w ish e s, n o t o n l y to k e e p in te lle c t u a lly a b r e a s t o f t h e d o m i
n a n t q u e s tio n s o f th e d a y , b u t also to m in i s te r to t h e e m o tio n s ,
t o c u l tiv a te t h e i m a g i n a t i o n a n d t h e a r ts , a n d t o f o s t e r a
f e e lin g o f fe llo w s h ip a m o n g its m e m b e r s . T h e i d e a l s o f th e
S o c ie ty a r e s u m m a r i s e d in th e s t a t e m e n t o f its o b j e c t —
“ t h e c u l t i v a t i o n o f a r a t i o n a l re lig io u s s e n tim e n t, t h e s t u d y
o f e th ic a l p rin c ip le s, a n d th e p r o m o t i o n o f h u m a n w e lf a r e ,
in h a r m o n y w i t h a d v a n c i n g k n o w l e d g e . ”
A m o n g t h e s p e a k e r s w h o h a v e o c c u p ie d t h e p l a t f o r m
u n d e r t h e au s p ic e s o f t h e S o c ie ty a r e :
D r.
F e lix
N orman
W il l ia m
S ir
A d le r .
A ngell.
H arry
S ir A r t h u r
A rcher.
P r ince
Joh n ston .
K eith .
K r o p o t k in .
E arl B arnes.
S ir F r a n k B e n s o n .
Joseph
A nn ie B e s a n t .
B ernard B osanquet.
W illiam M o r r i s .
P r o f . G il b e r t M u r r a y .
H y p a tia
B ra d la u g h
M cC a b e .
M a r g a r e t M c M il l a n .
B onner.
H.
W.
N ev in so n .
C . D el isl e B u r n s .
H erbert B u r r o w s.
D r . John O ak esm ith .
P ro f. K arl P ear so n.
E dw ard C arpenter.
D r . M ario n
P r o f . W . K . C l iffo r d .
E dward C lodd.
S. K . R a t c l if fe .
R t. H on. John M.
D r . S tanton
H on.
C o it .
John D r in k w a te r .
P r o f . P atr ic k G e d d e s .
P h il l ips.
B ertrand
R obertson.
R ussell.
John R u sse ll,
M.A.
S. C. C r o n w r ig h t S c h r ein er .
8
G o u ld .
G eorge B ernard
Shaw.
F red er ic H a r r is o n .
John A. H obson.
H arry S nell.
W .
R . W a sh in g t o n
D r.
P r o f . J.
B ernard
H ollander.
S u l l iv a n .
1 yndall.
G eorge Jacob H olyoake.
L a u ren ce H ousm an.
P r o f. G raham W allas.
R t . H o n . S id n e y W ebb.
P rof. W . H. H udson.
P rof. T. H. H uxley.
R e b e c c a W te s t .
P h il ip W ic k st e e d .
D r. L eonard
Israel
H uxley.
Z a n g w ill.
“ S O U T H P l a c e ” h a s a c c o m p lis h e d so m u c h f o r th e
bene fit o f E n g l i s h m u s ic a l l i f e t h a t t h e a p p e a l w o u ld n o t b e
c o m p le te w i t h o u t special r e f e r e n c e to th e S u n d a y E v e n i n g
C o n c e r ts , o n e o f t h e s t r o n g e s t a n d h e a lth i e s t o f t h e S o c i e t y ’s
a c tiv itie s. F o r f o r t y y e a r s p a s t t h e S o c ie ty h a s r u n a series
o f C h a m b e r M u sic c o n c e r ts, o f w h ic h t h a t g iv e n o n S u n d a y ,
F e b r u a r y 20 , 1927, w a s th e 1,000th.
T h e c o n c e rts w ere
i n a u g u r a t e d a t a tim e w h e n t h e r e w ere c o n s i d e r a b l e difficul
tie s in h o l d i n g e n t e r t a i n m e n t s o n S u n d a y s , a n d w h e n th e
p u b lic n e e d e d e d u c a t i o n f o r t h e f u ll a p p r e c i a t i o n o f th e h i g h e r
f o r m s o f m u sic. U n d e r th e g u a r a n t e e a n d a t th e r is k o f t h e
S o c ie ty , t h e c o n c e r ts w ere s t a r t e d , w ith fre e a d m i s s i o n , a n d a
co llection to m e e t e x p e n s e s .
I t is a p l e a s i n g reflectio n t h a t ,
f r o m t h e c o m m e n c e m e n t to th e p r e s e n t d a y , th e s e c o n c e rts
h a v e b ee n s e l f - s u p p o r t i n g , a l t h o u g h , i n d e e d , t h e r e h a v e bee n
p e r i o d s o f f in a n c ia l s tr a i n , a n d t h a t th e p u b lic — w ith th e
g e n e r o u s c o - o p e ra tio n o f th e a r t i s t s — h a v e p r o v i d e d th e n ec es
s a r y f u n d s to m a i n t a i n th e m . T h e d e v e lo p m e n t o f in te lli g e n t
a n d s o u n d c riticis m on th e p a r t o f t h e a u d i e n c e h a s been
g r e a t l y h e l p e d b y t h e p r o v is io n fo r so m a n y y e a r s o f th e
b e s t e x a m p l e s o f C h a m b e r M usic, a n d th e a r t i s t s t a k i n g p a r t
h a v e a p p r e c i a t e d th e keen a n d s y m p a t h e t i c a t t e n t i o n g iv e n
t o th e i r w o r k .
K n o w l e d g e o f t h e s e c o n c e r ts h a s s p r e a d to
m a n y la n d s, a n d g r a t i f y i n g e v id e n c e o f th e g o o d th e y h a v e
effected h a s been rec eiv e d b y th e S o c ie ty o n m a n y occasions.
9
�T o a c c o m p lis h o u r a i m s a t i s f a c t o r i l y , w e e s t i m a t e t h a t
t h e s u m o f a b o u t £ 45,000 is r e q u i r e d . T h e S o c ie ty is in t h e
p o s it io n to s u p p l y £ 30,000 t o w a r d s t h i s a m o u n t , a n d w e n o w
a s k o u r m e m b e r s a n d f r i e n d s to s u b s c rib e t h e r e m a i n i n g
£ 15, 000 .
W e t r u s t t h a t th o s e m e m b e r s o f t h e p u b lic w h o s y m p a t h i s e
w ith us in o u r w o r k , b u t w h o d o n o t k n o w u s i n t i m a t e l y ,
w ill a c c e p t a s e v i d e n c e o f o u r e a r n e s tn e s s a n d o f th e s o u n d n e s s
o f o u r schem e, t h e f a c t t h a t a l r e a d y th e S o c ie ty h a s e x p e n d e d
£ 1 1 , 0 0 0 in th e p u r c h a s e o f th e n e w site, t h a t w e h a v e in
h a n d £ 30 , 000 , a n d t h a t w e p r o p o s e to d e v o t e t h e w h o le o f it
to th e B u i l d i n g F u n d .
10
New guilding.
View o Proposed
f
Perspective
T h e e r e c tio n o f th e b u i l d i n g in R e d L i o n S q u a r e w ill
p r o v i d e a n e w h o m e f o r th e c o n c e r ts ; a n d f o r th is re a so n
t h i s a p p e a l s h o u l d c o m m e n d i t s e l f to all w h o love m u s ic a n d
a p p r e c i a t e its v a l u e a s a c iv ilis in g influe nce.
T h e v a l u a b l e f r e e h o l d site w h ic h S o u t h P la c e C h a p e l
o c c u p ie d w a s o r i g i n a l l y a c q u i r e d f o r th e a c c o m m o d a t i o n o f a
r e s i d e n t m e m b e r s h ip l o n g sin ce s c a t t e r e d o v er t h e e n o r m o u s
a r e a o f G r e a t e r L o n d o n . F o r so m e y e a r s p a s t it h a d b ec o m e
in c r e a s i n g ly e v i d e n t t h a t th e S o c i e t y ’s a c tiv itie s c o u l d b e
c a r r i e d o n f a r m o r e effectiv ely i f t h e p r o p e r t y w ere so ld a n d
t h e p r o c e e d s d e v o t e d to t h e p u r c h a s e o f a less v a l u a b l e f r e e
h o l d site a n d th e e r e c tio n th e r e o n o f a l a r g e r a n d m o r e c o n
v e n ie n t b u i l d i n g . A s is n o w g e n e r a l l y k n o w n , t h e sa le w a s
effected, a n d a n e w s ite w a s a c q u ir e d in R e d L i o n S q u a r e ,
B l o o m s b u r y . P l a n s h a v e b ee n p r e p a r e d f o r t h e e r e c tio n o f a
d i g n i f i e d a n d c o m m o d io u s b u i l d i n g , w h ic h it is h o p e d m a y
b ec om e th e H e a d q u a r t e r s o f th e E t h i c a l M o v e m e n t in t h e
B r iti s h Isles, a n d also p r o v i d e a n o p e n p l a t f o r m f o r s p e a k e r s
f r o m a n y p a r t o f t h e w o r l d . W e t h i n k all s u b s c r i b e r s to t h i s
a p p e a l w ill a p p r o v e o f th e d e c is io n to n a m e th e n e w b u i l d i n g
“ Conw ay H a ll.”
�T h e su m o f £ 45 ,000 w o u ld n o t o n l y p r o v i d e t h e k i n d o f
b u i l d i n g d e s i r e d , it w o u ld a ls o le av e a m a r g i n f o r a n E n d o w
m e n t F u n d , a n i m p o r t a n t s a f e g u a r d , a s th e o u t g o i n g s c o n
n e c te d w ith a rea lly w o r t h y b u i l d i n g w o u l d b e so l a r g e t h a t
u n le s s th e r e w ere a s u b s t a n t i a l a s s u r e d in c o m e t h e risk c o u ld
n o t re a so n ab ly be faced.
I t is i n t e n d e d t h a t t h e new b u i l d i n g sh a ll c o m p rise ,
a m o n g its p r in c i p a l f e a tu r e s , a l a r g e h a ll w ith a s e a t i n g
a c c o m m o d a t i o n o f 5 0 0 ; a sm a ll h a l l s e a t i n g a b o u t 100 ; a
L i b r a r y , 47 ft. b y 23 f t . ; L e c t u r e r s ’ a n d A r t i s t e s ’ R o o m a n d
C lu b R o o m ; a flat f o r a c a r e t a k e r o v er th e L i b r a r y , a n d tw o
r o o m s w o u ld be a v a ila b le in 49 , T h e o b a l d s R o a d f o r u se a s
offices. T h e r e w o u ld r e m a in a p o r t i o n o f t h e site f o r e x t e n
s io n o r r e a l i s a t i o n .
I t is t h e a im o f t h e T r u s t e e s a n d C o m
m itte e to p la ce a t th e d i s p o s a l o f m e m b e r s a n d v is ito rs f r o m
t h e P ro v in c e s , B r itis h D o m in io n s , U n i t e d S t a t e s o f A m e r ic a ,
a n d o th e r c o u n trie s , H e a d q u a r t e r s in th e h e a r t o f L o n d o n ,
w h e r e m e n a n d w o m e n o f a d v a n c e d t h o u g h t c o u ld m e e t a n d
e n j o y th e a m e n it ie s o f social in te r c o u r s e , w ith fa c ilitie s f o r
w r i t i n g , rest, a n d r e f r e s h m e n t . I t is felt t h a t such a c o m p r e
h e n s iv e c e n tr e w o u ld n o t o n ly s u p p l y a real n e e d , b u t w o u l d
c o m m a n d th e a p p r o b a t i o n a n d s u p p o r t o f t h o s e w h o v a lu e
freedom o f th o u g h t.
If, however, this Appeal brings in a considerably larger sum
than £ 1 5 ,0 0 0 , then the Society has already plans prepared
for a more comprehensive scheme covering the whole of the site.
The halls would accommodate 750 and 180 people respectively,
and the construction would be such as to permit of a second
storey over the large hall at a future date. The extra seating
capacity of the larger hall would be of the greatest advantage for
the Sunday evening and other Concerts. The Society will decide,
according to the result of the Appeal, which of these two schemes
to adopt.
12
THEOBALDS
R D ENTRANCE
SM A LL
M ALL
I
I M tN S
M f M l LAM
4 iio u
W OM ENS
CLO A K
R IA
ENTRANCE
HALL
"will
CROUND FLOOR PLAN
*
RED LION S Q U A R E
ARCHITECT F HERBERT M A N S F O R O
LRIBA
�T h e f u t u r e o f C o n w a y H a l l w ill, n o d o u b t , be affected
b y th e d e v e lo p m e n t o f t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f L o n d o n . W i t h i n a
few y e a r s t h e a r e a b e h i n d th e B r iti s h M u s e u m w ill b e occ u
p ie d b y th e C e n tr a l Offices a n d L i b r a r y o f t h e U n i v e r s i t y .
T h ere w ill b e o n th is site tw o C o lle g e s a n d so m e o th e r
U n iv ersity In stitu tio n s a n d p ro b ab ly also a S tu d e n ts ’ U n io n ;
a n d in t h e sa m e n e i g h b o u r h o o d t h e r e w ill be h a lls o f r e s i d
ence f o r s t u d e n t s . T h e U n i v e r s i t y o f L o n d o n , w h ic h a t its
f o u n d a t i o n w a s r e g a r d e d b y t h e o l d e r U n i v e r s i t i e s as
“ g o d l e s s ” b e c a u s e it e x a c t e d n o r e lig io u s te s t f r o m
s t u d e n t s o r te a c h e rs, still h a s n o ecclesia stical l im ita tio n s .
I t w ill be possible, t h e r e f o r e , f o r C o n w a y H a l l to be u s e d
as o n e o f th e n a t u r a l c e n tr e s in th e U n i v e r s i t y Q u a r t e r o f
L o n d o n f o r t h e f re e d is c u s s io n o f social, m o r a l a n d r e li g io u s
q u e s tio n s . I t m a y be h o p e d t h a t a m o n g th e s t u d e n t s o f th e
U n i v e r s i t y so m e m a y b e a t t r a c t e d to m e m b e r s h ip in o u r
S o c ie ty “ f o r th e p r o m o t i o n o f h u m a n w e l f a r e in h a r m o n y
w ith a d v a n c i n g k n o w l e d g e . ”
T h e w h o le E t h i c a l M o v e m e n t suffers f r o m la c k o f th e
a c c o m m o d a t io n n e e d e d f o r effective w o rk . W e u r g e u p o n all
th e im p o r ta n c e o f p r o m p t a n d g e n e r o u s c o n t r i b u tio n s .
A ll d o n a t i o n s s h o u l d be se n t to M r . N . L i d s t o n e ,
96 , B l a c k s to c k R o a d , L o n d o n , N . 4 . A S u b s c r i p t i o n F o r m
w ill b e f o u n d o n p a g e 19.
O n b e h a l f o f S o u t h P la c e E t h i c a l S o c i e t y :
C.
D E L IS L E B u r n s ,
NICH O L A S L i d s t o n e ,
C hairm an , C onway H all
A ppeal F und.
H on. Treasurer , C onway H all
A ppeal F und.
C a r o l in e F le t c h e r S
F rank M . O very
C! E d w ard
L is te r,
m it h
» 7 .
H on Treasurer.
S e p te m b e r , 1927.
14
77
'Uhe Society's Present Jlctioities
S u n d a y C%Corning S ervices.
S ervice s a r e h e l d e v e r y S u n d a y a t 11 a.m . T he c e n tr a l
f e a t u r e is a d is c o u rs e o n a t o p ic o f definitely h u m a n is ti c
in te r e st, d e liv e r e d e ith e r b y o n e o f o u r appointed le ctu rers
(C . D elisle B u r n s , M . A . , D . L i t . , J o h n A . H obson, M . A . ,
S . K . R a tc h ff e , R t . H o n . J . M . R o b e r t s o n ) , or some o t h e r
s p e a k e r o f a u t h o r i t y a n d d i s t in c t io n .
T h e follow ing r e p r e
s e n ta t iv e selection o f rec en t a d d r e s s e s g iv e s an i d e a o f th e
t y p e o f d is c o u rs e d e l i v e r e d :
E ugenics, L ove a n d M a r
r i a g e ” ...
D r. B e r n a r d H o l l a n d e r
“ D isa rm am e n t ”
C. D elisle B u r n s , M . A . , D . L i t .
“ T h e R e lig i o n o f B e r n a r d
Shaw ”
S. K . Ratclifife
“ C h i n a a n d th e W e s t ” ...
P r o f . H u S h i h ( P e k in U n i v . )
Is th e G o o d L if e In te re st
..................
in g ? ”
...
Jo h n A. H obson, M .A .
“ P i r a n d e l l o ’s P l a y s ”
C. D elisle B u r n s , M . A . , D . L i t .
“ Jesus an d Ju d a s ”
R ig h t H o n . J . M. R obertson
“ The
P sy ch o lo g y
of
H ero W o rsh ip ”
C. D elisle B u r n s , M . A . , D . L i t .
“ M o r a l i t y a n d its S u b s t i
tu te s
J o h n A. H o b so n , M .A .
“ T h e E t h i c s o f F o r c e in
In tern atio n al
A f f a irs ”
N o r m a n A n g e ll.
T h e o r d e r o f service p r e c e d i n g th e d is c o u rs e c o n s is ts o f
tw o r e a d i n g s b y th e le ctu rer, t w o e th ic a l h y m n s , a n d a n ite m
o f vocal o r in s t r u m e n t a l m usic.
15
�Since the d e p a r t u r e f r o m S o u t h P la c e C h a p e l , no w
dem olished, t h e S u n d a y m o r n i n g services a r e b e i n g h e l d
temporarily in t h e t h e a t r e o f th e S c h o o l o f O r i e n t a l S t u d i e s ,
which a d j o i n s t h e o l d site.
S u n d a y E vening Concerts.
D uring th e w in te r t ree C h a m b e r M u sic C o n c e r ts a r e h e l d
Sunday e v e n in g s .
T h e s e C o n c e r ts , w h o s e h i s t o r y is
referred to m o r e f u l l y e lsew h e re , h o l d a n i m p o r t a n t p la ce
in the m usical l if e o f L o n d o n .
on
L en din g L ib ra ry.
T h i s c o m p rise s u p w a r d s o f 5,000 v o lu m e s a n d in c lu d e s
m a n y s t a n d a r d w o r k s in l it e r a tu r e , science, a r t , p o litic s a n d
econom ics.
T h e l i b r a r y is fre e to m e m b e r s , a n d w h e n th e
b o o k s a r e s y s t e m a t i c a l l y a r r a n g e d in t h e c o m m o d i o u s L i b r a r y
design ed f o r t h e m in t h e new b u i l d i n g , t h e r ? is e v e r y r e a s o n
to believe t h a t a f u lle r use w ill b e m a d e o f it. T h e w i d e n e d
scope a n d o p p o r t u n i t y f o r im p r o v e d service w ili h e l p to m a k e
th e L e n d i n g L i b r a r y o n e o f th e m o s t a t t r a c t i v e a n d v a l u a b le
f e a tu r e s o f t h e S o c i e t y ’s a c tiv itie s .
‘Discussions.
D is c u s s io n o f e th ic a l, p o litic a l, li t e r a r y a n d so cial q u e s
tio n s has a l w a y s k e e n ly a p p e a l e d t o t h e S o c ie ty , a n d th e
m e e ti n g s a r r a n g e d f o r th is p u r p o s e a t t r a c t n o t o n l y m e m b e r s ,
b u t a ls o m a n y o t h e r p e r s o n s s i m ila r ly i n te r e s te d .
T h e d is
c o u rse o f t h e p r e c e d i n g S u n d a y is s o m e tim e s t a k e n a s th e
s u b je c t o f d is c u s s io n , t h u s a f f o r d i n g t h o s e w h o w ish to
criticise it a n o p p o r t u n i t y to e x p r e s s th e i r view s, a n d o n such
o cc as io n s t h e L e c t u r e r h im s e lf n o t i n f r e q u e n t l y a t t e n d s a n d
j o in s in th e d is c u s s io n .
lb
S o cia l ylc tio itie s.
I t h a s a l w a y s been f e lt b y th e m e m b e r s o f th is S o c ie ty
t h a t th e p r o v is io n o f m e a n s o f social in te r c o u r s e f o r t h o s e
w h o se s y m p a t h i e s w ith fre e t h o u g h t h a v e a t t r a c t e d th e m t o
S o u t h P lac e, is a n i m p o r t a n t p a r t o f its w o r k .
These are
p r o v i d e d f o r in th e f o l l o w i n g w a y s :
SOIREES.— O n e e v e n i n g in ea c h m o n t h d u r i n g t h e
w in te r is d e v o t e d to a social m e e ti n g o f m e m b e r s a n d f r ie n d s .
A n ite m o f l it e r a r y , m u sic a l o r d r a m a t i c in te r e s t is u s u a l l y
a r r a n g e d , b u t th e c h i e f a t t r a c t i o n o f th e soiree s is th e o p p o r
t u n i t y a f f o r d e d f o r t a l k w ith k i n d r e d sp ir its .
DANCES.— D ances are held m o n th ly .
T h e y are m uch
e n jo y e d b y m em bers o f all ages, a n d have also th e v alu a b le
resu lt o f c o n so lid a tin g th e interest o f the y o u n g e r m em bers
in th e S ociety a n d in one a n o th er.
P la y R e a d in g s .— For
th e la st few y e a r s a s m a ll
g r o u p o f m e m b e r s h a s m e t p e r io d i c a l ly t o r e a d p l a y s a l o u d .
T h e s e m e e t i n g s h a v e p r o v e d a t t r a c t i v e , b o t h to s t u d e n t s o f
t h e d r a m a a n d to .th o s e p o s s e s s in g d r a m a t i c ta le n t .
R A M B L E S . — V e r y f r e q u e n t l y t h r o u g h o u t th e y e a r a t t r a c
tiv e c o u n t r y w a l k s a r e u n d e r t a k e n b y p a r ti e s o f m e m
b e rs a n d th e i r f r i e n d s , a n d d u r i n g th e w in te r, e x p e d i t i o n s
to p la ce s o f in te r e s t in L o n d o n a r e a r r a n g e d .
T h e R a m b le s
C o m m i t t e e a lso o r g a n is e s e a c h E a s t e r a c o - o p e ra tiv e h o l i d a y
in th e Isle o f W i g h t . T h i s is p e r h a p s th e m o s t effective f o rc e
in t h e social lif e o f th e S o c ie ty in f o r m i n g a n d c e m e n t i n g
f r i e n d s h i p s b e tw e e n m e m b e r s .
�Subscription Form.
S O U T H P L A C E E T H IC A L S O C IE T Y , 35, Bloomsbury Square,
South
T^lace
London, W C .l.
g
Temporary Address :
35 , B L O O M S B U R Y S Q U A R E , W .C .I
CONWAY HALL APPEAL FUND
T o Mr. N.
SUNDAY
MORNING SERVICES
during re-building are held at 11 a.m., in
THE
LONDON
IN ST IT U T IO N T H E A T R E
L id st o n e ,
96, B lac kstock R oad, L o n d o n , N.4.
I enclose (prom ise to pay)* £
as a D o n atio n to th e
C on w a y H all A ppeal F u n d .
I p ro m ise an A nnual D o n a tio n of £
fo r
y ea rs
South Place, Moorgate, E.C.2
Jit*
SUNDAY POPULAR CONCERTS
N a m e ...............................................................................................
A d d r e s s ..........................................................................................
(C HA M BER MUSIC)
D u rin g th e b uild in g of our new H all, or u n til fu rth er n o tice, th ese
C oncerts, by kind perm ission of th e School G overnors, w ill be giv en
in th e G reat H all of th e
CITY OF LONDON SCHOOL,
................. I 927-
V IC TO R IA EMBANKM ENT. E .C .4
(Facing Blackfriars Bridge).
T h e F orty-Second Season w ill b egin on Sun d ay, October 2nd, 1927.
Doors open 6.10. C oncert 6.30 p .m .
*S trike out w ords in applicable.
C h e q u e s s h o u ld b e c r o sse d B a rc la y ’s Bank, L td.
19
��O B& ftoaa
iu t o p ia ]
, PR E SS
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Architecture and Place
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Humanist Library and Archives
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2016
Description
An account of the resource
A collection of digitised items from the Humanist Library and Archives telling the story of buildings and spaces occupied by the Conway Hall Ethical Society (formerly the South Place Ethical Society). Also includes several born digital items.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Conway Hall Ethical Society
Subject
The topic of the resource
Architecture
Conway Hall (London, England)
South Place Chapel, Finsbury
Mansford, Frederick Herbert (1871-1946)
Language
A language of the resource
English
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
Pamphlet
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
A short history of South Place Ethical Society and an urgent appeal
Description
An account of the resource
Pamphlet for a new building funding appeal.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
South Place Ethical Society (London, England)
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
South Place Ethical Society (London, England)
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
n.d.
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<p><a href="http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/"> <img style="border-style:none;" src="http://i.creativecommons.org/p/mark/1.0/88x31.png" alt="Public Domain Mark" /></a> <br /> This work (<span>A short history of South Place Ethical Society and an urgent appeal</span>, by <span><span>South Place Ethical Society</span></span>), identified by <a href="www.conwayhall.org.uk"><span>Humanist Library and Archives</span></a>, is free of known copyright restrictions.</p>
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
G402
170.6 SOU
Subject
The topic of the resource
South Place Ethical Society
Fund raising
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
application/pdf
Language
A language of the resource
English
-
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a2bbeb2f7418dbdce8f42ce3d3921ac0
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Architecture and Place
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Humanist Library and Archives
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2016
Description
An account of the resource
A collection of digitised items from the Humanist Library and Archives telling the story of buildings and spaces occupied by the Conway Hall Ethical Society (formerly the South Place Ethical Society). Also includes several born digital items.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Conway Hall Ethical Society
Subject
The topic of the resource
Architecture
Conway Hall (London, England)
South Place Chapel, Finsbury
Mansford, Frederick Herbert (1871-1946)
Language
A language of the resource
English
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
Pamphlet
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Syllabus of a course of nine lectures on architecture
Description
An account of the resource
A syllabus of architectural lectures given by G. A. T. Middleton, A.R.I.B.A., M.S.A., secretary of the Society of Architects, at South Place Institute
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
South Place Ethical Society (London, England)
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Middleton, G. A. T.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
South Place Ethical Society (London, England)
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
[1892]
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<p><a href="http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/"> <img style="border-style:none;" src="http://i.creativecommons.org/p/mark/1.0/88x31.png" alt="Public Domain Mark" /></a> <br /> This work (<span>Syllabus of a course of nine lectures on architecture</span>, by <span><span>South Place Ethical Society</span></span>), identified by <a href="www.conwayhall.org.uk"><span>Humanist Library and Archives</span></a>, is free of known copyright restrictions.</p>
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
SPES/6/3/2/1/13
Subject
The topic of the resource
Architecture
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
image/jpeg
Language
A language of the resource
English
Lectures
Middleton, G.A.T.
-
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3850dc46cc3b05c56b29569a37667720
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Architecture and Place
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Humanist Library and Archives
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2016
Description
An account of the resource
A collection of digitised items from the Humanist Library and Archives telling the story of buildings and spaces occupied by the Conway Hall Ethical Society (formerly the South Place Ethical Society). Also includes several born digital items.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Conway Hall Ethical Society
Subject
The topic of the resource
Architecture
Conway Hall (London, England)
South Place Chapel, Finsbury
Mansford, Frederick Herbert (1871-1946)
Language
A language of the resource
English
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
Pamphlet
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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Two lecture series entitled why buildings are interesting
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A two lecture series on architecture called "Why buildings are interesting" given by F. Herbert Mansford at the South Place Ethical Society in 1897.
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South Place Ethical Society (London, England)
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Mansford, Frederick Herbert
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South Place Ethical Society (London, England)
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[1897]
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<p><a href="http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/"> <img style="border-style:none;" src="http://i.creativecommons.org/p/mark/1.0/88x31.png" alt="Public Domain Mark" /></a> <br /> This work (<span>Two lectures entitled why buildings are interesting</span>, by <span><span>South Place Ethical Society</span></span>), identified by <a href="www.conwayhall.org.uk"><span>Humanist Library and Archives</span></a>, is free of known copyright restrictions.</p>
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SPES/6/3/2/8/8
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Architecture
Buildings
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English
Lectures
Mansford, Frederick Herbert (1871-1946)
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�SOUVENIR
o f the
C entenary Celebration
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O f the Opening of
South Place Chapel
1824
February ISt.
uary 1&.
__
1924
-------------------------
�SO UTH
PLA G E
E T H IC A L
SO C IE T Y ,
South Place, Moorgate, E .C .2.
Object of the Society.
‘ The Object o f the Society is the
cultivation of a rational religious
sentiment, the study o f ethical
principles, and the promotion o f
human welfare, in harmony with
advancing know ledge.”
�SOUVENIR
of the
Published Aug. 16,1828
b Jones tc C 3. Acton Place
y
?
Ringsland
Road
London.
C entenary Celebration
South Place Chapel
1824
February, 1st.
1924
�THE CENTENARY CELEBRATION
S O U T H PL A G E E T H IC A L SO C IE T Y .
S outh
P lace,
M o o &g a t e ,
E .C .2 .,
1^1 February, 1924
In com m em oration o f the o p e n in g o f South P la c e C h ap el, on th e 1st F e b ru
a ry , 1824, by W illia m Johnson Fox. T he C elebration w as h e ld in the
C hapel, w hich w as b rig h tly decorated fo r th e occasion, a special
fe a tu re bein g th e d isp la y o f the m onogram “ S .P .E .S .”
1st M arch, 1924.
W e believe th is Souvenir o f the C en ten ary C elebration o f the opening
of South P la ce C hapel, 1st F e b ru a ry , 1824, w ill be considered o f p e rm a
nent value, not o n ly by the m em bers a n d frie n d s of o ur Society, but also
by the m any m em bers o f the p u b lic w ho, a lth o u g h unofficially a ttach ed to
the e th ic al m ovem ent, a re keenly conscious o f th e im portance to th e com
m u n ity o f th e cause of “ fre e e n q u iry a n d the r i g h t o f re lig io u s lib e rty .”
T h e speeches a t th e C en te n ary C elebration, re p o rte d in f u ll in th is
S ouvenir, re c a ll th e tre n d an d th e a ctiv ities o f South P la c e C hapel d u rin g
the p a st one h u n d re d years. T h is g lim pse o f our h isto ry h a s in te rest not
o n ly as a reco rd o f th e life o f one in d iv id u a l Society, it has a lso a m uch
w ider in te rest ow ing to th e fa ct th a t S outh P la c e C hapel, th ro u g h o u t the
h u n d re d y ears o f its existence, has p lay e d a not u n im p o rta n t p a rt in th e
lib e ratio n o f re lig io n , p o litics a n d a r t from a ll form s o f ty ra n n y . In tru th
as M r. J . M. R obertson suggested, the h isto ry o f South P la ce C hapel m ay
not u n re aso n a b ly be re g ard e d as a h isto ry in m icrocosm o f th e general
m ovem ent o f lib e ra l th o u g h t betw een 1824 an d 1924.
T h e v ivid a n d v a rie d c h a ra c te r o f the speeches a t th e C elebration, the
affectionate en th u siasm of the speakers, the b rig h t and a rtis tic decoration
o f the C hapel filled the m eeting w ith a s p irit of ju b ila tio n . T h e past
h isto ry o f South P lace w as re ca lle d w ith p rid e , the success o f the C eleb ra
tion w as self-ev id en t, a n d o u r th o u g h ts of th e fu tu re w ere b r ig h t a n d
h o p e fu l. D eep g ra titu d e w as expressed fo r the good w ork o f .the past
lead ers o f South P lace, e sp e cially W illia m Johnson Fox an d M oncure
C onw ay, a lso fo r th e su p p o rt given to the lead ers by the Com m ittee a n d
g en eral body o f m em bers, a n d the final g en eral fe elin g w as th a t the present
m em bers an d th e m any frie n d s o f the Society m ust now band together a n d
m ake a very g re at effort to increase its stre n g th , both n u m e ric a lly an d
fin an c ia lly , a n d as a n o rg a n isatio n , so th a t the tra d itio n s o f South P lace
C hapel m ay be c a rrie d on w o rth ily in the new hom e we propose to erect
a t Red L ion S q u a re , H olborn.
O ne fu rth e r v a lu a b le fe a tu re o f th is Souvenir is th a t it c o n tain s a
verbatim re p o rt o f M r. J. M. R obertson’s C entenary L ecture, “ A C en tu ry
of R elig io u s E v o lu tio n ,” d eliv ered a t South P la c e on S u n d a y , th e 3rd
F e b ru a ry .
^
P ollard.
E d ito r, “ T h e M onthly R ecord of South P lace
E th ic a l S ociety.”
T h e C h a i r m a n , T h e R i g h t H o n . J. M. R o b e r t s o n , sa id : I have first to
m ention th a t letters ex p ressin g re g re t a t in a b ility to be present have been
received from a num ber of d istin g u ish e d m en w ho have, in th e p ast,
occupied th is p latfo rm . T h ere is no tim e to read the letters. I w ill ju st
m ention the nam es o f W illia m A rcher, H e n ry N evinson, P ro f. G ilb ert
M u rra y , H avelock E llis , S ir F re d e ric k Pollock, B e rtra n d R u ssell, Isra e l
Z an g w ill, L aurence H ousm an, E d w a rd C a rp en ter, K a rl P e a t son, S ir F ra n k
Benson, an d W. S. G odfrey. T hese do not com plete the lis t o f contem po
ra rie s who have spoken here, but you w ill a ll re a lise w h a t a w ide field o f
con tem p o rary life a n d th o u g h t they cover.
W e a re m et to -n ig h t fo r a very in te re stin g com m em oration, nam ely :
the C en ten ary o f th e opening o f th is place. I t w as opened as South P la ce
C hapel by W illia m Johnson Fox one h u n d re d y ears ago. You a l l know
the e a rlie r h isto ry o f th e Society, how it w as sta rte d in 1793 by th e
A m erican U n iv e rsa list, E lh a n a n W inchester, whose successor, h a v in g been
converted to U n iv e rsalism by W inchester, converted h im se lf s till f u rth e r
to U n ita ria n is m . In th is phase o f its existence th e Society lost a good
m any o f its U n iv e rsa lists, b u t w as g ra d u a lly b u ilt up by people o f, p e r
h a p s, g re ater b re a d th o f view u n d e r U n ita ria n is m . I t w as on th a t lin e of
developm ent, c a rrie d on a t th e old ch ap el a t P a rlia m e n t C o u T t , th a t Fox
cam e in, a n d it w as u n d e r the m in istry of Fox th a t th e o ld c o n g reg a tio n of
P a rlia m e n t C ourt opened th is place one h u n d re d y ears ago.
Fox seems to me, on looking back, to have been a very im p o rtan t
in te lle c tu a l force th ro u g h the w hole o f h is life . H e w as, as you know , a
m an o f g re at n a tu ra l g ifts of eloquence, lite ra r y fa cu ltie s, a n d of lib e ra lity
a n d d epth o f th o u g h t. T h o u g h he, lik e h is predecessors, h a d been b ro u g h t
up in the stricte st orthodoxy, as a U n ita ria n he w as a lre a d y advanced, even
u n d e r th a t h e a d in g . Fox w ould seem to have been the effective founder
o f the B ritish an d F o re ig n U n ita ria n A ssociation, a n d the w ord “ fo reig n ”
in th a t title pointed to F o x ’s la rg e view s a t th a t tim e. T h e old U n iv e rsa l
ism w as a C h ristia n U n iv e rsalism , a p re d ic atio n of sa lv atio n for a ll. F o x ’s
U n iv e rsalism involved k in sh ip in the theism o f a ll re lig io n s. H e accepted
as reverend, B rah m in s and other H indoos, a n d , you m ay rem em ber,
M oncure C onw ay cred ited the fam ous B ra h m in or H indoo, the R a ja h
Ram m ohun Roy, w ith a d e te rm in in g influence in th e fo u n d in g o f th e
B ritish an d F o re ig n U n ita ria n A ssociation.
In a ll of those e a rly phases o f South P lace, one c h a ra c te ris tic stood out
in th e m ental a ttitu d e o f its cong reg atio n s. A lw ays, I th in k , they w ere strong
fo r lib e rty o f th o u g h t a n d tea ch in g , a n d resolute in c ondem ning a ll form s
o f persecution. T h a t note w as stru ck by F ox before the opening o f th is
place, when he m ade a very m em orable protest a g a in st the persecution of
th e old D eist, R ic h a rd C a rlile , whose prosecution h a d a c tu a lly been con
ducted by an orthodox U n ita ria n . Fox had no reserves in his fa ith in
freedom . N ot only d id h e sta n d o u t fo r the rig h ts o f D eists, p ro testin g
a g a in st th e ir persecution : he e q u a lly protested a g a in st a n y form of
persecution o f A theists. H e stood out a t th e sam e tim e fo r the rig h ts of
Rom an C atholics an d Jew s, an d of, in fa ct, a n y body th a t w as denied
e q u a lity of rig h ts in the face o f the E n g lish L aw .
I need not re m in d you how w ide also w as th e influence ra d ia tin e from
th is place u n d e r Fox, irresp ectiv e o f h is very la rg e lite r a ry associations
�4
CENTENARY
CE LE B R A T IO N
SO U V EN IR
a n d influence, a n influence w hich m ust have w idened w hen he became
a s you rem em ber he w as, a very p rom inent M em ber o f P a rlia m e n t one o f
th e tw o g re a t orators of the F re e T ra d e M ovement, in w hich C obden’w as the
re p re se n tativ e ra th e r o f a rg u m e n t th a n o f eloquence. You w ill rem em ber
how M oncure C onw ay has told qs th at, w hen he w as in th e U n ited States
a t W ash in g to n in 1856, he fo u n d people d r if tin g aw ay from him old
frie n d s , m em bers o f h is c o n g reg a tio n , leav in g h im because o f h is ’ zeal
a g a in st S lav ery . H e fo u n d there, in A m erica, lo y al su p p o rt from m en who
h a d h a d th e ir m inds form ed in E n g la n d u n d e r Fox, a n d , la te r, in C in cin
n a ti, when he h ad gone fu rth e r 0 1 . his p ath , an d h ad e stran g ed w orshippers
th ere a lso by some o f h is utteran ces on S u p e rn a tu ra iism , a g a in he found
frie n d s an d su p p o rte rs am ong men who had been tra in e d u n d e r Fox in
E n g la n d . C onw ay’s testim ony is th a t never a t a n y ju n c tu re d id he find
those men who grew up u n d e r Fox flinch or f a il in a n y c ris is w here it w as
n ecessary to a sse rt the p rin cip les o f lib e rty .
A fte r l o x ’s re tirem e n t, a n d s till m ore a fte r h is death , th is place had
lost its p restig e. T hey w ere then th in k in g o f clo sin g it. U n d e r a v a rie ty
of phases it fa ile d to re ta in its o ld influence, but a new lif e cam e in w ith
M oncure C onw ay, who a p p e a re d on the scene in 1863. O f him it is h a rd ly
possible to speak in th is place w ith o u t a special w a rm th o f affection. H e
w as, I th in k , fo r m ost o f us w ho a re over 50, one o f the g re a t lin k s w ith
the previous gen eratio n , a lin k w hich he alw ay s kept liv in g , inasm uch as
he never lost h is sy m p a th y w ith th e phases o f the past th a t he h ad o utlived
H is personal c h arm w as deeply bound u p w ith h is in te lle c tu a l influence
and he, in his g en eratio n , w as, T take it, as g re a t an influence as Fox had
been in h is, in some w ays possibly even g re ater—at least in respect to the
fa ct th a t w hereas Fox had u n d o u b ted ly kept h is m ind open to every new
adv an ce in scientific th o u g h t, C onw ay cam e into a p eriod w hen scientific
th o u g h t w as a d v an c in g very m uch m ore ra p id ly , and he responded to the
new advance a t every poin t. N o m an could m ore w o rth ily have fu lfilled w hat
we m ay c all the South P la ce tra d itio n —lo y a lty to freedom o f th o u g h t and
freedom o f tea ch in g , resistan ce to every form o f ty ra n n y o f the m ind. You
w ill a ll rem em ber how , w hen p o litics an d th o u g h t w ere both m oving very
ra p id ly , M oncure Conw ay in th is place stood op en ly an d fe a rle ssly on the
side o f C h a rle s B ra d la u g h an d M rs. B esant, w hen they fo u g h t th e ir battles
fo r freedom o f speech an d fo r p o litica l rig h t.
O ne o f m y ow n c o rd ia l recollections w hen I cam e to L ondon w elln ig h fo rty y ears ago, h a v in g c u t aw ay from a ll creeds an d c a llin g m y self a
S e c u la rist, is th a t I found k in d ly a n d frie n d ly h e a rin g in th is place
W hen I th in k o f it, I an d m y frie n d M rs. B ra d la u g h B onner a re amonsr
the oldest o f th e lis t o f A ssociates of South P lace, perh ap s, here to -n ig h t
W ell, since C o nw ay’s tim e, th e Society h a s h a d its vicissitudes o f ex p eril
m ent in v a rio u s d irec tio n s, but, I th in k , it has never deviated from its
openness to new ideas, av ersio n fo r a ll form s o f b ig o try an d o f persecu
tion, d e te rm in a tio n to keep an open m ind fo r w hatever tim e m ay b rin g to
qs. T h a t w as the h isto ry of the place an d o f the tw o g re a t lea d ers of
whom I have spoken. ^ I th in k it has been its h isto ry down to th is moment.
In th is respect I believe th is old b u ild in g , and w h a t it sta n d s for, are
u n iq u e in the h isto ry o f churches so-called. W ith in th a t c e n tu ry c e rta in ly
m any o f the ch u rch es have m odified th e ir tem pers— in fact, a ll o f them , at
least o f th e P ro te stan t C hurches— but not m any o f them have a lte re d th e ir
creed. T h is Society alw ay s honestly stated th e fact when it re a lly departed
from a n o ld position. F ox aban d o n ed the Sacram ents. C onw ay te lls us in
an am u sin g passage how he told th e C om m ittee th a t he h ad to shape h is
p ra y ers w ith g re a t in g e n u ity in o rd e r not to c la sh w ith h is own view s and
b eliefs.
T h e Com m ittee considered it, and re a d ily accepted Conwav*s
suggestion th at they should a bandon the m ach in ery o f p ra y e r in w hich they
no lo n g er h a d an y serious fa ith , a n d su b stitu te the device o f a re a d in g ,
w hich e xists to th is day. U n d e r C onw ay, too, T th in k it w as, th a t the
p u lp it became a p la tfo rm , and th e old high-backed pews w ere discard ed as
in stru m e n ts o f to rtu re a n d superseded by such seats as those in w hich you
now sit.
A fter its h u n d re d y e ars o f life , South P la ce C hapel is not lik e ly
OF
SOUTH
PLACE
CHAPEL.
5
to e x ist fo r m any y ears lo n g er as a place o f pu b lic m eeting a n d p u b lic
tea ch in g .
1 he m ore fit is it th a t we should th u s com m em orate the
C entenary. As re g a rd s the fu tu re , th ere can be no better p rognostication
th an the expression of hope th a t its fu tu re w ill be w orthy o f its p ast. A
h u n d re d y ears of its m ental lif e m ay be sa id to have been, as it were, a
m icrocosm o f the m ental life o f E n g la n d th ro u g h th a t c en tu ry . W e have
h ere to -n ig h t w ith us a num ber of d istin g u ish e d speakers, a ll m ore o r less
old associates of South P lace. I w ill, th ere fo re, not stan d a n y longer
between you an d them , an d w ill now c a ll on our frie n d M r. John Hobson.
B ut I m ust not om it to express th e deep re g re t w ith w hich we h ear th a t M r.
D e lisle B u rn s, who hoped to be w ith us, is q u ite u nable to come ow ing to
the sta te o f h is h e alth .
M r . J o h n A. H o b s o n , M .A .—I t is w ith
the deepest sa tisfac tio n th a t
I find m y self
a b le to be present on
th is
extrem ely in te re stin g
occasicn.
Now , w hen a th in g is 100 years old, it is not necessarily
in te restin g , not even i f it is an in stitu tio n .
T o m ake it in te re stin g , I
th in k it m ust be re p re se n tativ e o f a m ood, a m oving m ind o r soul, a n d
it is th a t m ovem ent o f th o u g h t an d fe elin g o f freedom w hich the C h airm an
rig h tly represented a s th e c e n tra l fa ct of th e lif e w ith w hich we a re proud
to associate ourselves. T hose who listened to him , an d those who have read
the extrem ely fa sc in a tin g little book in w hich o ur g re at predecessor on th is
p la tfo rm , D r. M oncure C onw ay, to ld the e a rlie r h isto ry of th is Society,
know th a t th ere is some ju stific atio n fo r our p rid e in th is place, its in s titu
tions, a n d th is Society a s re p re se n tin g , m ore a d eq u a te ly p e rh ap s, fo r a
lo n g er tim e th an a n y other place in L ondon, th is po w erfu l, passionate,
e n th u sia stic sentim ent fo r lib e rty an d the to le ratio n o f th o u g h t, an d fo r
the active expression of th o u g h t an d o f differences o f th o u g h t. It has been
a source of g ra tifica tio n to me p e rso n ally , d u rin g the q u a rte r of a c en tu ry
in w hich I have been connected w ith th is S a tie ty , on m any occasions
th o u g h I u tte red o p inions w h ich I knew were" not p a la ta b le to a
la rg e pro p o rtio n of my listen ers, to find th a t they w ere not deterred
from lis te n in g to me, th a t they reserved th e ir ju d g m e n t as they h a d the
rig h t a n d d u ty to do, a ju d g m e n t to differ from me.
I hoped th a t
they w ould re ta in in ta c t th a t difference, not m itig ate d by a n y th in g I m ig h t
say, excep tin g in so f a r as it recom m ended its e lf to th e ir sense o f reason
and justice. So th a t you come back to the in d iv id u a l sense o f reason a n d
ju stice. T he g a th e rin g of a people upon th a t basis, m aking a Society like
th is, is, I th in k , u n iq u e in th e h isto ry o f L ondon a n d , p erh ap s, o f th is
c o u n try .
r
It was a fa sc in a tin g sp iritu a l sto ry th a t D r. C onw ay told, how the
m akers, th e e a rlie r m akers o f th is Society, E lh a n a n W inchester, Fox, a n d
C onw ay, kept y e ar a fte r y e ar, decade a fte r decade, bro ad en in g dow n, not
from precedent to precedent but from one new er a n d la rg e r conception of
sp iritu a l life and its d u ty to a n o th er s till la rg e r a n d new er. And a ll th at
tea ch in g w as conducted, not in an atm osphere o f m ere a b strac t th o u g h t, for
w h at is rem arkable in the fo rtu n es o f these men an d th is Society is the
close contact kept w ith the v ita l, active m ovem ents in th is c o u n try and th is
w orld. T he atm osphere w as not, I rep eat, one of a b strac tio n but o f the
stru g g le o f h isto ry in its m aking d u rin g the N ineteenth C en tu ry —the g re at
causes o f L ib e rty , C ath o lic E m an cip atio n , the A nti-C orn L aw Movement
the A n ti-S lav ery M ovem ent, the M ovem ent of T o le ratio n fo r D issenters, for
D eists, fo r A theists, an d the ever-ex p an d in g m ovem ent in the w ider field
o f P o litic s— N a tio n a lism , w here N a tio n a lism w as a rig h t an d necessary
move in the stru g g le o f N a tio n a litie s fo r Freedom . W here N a tio n a lity
passed those b a rrie rs a n d became Im p e ria lism , then the s p irit o f South
P la ce hard en ed a g a in st it, a n d o ur speakers stood out a g a in st th is abuse
o f N a tio n a lism . T hey stood then in fa v o u r of In te rn a tio n a lism , an d not
of In te rn a tio n a lism o n ly in the sense o f re la tio n between one state an d
a n o th e r state, one governm ent and an o th er governm ent, but free association
o f peoples, w hich, p erh ap s, is m ore tr u ly described by a term w hich has
som etim es c a rrie d a c e rta in atm osphere o f re p ro o f about it. I m ean the
term C osm opolitanism . I do not th in k the m akers o f o u r Society would
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have re p u d ia te d th e term C osm opolitan in the w ay in w hich it is re p u d ia te d
by some people as i f it m eant w eakening of th e ir fe elin g s a n d connections
w ith th e ir fellow -m en. E veryw here, th is h isto ry h a s been a h isto ry fo r the
lib e rty o f th o u g h t, o f speech, a n d th e P ress.
It is im p o rta n t to bear th a t in m ind a t th e present tim e, because I
have been asked to speak of the po ssib ilities of the fu tu re work o f th is
Society.
Now I w ould say th a t we sta n d to-day in d a n g e r o f a new
in to leran ce, an in to leran ce p roceeding, not from one side only, in the
movem ent of the p o litic a l w orld, but from every side. A c e rta in passion
has upset th e w orld to-day, w hich catches m any people u n aw ares, and
m akes them less w illin g th a n they were to liste n to view s an d opinions
an d ju d g m e n ts w hich c la sh w ith th e ir ow n. It is the very sense o f the
em ergencies o f the w orld in w hich we liv e w h ic h p erv erts the tem per
of freedom in m any people who, on s lig h te r occasions a n d in o rd in a ry tim es,
were q u ite the frie n d s o f L ib erty .
T he em ergency in w hich we live now presents its e lf, o f course, differ
en tly to different m inds. P e rh a p s it presents its e lf d iffere n tly to the o lder
people an d the younger. M any old o r a g e in g people a m ongst us seem
sensible o f the fa ilu r e of D em ocracy, the fa ilu re , p erh ap s, of the su p p o rts
of C iv ilisa tio n them selves, an d even the p o ssib ility of the dissolution
of W estern C iv ilisa tio n , th e p o ssib ility p u t in a strik in g p h ra se
o f the late L o rd B ryce in h is la st book, the p o ssib ility of a new Ice Age
se ttlin g on the h u m an m ind. B u t th e re a re oth er, m any o f them younger
a n d m ore e n th u sia stic m inds, in m any c ountries, who see the D aw n of the
New E ra . A s a lu ta ry optim ism belongs to youth, but n e ith e r th e old nor
youths can view the present situ a tio n o f the w orld otherw ise th an w ith
con stern atio n . W a r h a s rip en ed an d revealed a num ber o f discords an d
conflicts w hich, doubtless, w ere in existence before, but w hich stand out
m ore p la in ly to the eyes o f m en. P o litic s, In d u stry , R e lig io n , E d u ca tio n ,
these a r e the fields o f s trife , a n d not o f some sim ple form o f strife . In
P o litic s, fo r instance, o r In d u stry , we som etim es h e ar of “ T h e C lass W a r .”
T h ere is not a C lass W ar, because a W a r im plies— m ostly, a t an y ra te __
tw o opposite p a rtie s in conflict w ith each other. T h ere is no C lass _W ar in
th a t sense. T h e re is no such cle ar-c u t id ea p e n e tra tin g the m inds o f those
w ho a r e e n g ag ed in In d u stry . I t is the sam e in p olitics. T he old P a rtie s
b reak up into a num ber o f d ifferent sections re p re se n tin g new phases. And
I need not speak to you about the w ay in w hich R elig io n s form new sects.
A ll these p illa r s o f society— In d u stry , P o litic s, R elig io n , E d u ca tio n —
are shaken at one tim e, an d th ere is a process w hich is necessary, no doubt,
a n d w hich goes u n d e r the inconvenient nam e of R econstruction. Recovery
is w hat people crav e a t the present tim e. Now th is R ecovery, i f it is
o btainable, dem ands Social C ontrol. It dem ands a k ind o f co n tro l w hich
h a s never yet been re alised in the w orld to a n y la rg e extent, a c ontrol
w hich is no lo n g er dependent upon the great unseen, unconscious, m ass
movem ents of m en, or upon the se p a ra te action o f some sin g le g re at p rophet
o r g re a t m an. Social C ontrol m eans som ething different from th at, a
conscious, r a tio n a l, a n d d istin c tly m oral co n tro l, for a ll these problem s
w hich beset us now a re re a lly m oral problem s. T h ey are problem s affecting
the incentives th a t o perate in th e conduct o f men an d women. It is th is
settlem ent fo r w hich an e th ic al society pre-em inently stands. T h is E th ic a l
R a tio n a lism is w hat South P lace sta n d s fo r, has stood for in th e p a st (so
fa r as these ideas have p rev ailed ) and stan d s for in th e fu tu re if we a re
to c ontribute our sh a re to the re al recovery of the w o rld . A nd not Recovery
a lo n e ; we stan d not m erely fo r Recovery, but for P ro g ress, and fo r P ro g re ss
upon ra tio n a l, m oral lines. In th a t s p ir it o ur Society c o n fro n ts the g re at
em ergent problem s o f o ur tim e. I can n o t do m ore th a n nam e them in
passing, such problem s as c en tre a ro u n d P o p u la tio n , th e sa fe g u a rd in g of
D em ocracy, the p o ssib ilities o f new In d u s tria l O rg a n isa tio n , the e sta b lish
m ent o f a R eal In te rn a tio n a lism , a n d behind a ll these the renovation o r the
establishm ent o f a reasonable system o f E d u ca tio n , th e m eans to a ll th e
other ends. T hese a re problem s, I repeat, o f R a tio n a l M o ra lity , th a t is to
say o f p la in , in d iv id u a l, tru th -seek in g a p p lie d for the purposes o f H um an
W elfare.
Reason is som etim es d isc o u rag e d , but w ro n g ly so, in th e new psycho
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logy o f w h ich we h e ar so m uch.
R eason is rig h tly understood as the
suprem e a rb ite r an d re g u la to r o f a ll the in stin c ts a n d em otions w hich
co n ta in the bulk of the d riv in g pow er o f h u m an ity . R eason h a s to h a r
m onise a n d govern not by p u re ra tio n a lisa tio n , but by a n e n thusiasm for
r ig h t th in k in g . S outh P la ce h isto ry , as you have h e ard it, c o n tin u a lly
lin k s up th in k in g w ith doing. W e a re not th eo rists or dream ers, or m ere
id ea lists. T he g re at lib e rativ e causes to w hich a llu sio n h a s been m ade
have been re al, concrete steps in th e P ro g re ss of H u m a n ity , a n d these causes
o f Social R econstruction cla im o ur u n d iv id e d a tte n tio n a n d en erg ies a t the
present tim e. In L ondon the place w hich succeeds th is h a ll should be
recognised from the b e g in n in g a s a c e n tra l pow er-house fo r c le a r, free
th in k in g a n d fo r the e n thusiasm o f tra n s la tin g free th o u g h t into actio n .
Som e o f us w ill be sad a t th e d isa p p ea ran c e of th is c h ap e l, but we s h a ll
look fo rw a rd in the hope o f a jo y fu l re su rrec tio n in B loom sbury.
P r o f . G r a h a m W a l l a s , M .A .—T he C h a irm a n told us ju s t now th a t h is
first v isit to th is room w as fo rty y ears ago. I am a m ere new com er. My
first v isit here w as th irty -e ig h t y ears ago. I rem em ber th a t the E xecutive
o f the F a b ia n Society decided in 1886 to m ake a b ig p lu n g e by ta k in g
from the very to le ra n t people o f th is ch ap el the use of the p lace fo r a two
d a y s’ conference on Socialism . W e inv ited everybody, in c lu d in g the
S o cialist L eague an d the Social D em ocratic F e d e ratio n . E sp e c ia lly we asked
C h a rle s B ra d la u g h , an d C h a rle s B ra d la u g h cam e and d isag reed w ith alm ost
e v ery th in g everybody sa id in th e room, sco ld in g us w ith a m agnificent gusto.
O n the ra th e r d u ll second a ftern o o n , m y frie n d S idney W ebb, p re p a rin g
h im se lf to be P re sid e n t o f the B oard o f T ra d e in the fu tu re , read a
d e ta ile d p a p er c a lle d A S ocialist B udget. It d id not e n tire ly e x h ila ra te
th e au d ien ce. O n th e p la tfo rm , ju s t w here H obson is sittin g , w as a re p re
sen tativ e of the Social D em ocratic F e d e ratio n . H e was a g entlem an c a lle d
R ossiter, who sold th e h arm less fluid c a lle d m ilk in B attersea, an d w as
th e most p e rsisten t red rev o lu tio n ist I have ever m et. D ire c tly W ebb’s
p a p er w as over, he jum ped to th e fro n t an d said : “ D am n y our p a llia tiv e s,
I am a R evolutionist.
I believe in b a rric ad e s, bombs, blood in the
street i f you like. T h a t is the only w ay to reach o u r u ltim a te g a o l ! ” In
fro n t, the au dience w ere y e llin g w ith la u g h te r, a n d he was u tte rly u n a b le
to u n d e rsta n d w hat they w ere la u g h in g at.
B ut, M r. C h a irm a n , w h ile I am not so very o ld in m y personal m em ory,
I am som ething o f a p a tria rc h in m y m em ory of a c e rta in period o f E n g lish
h isto ry . W hen I w as w ritin g th e “ L ife o f F ra n c is P la c e ,” I h ad to read
a n enorm ous m ass o f letters a n d new spapers a n d p a rlia m e n ta ry rep o rts
d e a lin g w ith the p eriod o f 100 years ago. I t took me about seven o r e ig h t
years. I w as d e fe rre d to e x a c tly as a m an w ho h a d lived in th a t period.
I rem em ber L y u lp h S tan ley , not yet L o rd Sheffield, who used to be ou r
lea d er on th e L ondon School B oard, sa y in g : “ Look here, w hat sort o f m an
w as m y g r a n d f a t h e r ? ” F o r th a t reason it has been suggested to me th a t
I m ight, in a very few w ords, p u t before you w h at w as th e position o f the
w orld of th o u g h t in E n g la n d a t the tim e w hen th is Society was estab lish ed .
I t re a lly is a very rem ark ab le th in g th a t the fo u n d a tio n o f th is Society
coincided w ith the b e g in n in g o f th e g en eral L ib e ral M ovement w hich
m arked E n g la n d d u rin g the n in ete en th c en tu ry , an d th a t the success o f th is
Society, the im m ediate success, w as very la rg e ly d u e to th e coincidence of
its form ation w ith th is m ovem ent. In 1824 we w ere n in e y ears off the
B a ttle of W aterloo, an d the w o rld w as slow ly recovering from the passions
o f the N apoleonic E ra , and from the h a tre d an d ty ra n n y w hich follow ed
the N apoleonic W ar. E n g la n d h a d ju s t d e finitely broken w ith th a t
c o a litio n o f despots w hich c a lle d its e lf T h e H o ly A llia n ce . W hen F ra n c e
m arched in to S pain a n d cru sh ed the L ib e ra l C onstitution there, we had
proclaim ed, th ro u g h th e voice o f C a n n in g , th at we proposed to c a ll a new
w orld into existence, a new fre e w orld to redress as f a r a s possible the
b alan ce o f the old. I t w as w ith in a week o r two o f the fo u n d a tio n o f th is
Society th a t th e w ords o f C a n n in g reached South A m erica, an d w ere
accepted as a general m essage of freedom to th e w orld.
In th a t sam e y ear, fo r the first tim e, the E n g lish G overnm ent perm itted
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the form atio n o f a C o n stitu tio n al G overnm ent in A u s tra lia . In th a t year,
H uskisson w as P re sid e n t of th e B oard o f T ra d e , a n d in tro d u ced a R ecipro
c ity B ill w hich p ra c tic a lly w iped out a ll the n a tio n a l selfishness of the
protective N a v ig a tio n Acts. In th a t year Peel, a s H om e S ecretary,
a c tin g w ith the force behind him o f the y e ars o f lab o u r o f S ir Sam uel
R o m illy a n d Jerem y B entham , abolished 100 offences fo r w hich the death
p e n alty w as im posed. F o r th e first tim e th ere w as a C rim in a l L aw in
E n g la n d , w hich w as a n y th in g but a sc a n d al an d d isg ra ce to the whole
c o u n try . In th a t y e ar the C om bination L aw s, w hich forbade the form ation
o f T ra d e U nions o f a n y k in d am ong th e men (they allo w ed an y k ind of
U nion fo r the M asters) w ere a t la st abolished. W hen in 1892 M r. G ladstone
looked back upon h is long lif e a n d association w ith L ib e ralism , he dated
the com ing of progress, as he und etsto o d it, in econom ic m atters, from th a t
event in 1824. “ T he L abour Q u estio n ,” h e d e clare d , “ m ay be said to have
come into p u b lic view sim u lta n eo u sly w ith the R epeal six ty or seventy
y ears ago o f th e C om bination L aw s, w h ich h a d m ade it a n offence for
lab o u rin g men to com bine fo r the purpose o f p ro c u rin g by jo in t action a n d
peaceful m eans an au g m e n tatio n o f th e ir w ages.
F ro m th is beg in n in g
progress b e g a n .” It w as in th a t y ear 1824 th a t R anke p u b lish ed h is g re at
b isto ry , an d began, as G. P. Gooch has to ld us, a scientific in te ip re ta tio n
of E u ro p e ’s past record. I t w as in th a t y ear th a t Jerem y B entham sta rte d
the “ W estm inster R eview .” F o r th e first tim e, m en whose le a rn in g com
pelled respect from a ll, stood fo rth p u b lic ly to d e clare opinions w hich
w ould have sent poor m en to p riso n in droves ten years before.
In th a t g re at m om ent, a m om ent w hen the w orld, tire d of w a r, tire d
of ty ra n n y , tu rn e d tow ards th e conception o f kin d n ess an d lib e rty in
th a t m om ent D a rw in w as a boy of fifteen, a b an d o n in g the w eary course
o f L a tin a n d G reek w hich ta u g h t him n o th in g , an d p re p a rin g h im self for
scientific tra in in g an d discovery.
G ladstone w as a boy o f fifteen,
le a rn in g to speak a t E ton, a n d a lre a d y deeply in terested in the p o litics of
h is tim e. T ennyson w as w ritin g h is first poems, a n d p o in tin g the w ay to
the form of th o u g h t a n d sentim ent w hich we c all V ictorian.
W e think now o f the process o f developm ent o f E n g lish freedom d u rin g
th a t 100 y e ars as being sim ple an d easy. W e have o nly to tu rn to the
h isto ry o f F ra n c e, S p a in , an d other n a tio n s to re a lis e it w as not so. It was
not in ev itab le, but freedom cam e because m en an d women w ere p re p are d to
w ork a n d to suffer.
T he 100 y e ars a re over, a n d these w a lls a re to be p u lle d down in o rd e r
th a t we m ay s ta rt a g a in in a n o th er place. As I sat here, my eye w as
su d d e n ly c a u g h t (w ith the recollection of 'the tim e when 1 w as a school
m aster tea ch in g L atin ) by those sh ie ld s on th e w all over there, on w hich is
the m onogram S .P .E .S . In a few m om ents I realised th a t i t ’m eant South
P la ce E th ic a l Society, but at first it sim p ly m eant to me the L a tin nam e
fo r Hope. T h a t fact, th a t S P E S m eans both South P la ce E th ic a l Society
an d H ope, you m ay c a rry w ith you as a m otto to y our new home.
M r. H a r r y S n e l l , M .P . In c ele b ra tin g th is g reat A n n iv e rsary o f
South P lace C hapel, we a ie tak in g p a rt in a trib u te to a revered an d very
fam ous in stitu tio n , an in stitu tio n w hich, tho u g h it h as h ad glo rio u s achieve
m ents a n d is f u ll o f years, has yet, nevertheless, not grow n old. It has
rem ained young in s p irit a n d active in en d eav o u r, a n d , w ith a fu ll c en tu ry
upon its head , is s ta rtin g o u t upon a new ad v en tu re w ith a ll the g lad
assu ran ce o f those who first sat w ith in its w a lls, a n d w ith th a t sam e
endeavour, th a t sam e quest fo r a h ig h e r form o f liv in g th a t those people
h a d who la id its first fo u n d a tio n stone.
It has not been the p riv ile g e o f those w ith whom I am sp e c ia lly
associated to have been in th a t close and co n stan t contact w ith South P lace
th a t its own m em bers a n d im m ediate frie n d s have enjoyed. I re g re t, in
com parison w ith M r. J. M. R obertson a n d P ro f. G rah am W a lla s, to be a
m ere in fa n t as a v isito r to th is place, fo r w h at a re th irty -fo u r years in
com parison w ith th irty -e ig h t o r fo rty ? W hen I cam e to L ondon in 1890,
th is w as the place to w hich I cam e by a sense of n a tu ra l g ra v ita tio n . I
th in k th a t w h at drew me h ere w as th a t w h ich has d ra w n v isitors, seekers
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a f te r tr u th from a ll ends o f the e a rth , w henever they have v isited th is
g re a t c ity in w hich we live. B u t m y w ork, a n d the work of those w ith
whom I am associated an d fo r whom I m ay sp e c ia lly c la im to speak to-night,
has a nam e in other fields in o u r own g re at c o u n try . N evertheless, the
sp e ll of th is place h a s alw ay s been upon us, the spell of its prestige.
Now th a t its venerable w a lls are doomed to f a ll, I c an n o t help expressing
a fe elin g o f personal p rid e th a t I have been on a few occasions p erm itted
to a d d m y nam e to th e lis t o f th a t w orthy g roup of men who have preached
w ith ’n these w a lls. And w h a t a g roup of m en th ey have been, and for
w h at fine id ea ls, a f te r a ll, have they stood ?
T he South P lace C hapel (or the South P la c e In stitu te , as we have
lea rn ed o f la te to c a ll it) has alw ay s stood fo r w ell-defined id ea ls. I t has
c h an g e d in the th in g s i t ’has advocated, but it h a s never been in a n y doubt
as to w hat it stood for a t an y p a r tic u la r tim e. It has stood, I say, for
w ell-considered id ea ls, for tr u th w ith o u t fe a r oi lim ita tio n . I t has stood
fo r the d ig n ity o f doubt a n d fo r the co u rag e o f dissent. It has stood for
th e Gospel o f H um an W orth, an d fo r grow th e v erlastin g . In a ll its phases
of developm ent it has h a d those id ea ls q u ite c le a rly before its mind'.
T h ere have been other churches, of course, whose m em bers have held the
tenets o f th eir c h u rch w ith e q u a l ferv o u r to th at w ith w hich the m em bers
of th is place have held the facts th a t have been preached from th is p la tfo rm ,
but th ere has been no c h u rch in o u r c o u n try th a t h a s h a d such m agnificent,
such c o n stan t an d sp le n d id to le ratio n as th e South P lace C h u rch , or C hapel,
h as h ad . A ll th a t it has asked a m an th a t has stood on th is p la tfo rm has
been th a t he should speak th e best tru th th a t he knew. I f a m an w as a
s p iritu a l outcast, a n in te lle c tu a l outcast, a c reed al outcast from some other
c h u rc h , th a t seemed the best reason in the w orld w hy he should be invited
as a guest here. It m ig h t be sa id o f.p e o p le of th a t k in d , as S outhey said
o f the re fu g e e : W hen th ey touched th is p la tfo r m th ey w ere free.
I ask you to re a lise how m agnificent has been the c ourage, the tolerance,
the g re a t re fo rm in g zeal o f the Society, the C en ten ary o f whose b u ild in g
we a r e now c ele b ra tin g . F ox a n d h is people stood, as you have been
rem inded to -n ig h t, fo r C ath o lic em an cip atio n . T h ey w ere not C atholics,
but they knew th a t C atholics, as citizen s o f th is C ountry, h a d r ig h ts an d
p riv ile g e s e q u al to those of a n y other sect in th is com m unity. A g re at
m oral gesture, m y frie n d s, in tim es lik e th is, a gesture w hich o u r C ath o lic
fellow -citizens have never a p p rec ia ted , a n d a gesture w hich they w ill alm ost
c e rta in ly never reciprocate. Fox, a n d South P la ce C hapel, stood also for
C h u rch R eform . It seems alm ost im p e rtin e n t in the days o f D ean In g e
to suggest th a t the C hurch ever needed re fo rm , but in those days there were
a g re at m any reform s needed th a t I have not tim e even to enum erate
to -n ig h t. B ut th is place, alm ost u n d e r th e shadow of St. P a u l ’s, pleaded
th at, how ever w rong the C h u rch m ig h t be in the d octrines it ta u g h t, a t
lea st it ou g h t to be d em o n strativ ely cleaT. It o u g h t to p u t in o rd e r its
own house before it lectu red o th er people too severely for th e ir fa u lts.
D r. Conw ay, and h is frie n d s in th is b u ild in g , protested a g a in st
im prisonm ent of people of th is a n d o th er com m unions fo r re fu s a l to pay
C h u rch R ates, and one o f m y first v isits to th is place w as w hen I cam e
to h e ar D r. C onw ay preach an d protest a g a in st the im prisonm ent for
B lasphem y o f M r. Foote an d h is frie n d s. It m ight be said th a t on those
m atters never h as a fa lse m oral note issued from th is p la tfo rm .
T h is
com m unity w as the first to petitio n P a rlia m e n t fo r the a b o litio n o f the
D eath P e n a lty fo r T h eft. It w as the first to protest a g a in s t th e oppression
of wom en, a n d to plead th a t school in stru ctio n be given to the young of
both sexes. W hen Fox w as the M em ber fo r O ld h am , he used h is sp le n d id
pow ers of rh e to ric, in seconding H u g h e s’ m otion, to try to p e rsu a d e the
House o f Com mons to a g ree to a n extension of the fran c h ise . O ne m ig h t
go on, illu s tra tin g , by nam es o f the m en who have stood on th is p la tfo rm ,
th e continuous e ndeavour th a t h a s been m ade to w iden the o p p o rtu n ities for
m an an d to rem ove p o litica l an d social b a rrie rs to h is developm ent. T he
South P lace In stitu te has been first in its revolt a g a in s t ty ra n n y , and
b ig o try and oppression. I t has been first in the dem and fo r w id er o p p o r
tu n itie s for m an. It has been first in its a sse rtio n of the p rin c ip le s o f
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freedom o f th o u g h t a n d o f expression. T h e o ld South P la ce is about to
d i e ; L ong liv e S outh P la ce !
We a re liv in g in different tim es now fro m those w hen F ox began h is
w ork in th is b u ild in g . I f he h ad to s ta rt hm w ork a fre sh , I am not so
sure th a t he w ould meet w ith the sam e success th a t he h ad 100 y e ars ago
A few people w ould be lo y al to h im ; they w ould r a lly ro u n d him a n d give
th e ir help a n d th e ir tru st, but the g re a t m ajo rity w ould say : “ O h yes, he
talk s w ell enough, o f c o u rse ; he is som etim es in te restin g , but I have a ja z z
T ea o r a N ig h t C lub to a tte n d , a n d I h a v e n ’t tim e fo r th in g s like th at ”
W e, speakers, w ere fated to be born a fte r o u r tim e, a n d yet we do not lose
hope a b o u t the fu tu re o f South P lace, fo r some d a y th e people w ill r a lly
once m ore to the spoken w ord, a n d if th is Society c a rrie s on the tra d itio n s
of the past w hen it moves in to a n o th e r neighbourhood, it w ill c a rry w ith it
the elem ents o f success. F o r i f C iv ilisa tio n is to go on, b u ild in g s, in s titu
tions, societies like th is w ill be m ore a n d m ore needed. T hey w ill be
re q u ire d to stoke up th e fires of m oral en th u sia sm w hich seem to die down
so easily, a n d I hope th at one g re at tra d itio n o f South P lace w ill alw ay s
be kept going. I t w ill pro v id e a hearth sto n e, a n open door, so th a t the
m an who has a n y th in g to say c an come th ere an d say it. L et him not be
cast out because he preaches som ething u n p o p u la r ; let it co n tin u e to say,
as it a lw a y s has : “ L et us h e ar w h at th is new doctrin e is w hereof thou
speakest.”
It is not m y business to advise those who a re responsible fo r the fu tu re
of th is Society w hat th ey should do. I can n o t h elp h o p in g th a t in th eir
w isdom , th e ir open in g C elebration o f th a t in stitu tio n w ill, ’a t least
in clu d e a g re a t C onference o f a ll those who accept ou r p rin c ip le s or who
sym pathise an d a d h ere to our w ay o f th in k in g an d outlook upon life , th a t
we m ay use th a t as a g re at occasion fo r re -sta rtin g o u r movem ent, upon
w ide, a n d deep, an d su re r lines.
’
T h e C h a i r m a n , in a n n o u n cin g M rs. F le tc h e r Sm ith,
sa id :I know y o u
w ill give a sp e c ia lly w arm welcom e to, I w ill not say “ o ur old frie n d ”
fo r she never grow s o ld , but to c u r ever yo u n g frie n d .
M r s . F l e t c h e r S m it h
I have to speak o f persons connected w ith
South P la ce who were M em bers. It is very difficult to go back some seventy
y ears and te ll you a ll about them in ten m inutes.
T he first person who re a lly affected me, w ho w as a M em ber, was
W illia m L ovett. H e sat over th e re by G. ] . H olyoake’s bust, a n d I was
very m uch im pressed by him . H e w as a C h a rtist, and had suffered in
h e alth th ro u g h being in priso n . H e ta u g h t me to ch an g e m y views e n tirely
about C h a rtists. H e w as c h a rm in g , a gentlem an o f the kindest. I do not
know if an y o n e here knew him . O u r C h a irm a n knows a ll h is h isto ry
He
w as a n E d u ca tio n ist, an d h a d classes a t St. M a rtin ’s H a ll. H e ta u g h t on
lin e s th a t E d u c a tio n a lists now are fu m b lin g over.
l i e was one of the
kindest a n d gentlest o f men.
I m ust say th a t I w as h e re before he cam e. I was here in the old
days th a t o u r C h a irm a n spoke of w hen th e re w as a U n ita ria n M in ister,
but I d id not le a rn m uch from them .
T he next person w ho interested me very m uch w as B enjam in W ard
R ich ard so n . H e w as a genius, who w rote “ T h e C ity o f H y g e ia .’* He
w as a m ost d e lig h tfu l speaker.
T hen th ere w as A lexander J. E llis , a good m an he was. W hat he d id n ’t
know about la n g u a g es an d m usic, I suppose w a sn ’t w orth know ing.
T h en , in the e a rly sixties, cam e D r. C onw ay, who gave us w hat those
I have m entioned w ere u n a b le to do : the w hole o f h is tim e an d e n erg y .
H is tea ch in g a n d influence, w ith th at of h is c h arm in g w ife, rem ain w ith
me as d e ar an d b e a u tifu l m em ories.
T here w as d e ar M rs. M a n sfo rd , w ith h e r sons and d a u g h te r, who sat
in th e seat n e ar w here M rs. C onw ay used to sit an d h old h e r little C ourt
on Sunday^ m o rn in g s. W hen we lost M rs. Conw ay, M rs. M ansford often
Received frie n d s , a n d g re a tly I enjoyed talk s w ith her.
A m ong other p e rso n alitie s, p le a sin g m em ories rise of D r. C oupland,
a u th o r of “ T h o u g h ts a n d A sp ira tio n s o f the A g es,” w ho gave us m any
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fine discourses, a n d who assisted in in a u g u ra tin g the C onw ay M em orial
L ectures.
W illia m S heow ring, w ith C. W . T h ies, w as in stru m e n tal in sta rtin g
S u n d a y A fternoon L ectures, an d a lso o rig in a te d th e idea of “ T h e R eligious
System s of the W o rld .” T he South P la ce M agazine w as ed ited by W . J.
R eynolds a n d John H . K. T o d d . M r. T heodore W rig h t e d ite d the “ Lessons
in 1882-3 fo r th e D ay ” by D r. C onw ay. M r. C laren ce S eyler an d H a ro ld
S eyler d id sp le n d id w ork fo r South P lace. W illia m C ockburn too. To
H . G. M orris we owe o u r e le c tric lig h t, an d to M r. M arsh w e owe our
h e a tin g fu rn ac e . T h ere w as C. D. C ollet, w ho w orked to free new spapers
from stam p d u ty . M ark E . M arsden in a u g u ra te d th e Soirees, when th e pews
an d p u lp it w ere rem oved. John L yon, w ho w as am ong the e a rlie r Members,
w as fined o r im p riso n ed , I believe, because he protested a g a in s t C h u rc h
R ates. A ll d id m uch tow ards the m ain ten an ce o f o u r freedom , w hich at
one tim e w as in d a n g er.
P e ter T a y lo r a n d P .A. T a y lo r, h is son, w ere both M em bers o f P a r l ia
m ent, I thin k . P eter T a y lo r, w ith C h a rle s D ilk e a n d G. O. T rev e ly a n ,
alw ay s voted a g a in s t R oyal G ra n ts. T h ey w ere, I believe, fo r y ears th e
o n ly men who d id so.
M iss Em m a P hip so n founded a G ir ls ’ C lub in South P la c e on th e lines
o f C hesterton H ouse G ir ls ’ C lub. M iss Josephine T ro u p discoursed sweet
m usic to us, and we m iss h e r g re a tly . T hen there w as R obert B row ning,
a n d seeing h im I w an ted , o f course, to re ad h is works.
I a lw ay s f e lt th a t some of the people who cam e to jo in d id not come in
the r ig h t s p irit. T h ey cam e w ith th e id ea : “ O h, th a t is not r i g h t ; I m ust
try an d get them to a lte r th a t ,” instead of sa y in g : “ W h at a p riv ile g e it
is to be received like th is, a n d to h e a r w h at we do h e a r from th e p la tfo rm .”
South P la ce has been to m e an e ducation a n d in sp ira tio n . I t h a s been
a lso to me a hom e, s p iritu a l an d social. I t w ould take me a ll th e evening
to tell you the benefits I have d erived from th is place. I am very so rry
the C hapel is oom ing down.
I cannot speak o f those whom I see now here. I have spoken o f those
who have passed. T h in k w h a t it h a s been fo r a young m em ber to know
a ll about those people. I m ay have le ft some out. I do feel th a t I cannot
say e n o u g h o f th e influence th a t South P la c e has been to me fo r over
seventy years.
It h as been d e lig h tfu l.
“ K eep y o u r lig h t b u rn in g ! ”
W a s n ’t th a t the la s t w ord of C onw ay? I d id not lik e to b rin g th e book to
quote, b u t
“ A lw ays keep yo u r lig h t b u rn in g ” is w hat I rem em ber in
h is F a re w ell D iscourse.
M r. C. J. P o l l a r d (who was a nnounced to speak as the rep resen tativ e
o f the T ru stees a n d G eneral Com m ittee) sa id : T h e C om m ittee o f South
P la ce E th ic a l Society, fo r whom I have th e p riv ile g e o f being the spokesm an
th is evening, a re ex ceed in g ly g ia te fu l to M r. R obertson a n d the other
em inent speakers. W e g re a tly a p p rec ia te th e ir frie n d s h ip a n d th e ir support.
T h ey have given us very v a lu a b le h e lp in o ur C en ten ary C elebration in
th is “ d in g y old h a l l ,” as it w as c a lle d la s t week, but since it h a s been
in the h a n d s o f the D ecoration C om m ittee w e cannot c a ll it th at. I have
a lw ay s p re fe rre d to c a ll it our d e ar o ld M eeting Place.
T o -n ig h t South P la ce is in ju b ila n t s p irit. W e c a r ry w ith p rid e the
m antle placed upon our sho u ld ers by th e p ast, an d we look fo rw a rd w ith
b rig h t hopes to the fu tu re . T h is m agnificent g a th e rin g is a s tirrin g event
an d a sp le n d id encouragem ent. O u r h isto ry is being finely celebrated an d
o u r a ctiv ities sy m p a th e tic ally recounted in th e v ario u s speeches to w hich
we have the p lea su re o f liste n in g . T he h e a lth y state of our v ita lity is
dem onstrated by th e g lo ry of to -n ig h t’s m eeting, an d the new South P lace,
in m y vision o f th e com ing y e ars, beckons to us c h eerily , b a sin g its
optim ism on our d oings in the p a st an d on th e evidence o f sound life our
p resen t existence e xhibits.
W e a re sp e c ia lly fo rtu n a te in h a v in g M r. R obertson as o u r C h airm an
th is evening. T h e view s o f m any o f u s w ere influenced a n d c larified years
ago by th e w ritin g s o f " J . M. R .” in C h a rle s B ra d la u g h ’s “ N a tio n a l
R eform er ” a n d in other jo u rn a ls. W e m ust a ll feel stim u la te d by the
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exam ple o f M r. R obertson’s continuous w ork a ll h is life in the cause o f
“ free e n q u iry a n d the rig h t o f re lig io u s lib e rty ,” to use th e w ords o f
W illia m Johnson Fox in h is O p en in g A ddress in the y e ar 1817 to our
predecessors, th e co n g reg a tio n o f P a rlia m e n t C ourt C hapel, A rtille ry L ane
B ishopsgate.
T h e d u ty we have now before us, a d u ty set in h ig h re lie f by the g lory
o f to -n ig h t’s C elebration, is to c a rry on the tra d itio n s of South P lace
w o rth ily , to m ake the best use o f th e in h e rita n c e in o ur h a n d s, an d to
p rovide a new H om e fo r th e Society, a hom e w hich sh a ll afford fa c ilitie s
fo r the f u ll expression of o u r e n th u siasm a n d the greatest o p p o rtu n ities for
th e extension o f o ur influence. W e a re not a Society concerned to make
m oney, but as D r. C onw ay w ittily expressed it, “ A lth o u g h money is not
the one th in g n e ed fu l, it is one n e ed fu l th in g .” In th is connection o ur
Society is m ore fo rtu n a te ly placed th an o th er bodies. We have bought the
free h o ld site a t Red L ion S quare. H o lb o rn , on w hich we propose to erect
the new South P lace. T h e T rustees of the Society have in h a n d a nucleus,
a p p ro x im ate ly , o f ^£31,000, but th is sum , a lth o u g h a la rg e one, is not
sufficient to b u ild a n d e q u ip th e necessary prem ises fo r the fu lfilm en t of
o u r aim s. W e have not o nly to pro v id e fo r o u r own S u n d ay M orning
Services, S u n d a y E v en in g C oncerts, Week N ig h t M eetings, Social F u nctions,
L ib ra ry , R e ad in g Room, R efreshm ent Room, an d o th er offices, but we hope
a ls o to be in a p osition to offer su itab le a n d w o rth y accom m odation for
H e a d q u a rte rs fo r th e E th ic a l M ovem ent, an d a co n g en ial rendezvous for
v isito rs from the provinces an d from a b ro ad . In a d d itio n to the cost of
p ro v id in g these prem ises, we have also to consider se rio u sly the question
o f a n E ndow m ent F u n d . W ith o u t a n E ndow m ent F u n d , it w ould be reck
less to proceed to the fu ll w ith our schemes, fo r, in a ll p ro b a b ility we
s h a ll be subjected to severe financial stress in the tra n sitio n p eriod between
le a v in g th is C hapel an d re -e sta b lish in g ourselves in o ur new home w ith the
la rg e ly increased m em bership ro ll w h ich o u r m uch h e av ier expenses w ill
dem and.
N or w ould it be f a ir to spend a ll o ur c a p ita l an d leave the
Society w ith o u t reserves. W e, th ere fo re, a p p eal to o ur w ell-w ishers to con
trib u te generously, each according to h is m eans, to our C en ten ary C e le b ra
tion A ppeal F u n d . I m ig h t m ention, as a h o p efu l b e g in n in g , th a t one
frie n d here, a M em ber o f the Society, h as prom ised the sum o f ^£200. Also I
am pleased to say th a t o u r frie n d s , the E th ic a l U nion, have consented ’to
co-operate w ith us in the issue o f a fu rth e r A ppeal. T o -n ig h t th ere has
been a p re lim -n a ry A ppeal placed in your seats. W e consider th is F u n d
to be a m atter o f v ita l im portance. I f we o b tain the am ount desired we
c an go fo rw a rd w ith co u rag e and wi*h confidence. In h e lp in g us i n ’th is
w ay, you m ay be sure th a t th e E th ic al M ovement in E n g la n d w ill as a
re su lt, possess a H om e whose influence w ill be a pow er in the lan d *
In conclusion, I w ish to say, on b e h a lf o f South P lace E th ic al Society
th a t, a lth o u g h w e m ust keep u p o u r in d iv id u a l existence, yet a t the sam e
tim e we f u lly recognise th a t o u r possessions m ust be re g ard e d also in the
lig h t o f a T ru st to be used fo r the fu rth e ra n c e of th e w hole E th ic a l Move
m ent a n d o f the w hole body o f F o rw a rd R e lig io u s T h o u g h t.
(A sh o rt in te rv a l th en ensued fo r conversation a n d refreshm ents.)
T he pro ceed in g s recom m enced by
T he C h a i r m a n ’ s announcem ent th a t a m essage from M r. S. K . R atcliffe
h ad been expected, te llin g the M eeting som ething o f the connection between
th is c o u n try an d the U n ited States, but th a t the le tte r m ust have m issed the
m ail.
.
M iss R a w lin g s then read the fo llo w in g very in te re stin g m essage from
th e d a u g h te r o f M oncure C onw ay, M rs. C onw ay S aw yer :
N ew York, J a n u a ry , 1924.
D e a r S o u t h P l a c e S o c ie t y ,
N o th in g fo r years h a s m ade me so u n h a p p y as not being w ith you
a t th is celeb ratio n .
I have a lw a y s fe lt, th a t w ith the exception of m y M other, you a t
S outh P la ce knew m y F a th e r better th an anyone. H e cam e to you a t
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th irty -o n e years of age, a n d gave you the best th a t w as in him . E ach
week he discussed w ith you the most im p o rta n t th in g s in h is m in d ,
g iv in g you h is m ost m atu re a n d ad vanced th o u g h t, fo r he w as a m an
w ho never stood s till
I loved a n d a p p rec ia ted h im , as few d id , but
I w as too young to re alise h is g re a t b ra in , a n d he an d I cam e nearest
to g eth er, w hen on re stin g from w ritin g , I w ould p la y him some m elodies
o f M ozart, a com poser we n ever tire d of.
O ne o f the a sto n is h in g th in g s in m y F a th e r ’s lif e w as the ra p id
an d tiem endous b ro a d en in g of h is m ind. W e who w ere b ro u g h t up in
com p arativ e m ental lib e rty can h a rd ly re alise how long it takes to get
cu t o f m ental r u t s ; but th in k w here m y fa th e r sta rte d . H e w rites in h is
d ia ry in 1851 :
“ A ug. 11—W ent to S a n d y S p rin g s. In the aftern o o n w ent over to
R oger B rooke’s. W e spent the ev en in g con v ersin g on T heology. I was
p e rfe c tly fascin ated w ith h im .”
A nd la te r he goes on to say th at R oger Brooke asked him w h a t he
w ould do if he found th a t the S p irit d id n ’t m eet h im next day in h is
p u lp it, a n d P a p a re p lied :
“ I should th in k G od’s arm w a sn ’t shortened th a t h e could not
save, no r h is ear heavy th a t he c o u ld n ’t h e a r, but th a t m y in iq u itie s
h a d sep arated betw een H im a n d me. So I sh o u ld p ra y u n til he c am e.”
A gain on A ug. 31 :
“ H a d a c h arm in g L ove F e a st. I fe lt fu ll o f the S p irit. I spoke
u n d e r th e S p irit. A fte rw ard s I w as m uch affected by B ro th er W -----com ing a n d p u ttin g h is arm a ro u n d me a n d sa y in g , ‘ O, M onc, I d id n ’t
know how m uch T loved you t il l I h e a rd you say w ith tea rs in your
ey es,11 feel so feeb le.’ ”
A g a in Sept. 7 :
“ A g re a t crow d on th e C am p G rounds. A ll got w et, it ra in e d a ll
d ay. P reached in a tent in the aftern o o n . H a d a m o u rn e r.”
V ery few of us to-day w ere born in such n a rro w d ogm atic p a th s,
a n d here is the sam e m an w r itin g in 1904 :
“ T he F re e th in k e r is th a t m an who welcom es ev ery teacher, but
c a lls no m an m aste r.”
“ T hey accept the facts o f science, but science can give them n o th in g
fin al, the seem ing solid facts of to-day m ay be a ll flouted by new facts
discovered to-m orrow . W e can n o t, th ere fo re, com pete w ith the o rg a n i
sations founded on dogm a. T hose a re fo r people who have a d jo u rn e d
th e ir lives to a n o th e r w orld. T h e fre e th in k e r considers o n ly the w orld
he is in, he has a ll the heaven th ere is a n d aim s to m ake the m ost o f i t . ”
H e often used to say to me, “ D o n ’t try an d take a w ay an y o n e’s
b e lie f from them i f it m akes them h a p p y , b u t i f an y o n e is in doubt or
trouble, help them to see the T r u th .” H is doctrin e w as, “ L ive and
let liv e ,” an d he preached eve^y d a y w h at he th o u g h t to be the tru th ,
even if it c o n tra d ic ted w h a t he h a d p re ac h ed the d ay before. A nd
d o n ’t fo rg et his M otto :
“ T o th in e own se lf be tru e , a n d it m ust follow as the n ig h t the
d a y thou c an st not then be fa lse to an y m a n .”
(Signed)
M il d r e d C o n w a y S a w y e r .
M r. F . J. G o u l d . — I th in k , F rie n d s, w h a t I have to say m ig h t alm ost
tak e the form of a story. N ot f a r from here, in H olborn, a lec tu re r, very
eloquent an d very in stru ctiv e, used to a d d ress crow ds o f w ork in g men from
tim e to tim e. A g re at m any o f them w ere C h a rtists, H e talk e d of Science,
P o litic s, P o etry —very often o f P o e try —but every now and then he gave a
most excellent lec tu re on E d u ca tio n . H e w as a m an w ho advocated com
p u lso ry S ecular E d u ca tio n . W e h a d E d u ca tio n c o m pulsory in 1870, but
not S ecu lar. T h is w as in 1845, an d th is w as the so rt of th in g he told th e
w o rk in g m en. “ In a ll c o u n trie s ,” he sa id , “ the object o f N a tio n a l
E d u ca tio n should be to form the M an a n d the C itiz e n .” I do not th in k we
c o u ld very m uch im prove on th a t statem ent o f the object of E d u ca tio n to
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d ay. As a g a in s t C leric alism , he sa id : “ I object to S ectarian ism in
E d u c a tio n .” A nd th en he used th is illu s tra tio n in su p p o rt o f his thesis :
“ A ll E d u ca tio n fo r a ll C itizens should be open. W e a ll have the enjoym ent
o f the free a ir o f heaven. E d u ca tio n is a lso a social an d n a tu ra l r ig h t
a n d blessing.
E d u ca tio n fo r a ll w ill be a victo ry m ore glo rio u s th an
T r a f a lg a r o r W aterloo, better th a n P a rlia m e n ta ry R eform , better th a n the
E m a n cip a tio n o f Slaves, fo r it w ill be th e R eform o f Society a n d the
E m a n cip a tio n of th e M in d .” T h a t L ec tu re r w as W illia m Johnson Fox.
At the tim e th a t he spoke to the w orking men a t H olborn, he h ad been
P a sto r o f th is C hapel tw enty-one years. A few y ears a fte r th a t he became
M .P . fo r O ld h am in L a n c ash ire . T h ree y e ars a fte r th a t he b ro u g h t in a
B ill fo r C om pulsory S ecu lar E d u ca tio n w hich, of course, d id not pass, but
th a t show ed the s p irit of th e m an.
Ju st a t th a t very tim e, in the U n ited States, the notables a n d fa th e rs
o f the State of V irg in ia h ad assem bled tog eth er to fram e w hat they c alled
a N ew C o n stitu tio n fo r the S tate o f V irg in ia . O ne of the topics th a t very
m uch exercised th e ir m inds w as th a t o f E d u ca tio n . I t w as suggested th at
E ducation sh o u ld be free. A g re a t m any, I th in k , w ere opposed to th at.
1 h is w as in 1850, ju s t a t the tim e w hen W illia m Johnson Fox w as
en d ea v o u rin g to p ersu ad e the H ouse o f Com mons to pass h is own B ill. A
young m an of eighteen b ro u g h t out a p am p h let, a young m an o f the
D ickinson C ollege. I t w as a v ery good p a m p h le t, very w ell w ritte n . I t
w as in fa v o u r of the free ed u catio n of the c h ild re n o f V irg in ia . A m ongst
o th er th in g s, he m entioned the a g ita tio n th a t w as going on in th is country.
“ H ere are crow ds of people in M anchester, L eeds, D erby, an d York, a ll
w illin g to su p p o rt M r. Johnson Fox, the Member fo r O ld h am .
W hy
should we not take the sam e lin e h e r e ? ” T h is young fellow o f eighteen
m ade th is excellent statem ent, su itab le fo r S ocialists (and I d o n ’t suppose
a sin g le in d iv id u a l h ere w ill object) : “ I t is the in terest of every member
of the com m unity th a t every other m em ber thereof should be e d u c a te d .”
T h a t w as re a lly ex cellen t. T h a t young fellow , ag ed eighteen, who w as
teach in g th e fa th e rs o f V irg in ia th e ir d u ty in social progress, was M oncure
D a n ie l Conw ay. T h a t w as before he became a M ethodist M in ister.
In 1863, a s you have a lre a d y h e a rd , he cam e over here, a n d , o f course
interview ed W illia m Johnson Fox, w ho w as then about seventy-seven years
of age, th e y e ar before Fox died. M oncure C onw ay leaves th is very vivid
p ictu re o f h is old frie n d . H e is speak in g o f W illia m Johnson Fox as he
met him in 1863. “ A b e a u tifu l and g racio u s old m an he w as, w ith w in n in g
face, so lt eyes, flow ing w hite locks, re m a in in g a p ic tu ie in my m em ory,
but, h a d I known as m uch o f him as I know now, I w ould have clasped
his knees.” So C onw ay spoke o f Fox. H e very nobly c a rrie d on the g reat
tra d itio n s o f th is Society. T h at w as the m ost b r illia n t tim e th at Freeth o u g h t h ad in th is c o u n try , I th in k . I rem em ber, som ew here about 1884__
I w as a B oard School teacher th en —I used to take a w alk from the school
I w as engaged in a t B ethnal G reen. O ne m o rning I h ad the “ D a ily
N ew s,” a n d it _took me a ll the tim e to read the m ost ex cellent re p o rt o f a
lecture on the H isto ry o f L ondon given on th is p la tfo rm by D r. Conw ay.
I t n e a rly covered a w hole page of th e 1' D a ily N ew s.” I hope the interest
in Red L ion S q u a re w ill be g re at enough to get as am ple space as D r.
C onw ay did.
T he subjects th a t w ere d e alt w ith in th is place p ra c tic a lly covered
ev ery th in g th a t in te rest m an k in d — H isto ry in a ll its in n u m erab le p h a se s,
the E m an cip atio n o f Slaves, the E m an cip atio n o f the H um an M ind, the
S u n d a y O p en in g o f In stitu tio n s, p u b lic in stitu tio n s like the B ritish M useum
a n d the N a tio n a l G a lle ry . In th a t m ovem ent C onw ay w as associated w ith
the late D ean S tanley. As to A rt, C onw ay’s w ords are c o n stan tly com ing
back a g a in . Once he alm o st became flam boyant in h is poetical reference
to hum an n a tu re .
H e used the D a rw in ia n ph rase, spoke o f lif e as a
“ stru g g le fo r existen ce,” a sort o f tu rb id stream . T hen, said C onw ay,
“ In th a t tu rb id stream o f stru g g le fo r existence, he is drow ned who is not
h e ld up e v ery d a y by com m union w ith B e a u ty .” I t w as very c h a ra c te ristic
of Conw ay.
As lo South P la ce L ectu rers, a p a rt from Conw ay, I can o n ly ju st
m ention a very lim ite d c atalo g u e : M ax M u ller, T y n d a ll, H u x le y . P e rh a p s
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the g reatest o f the topics o f those tim es w as th a t o f “ R elig io u s System s of
the W o rld ,” a fte rw a rd s p u b lish ed in a very a d m ira b le book, an d lectures
on N a tio n a l L ife a n d T h o u g h t. T h en , I th in k th a t in F e b ru a ry , 1883,
1 sa t dow n there, an d h e ard M rs. B esant lec tu re here on E volution in some
sense, the D a rw in ia n sense a s f a r as I recollect. C onw ay presided on th at
occasion forty-one years ago.
O f course, th e U n ited States h as never forgotten C onw ay, nor w as he
forg o tten by the people connected w ith h is old college, D ickinson
C ollege. A ric h m an gave the necessary m oney in o rd e r th a t a h a ll m ig h t
be erected in P e n n sy lv a n ia in m em ory of Conw ay. H e said he w ould only
su p p ly it i f it w as c a lle d Conw ay H a ll. H e sa id he d id th a t in recognition
o f C onw ay’s g re a t services in the realm of L etters, of R eform , an d of
H u m a n ita ria n E ffort. I th in k th a t sim ple p h ra se v e ry s u ita b ly describes
C onw ay’s c a re er in both A m erica an d E n g la n d .
I m ay ju s t m ention one personal rem iniscence.
On one occasion
C onw ay an d I d id speak together, not on the b r illia n t em inence of th is
p la tfo rm , but a t the re a d in g desk placed
below th e p la tfo rm . A crow d of
c h ild re n w ere g athered from the vario u s E th ic a l S u n d a y Schools from a ll
over L ondon, in c lu d in g a little g roup o f S o cialists from M rs. G r a y ’s
c la ss a t B attersea. As
fa r as m y m em ory goes, it w as th e y ear
1896 or thereabouts. I
cannot rem em ber w h at w as o ur p a rtic u la r
subject th at m o rn in g , but
I guess every c h ild who w as th ere —
some m ay be here th is evening w ho w ere p resen t on th a t occasion, a n d
who w ould be grow n up to m id d le a g e now, o f course—w ill rem em ber
C onw ay’s look a n d the s p ir it in w hich he spoke. H e spoke a d m ira b ly out
o f an a d m ira b le soul. As I rem em ber him I can see him now. I t seems
to me he w as sh a p in g in h is old age in a w ay w hich re ca lle d h is ow n
d escrip tio n o f W illia m Johnson Fox. H is serene face a n d flow ing w hite
locks rem ain a p ictu re in th e m em ory. C onw ay w as a first-ran k H u m an ist.
H e had a noble m essage fo r people o f m a tu re m in d s and fo r young people.
T he C h a irm a n then c a lle d upon “ My old frie n d and co m ra d e,” M r s .
B o n n e r , who
sa id .— I t seems to me th is evening th a t th is p la t
form is som ew hat in th e n a tu re o f a c onfessional box. As th a t is so, I am
a f r a id I sh a ll have to content m y self w ith com ing in to the v eteran class,
because m y first y e ar of definite recollection of South P la ce dates back
fifty years. In 1874 it w as a rra n g e d th a t a six n ig h ts ’ D ebate should be
h e ld between m y fa th e r a n d the Rev. B rew in G ra n t a t the Bow an d B rom ley
In stitu te , and D r. C onw ay k in d ly consented (he h ad been ten years M in ister
o f 1his C hapel, as it w as then) to tak e the c h a ir. W hen the fifth evening
cam e, how ever, speakers, an d c h a irm a n , an d audience were assem bled, but
they found th a t th e doors of the Bow an d B rom ley In stitu te were closed
a g a in s t them . In consequence of th is , fre sh a rra n g e m e n ts fo r debate were
m ade, and it w as th ro u g h the generosity o f D r. C onw ay an d th e b ro a d
m indedness o f th e South P lace C om m ittee it w as fixed th a t th a t D ebate
should be h eld in th is h a ll in th e fo llo w in g year. Now th a t debate, on its
own m erits, deserves to be fo rgotten. I have how ever, g re at p lea su re in
re c a llin g it because the fact th a t South P la ce should open its doors to m y
fa th e r a n d the reverend gentlem an who w as chosen to represent C h ris tia n ity ,
w hen other doors w ere closed a g a in st them , w as a ty p ical exam ple o f one
aspect (to m y m ind, not the lea st v a lu a b le aspect) of th e s p irit w hich has
p re v aile d in South P la ce r ig h t th ro u g h o u t its histo ry .
It is on th a t po in t th a t I have been asked to say a few w ords th is
evening, a lth o u g h I m ust confess th a t previous sfe a k e rs have taken m any
o f the flowers from m y basket th a t I should lik e to have show ered upon
you. W illia m Johnson F ox cam e to South P ia ce in 1824, 100 y ears ago.
H e b io u g h t to it a passion fo r lib e rty , fo r freedom , fo r defence o f free
speech. H e w as a U n ita ria n . H e w as not a F re e th in k e r; he w as not a
R a tio n a list in the m odern sense of the w ord, but we, w ho striv e to do w ork
in th e cause of R a tio n a list p ro p a g a n d a , can never fo rg et th a t Fox sat
th ro u g h o u t the w hole tria l of R ic h a rd C a rlile fo r the pu b licatio n o f P a in e ’s
“ Age of R eason.” H a v in g h e ard C a r lile ’s defence, an d h a v in g h e ard the
verd ict deliv ered , but before the m onstrous sentence w as pronounced, he
from h is p u lp it, gave a discourse in protest a t the prosecution of R ich ard
B radlaugh
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C a rlile . In th a t discourse he p u b lic ly declared th a t a ll shades of opinion
should have fre e expression, no m atter w hether the speaker w as C h ristia n ,
D eist, o r A theist. H e fu rth e r sa id th a t th ere w as no m edium in p rin c ip le
between the lib e rty o f a l l an d th e ty ra n n y of some. T h a t is the keynote
of the s p irit w hich p re v aile d a t South P la ce th ro u g h o u t its h isto ry , an d it
is th a t s p ir it w hich seems to me so v a lu a b le a p a r t of its w ork.
J u s t as we a.lways rem em ber th a t F ox p u b lic ly protested a g a in s t th e
prosecution o f R ic h a rd C a rlile , so a ls o we rem em ber th a t h is m uch-loved
successor, ou r d e ar frie n d M oncure C onw ay, in his tu rn protested p u b licly
a g a in s t th e sentence w hich w as passed on M r. Foote.
I t is very easy to ta lk in p ra is e o f free speech.
T o ta lk in
p ra ise of free speech is comm on enough, but South P lace in its h isto ry
has done m ore th a n ta lk . I t has p ra ctised as w ell as preached. It has
been here no case o f a n em pty benediction, o f a p a ssin g lip-service of
p ra ise, but a n y speaker w ho h a d a m essage to b rin g m ig h t be sure th a t in
th is h a ll he w ould have a courteous an d k in d ly h e a rin g . I f h is m essage
w as u n p o p u la r, then a ll the m ore reason w hy, in th is g re at c ity of ours,
th ere should be one place w here he co u ld count upon being listened to
a tte n tiv ely w ith o u t in te rru p tio n . T h a t does not m ean th at the Com m ittee
of S0Uth P la c e w ere in ag ree m e n t w ith th e sp e a k e r; not a t a l l ; but they
h e ld , as they s till h o ld , th a t th ere should be a free p la tfo rm fo r a ll shades
of opinion. T h e p la tfo rm sho u ld be free for the ’ ecent expression of every
d
shade o f opinion, w hatever it m ay be. I t has been c a rrie d out in th a t w ay
a ll th ro u g h its h isto ry —because South P la ce has h e ld , a n d s till h o ld s, to
its desire, to its fra c tic e o f th e r ig h t o f free e n q u iry , but it has also felt
th a t you can have no free e n q u iry w orth h a v in g unless you a re also w illin g
to give o p p o rtu n ity fo r f u ll an d free u tte ran c e to the answ ers to those
e n q u iries. In consequence, speakers a n d th in k e rs who have been excluded
elsew here, co u ld a lw a y s count upon th e h o sp ita lity o f th is p latfo rm . T here
has never been a n y b a r o f a n y k in d , no b a r o f c o lour, creed, class, or sex
p ro v id ed th e speaker h a d h is m essage to b rin g .
T o me it is a m atter o f pro fo u n d in terest to look back a n d to note some
o f the causes th a t have been pleaded in th is b u ild in g . P ro b a b ly the verv
e a rlie st advocacy by In d ia n s o f the m ovement for social and p o litica l
re fo im in In d ia took place in th is h a ll, advocacy voiced by such speakers
as the R a ia h R am m ohun R ay, K eshub C h u n d e r Sen, an d by th a t most
a d m ira b le m an an d eloquent p lea d er, whom m any o f u s w ill rem em ber
G opal K rish n a G okhale.
In d ia w as fo rtu n ate, in th at she could send h e r sons to plead h e r
cause. A fric a , less fo rtu n ate, found fo r its people d efenders, or those
who could voice th e ir a p p e a l, in th e ir E n g lish frie n d s . I d o ’ not know
w h eth er D r. Colenso ever cam e here. I th in k n o t; but m ost c e rta in ly h is
d a u g h te r, M iss H a rrie t Colenso (whom I am p roud to c laim as m y frien d )
cam e here an d spoke on b e h a lf o f the dispossessed M atabele, M ashona
an d Z ulu people, people who found in h e r a p lea d er, a n d to whom she and
h e r sister devoted th e ir lives. T h ere w as a n o th e r wom an who .also spoke
on b e h a lf o f the nativ e A frica n s, an o th e r frie n d o f m ine, M iss A lice
W ern er, to-day P ro fesso r o f S w ah ili a t the School o f O rie n ta l S tudies.
T h ey were not the o n ly women w ho have spoken here. N ot m any have
spoken o f th e women th is evening
N evertheless, r ig h t th ro u g h the H isto ry
o f South P lace, e ith e r fo r S u n d a y Services or for p u b lic m eetings from tim e
to tim e, there have been women speakers here. I f these w a lls could speak,
they w ould te ll us o f the c h arm o f F ran ces W rig h t, of the terse eloquence of
E rn e stin e Rose, o f M rs. E liz ab e th C ady S tanton, o f J u lia W ard How e, of
M rs. A nnie B esant, o f o th er speakers n e a re r o u r own tim e whose nam es
w ill occur re a d ily to y o u r m inds. In M r. Fox an d D r. Conw ay women
a lw ay s found sta u n ch frie n d s, ever re ad y to su p p o rt them in th e ir leg itim a te
a sp ira tio n s an d to encourage them in th e ir w ork.
So fo r 100 years, South P la c i has kept the flag o f free speech flying,
a n d never m ore sp le n d id ly th a n in tim es of storm an d stress, w hen we
h a rd ly d a red to th in k fie e ly , m uch less speak openly. T h ere m ust be m any
o f you h ere th is evening, 9ome o f you a t a n y ra te , who can re ca ll the
period o f the South A fric a n W ar, w hen it w as alm ost im possible to get a
h e a rin g fo r th at stream o f facts th a t w as so necessary to throw lig h t on
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CHAPEL.
the o rig in a n d conduct of th a t w ar, w hen a m an, such as M r. S chreiner,
w as denied a h e a rin g on an y p u b lic p la tfo rm save here, w here h is discourse
w as listened to from b e g in n in g to end w ith o u t the least d isturbance. T h is
record o f 100 y ears, a record w ith o u t break or sta in in defence o f free
speech, is a g re at h e rita g e , a n d one o f w hich we m ig h t a ll be intensely
p ro u d , no m atter w hether our p a r t w as g re a t or sm all. W e owe an immense,
debt to W illia m Johnson Fox fo r h a v in g la id dow n th a t p rin c ip le of
lib e rty of speech fo r a ll, a n d to D r. C onw ay a n d those associated w ith him
on so c o n sisten tly a p p ly in g th a t p rin c ip le .
N ow the tim e h a s come w hen South P lace, as we have know n it, w ill
be no m ore, but the o ld er w orkers o f South P la ce feel ju s tly p ro u d in
h a n d in g over th a t h e rita g e to the new gen eratio n , a n d th ey do it in tru st
an d confidence th a t th e new home w ill prove th a t c e n tra l pow er house, of
w hich M r. Hobson spoke, from w h ich w ill em anate new stream s of everin cre asin g good work such as h a s gone on before.
M r. R. D i m s d a l e S t o c k e r . — I feel it to be a g re a t p riv ile g e to speak
to -n ig h t on th is m em orable occasion. I have been asked in these rem arks
to deal w ith th e poetic associations o f th is South P la c e In stitu te . I sh a ll
attem pt, as f a r as I c an , to com ply w ith the request. I t m ay not be known
by everybody who is present to -n ig h t th a t am ong those w ho sat a t F o x ’s
feet w ere T hom as C am pbell, L eig h H u n t, M acready, th e acto r, H a rrie t
M a rtin e au , H elen F a u c it, an d R obert B ro w n in g .
A ll those, an d m any
o th e r lite ra ry personages, w ere in the h a b it of liste n in g to W illia m Johnson
Fox in th is place, a n d we m ust rem em ber th a t F ox w as a m an of the
greatest lite ra ry g ifts . In th e c a p a c ity o f E d ito r o f th e “ M onthly
R e p o sito ry ,” he gave the m ost p ra c tic a l encouragem ent to poets. Am ong the
co n trib u to rs w ere Ebenezer E llio tt, the C orn L aw R hym er, H a rrie t
M artin eau , a n d R obert B ro w n in g . In the L ife of W . J. Fox, R ich a rd
G a rn ett w rites “ P o e try claim ed a c onsiderable s h a re o f th e ‘ R e p o sito ry ,’
w hich, for a tim e, m ig h t alm ost be described as th e r a lly in g p o in t of the
young w rite rs of the p e rio d .” T h a t w as h ig h p raise. B ro w n in g , we m ust
rem em ber, w as b ro u g h t into prom inence th ro u g h W . J. Fox. B row ning
c o n trib u ted five poem s to th e “ R e p o sito ry .” H e w as review ed by Fox, and
a c tu a lly secured p u b lic a tio n fo r “ P a ra c e ls u s ” th ro u g h Fox.
T h ro u g h
Fox, B row ning ob tain ed an ir-tioduction to M acready, an d th is resulted
in a com m ission to w rite the p la y “ S tra ffo rd ,” w hich w as produced at
C ovent G ard en T h e a tre on M ay 1, 1837. B ro w n in g very fre q u e n tly
re fe rre d to Fox as h is fa th e r in poetry, su re ly a most fittin g desig n atio n .
B u t Fox, we m ust rem em ber, w as no m ere p a tro n of poets. He_ had
h is ow n g ifts , a n d w hen th e H y m n a l w as com piled in th e o ld days o f S a ra h
A dam s, th e w ork o f L ite ra ry E d ito r fe ll to h is lot. O u t o f the 150 pieces
w hich w ere selected fo r th a t co m p ilatio n , eleven of F o x ’s own c o n trib u tio n s
were in clu d ed . M any of these a r e s till sung :
“ M ake us a god, sa id m a n .”
“ A little c h ild in b u lru sh a r k .”
“ Jew s w ere w ro u g h t to cru el m ad n e ss.”
“ P ra is e to the heroes w ho struck fo r the r i g h t.”
I doubt w h eth er the solem n p rid e o f m oral en th u sia sm h a s ever found
g re ater expression th a n in th a t la s t poem.
M ention of the H ym nal re c a lls th e revered nam es o f the sisters E liz a a n d
S a ra h F low er. R ic h a rd G a rn ett speaks of E liz a as th e m ost d istin g u ish e d
wom an com poser of h e r day. S a ra h F low er, w ho subsequently became th e
w ife o f W illia m B. A dam s, is w ell know n as the a u th o r o f “ N e are r m y
God to T h e e .”
M oncure C onw ay w rote in h is A uto b io g rap h y th a t he
believed th e sisters in sp ire d B ro w n in g ’s “ P a u l in e ” a n d “ P ip p a P a sses,”
a n d R obert B ro w n in g g re a tly influenced the R a tio n a lism o f South P lace,
a n d , in c id e n ta lly , th e keen orthodoxy o f S a ra h F lo w er A dam s. “ S a ra h
F lo w e r ” — I am quo tin g from the A u tobiography— “ a sp ired to h e r God,
not e v erybody’s G o d ; b u t everybody is now sin g in g the hym n (‘ N e are r,
m y God, to T h e e ’), so m any years h e ard o n ly in o ur chap el. A nd p erh ap s
not one w ho sin g s it re alises th a t it w as w ritte n by a disbeliever in
C h r is tia n ity .”
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n r ™e nccm e ? e x t
M oncure D a n iel Conway. It is difficult to approach
D r. Conw ay from the point o f view from w hich I am speaking, because
one re alises th a t so m uch o f h is poetry w as expressed in the personal
c o n tact between h im self an d the people he met.
A nyone re a d in g the
A uto b io g rap h y re alises th a t it is, from s ta rt to finish, a poetic account of
h is experiences h is te rre s tria l p ilg rim a g e put into the m ost b e au tifu l
lan g u a g e.
B ut several o f M oncure C onw ay’s poems can be read and
am ong them we m ust m ake m ention o f his— “ A storm sped over sea and
lan d
in the H ym ns o f M odern T h o u g h t— I th in k s till sung as an anthem
B esides w ritin g verses, we m ust not fo rg et th a t M oncure C onw ay
ren d ered v a lu a b le services to the cause o f A rt, not m erely services of
a p p re c ia tin g B eauty, but of a c tu a lly do in g battle w ith the adverse forces
a g a in st A rt in life . H e w as in stru m e n tal in g e ttin g th e A rt G alleries
open on S u n d a y , a n d S u n d a y to-day is d ifferent from w hat it w as when
onw ay c a rrie d th ro u g h the task he h ad set h im self. C onw ay e q u ally
believed in th e pow er o f -the d ra m a in fu lfillin g the w ork th a t he h ad in
view. H e fe lt th a t th e d ra m a could do m uch th at, p erh ap s, eloquence
could not do. T hen a g a in we re a lise w ith w hat app reciativ en ess o f the
A rts Conw ay w as endow ed, w h at p ra c tic a l w ork he d id in su p p o rt o f the
m agnificent efforts m ade h ere to prom ote the cause o f m usic. South P lace
stan d s celebrated fo r its b e a u tifu l m usic, a n d M r. W a llis M ansford w rote to
500th C o n certemem
a tte n d in ?
his fa m ily the
A nother w ell-know n figure a t these concerts w as, o f course, M iss E m ily
Josephine T ro u p , a m ost accom plished m usician who took an im m ense
in te rest in o ur m usic and movem ent, an d w rote m usic to poetrv
She w ill
be recalled as a g ifte d p ia n ist, a n d she became, in C onw ay’s tim e w hat the
b low er sisters h ad been in th e d a y s of Fox.
’
. , l. fea.r th is survey, so incom plete, does scant ju stic e to the id ea th a t T
h ad in m in d . I m ust, how ever, conclude it.
1 should ju s t like, before I b rin g these rem arks to a close, to ask •
W hat do the th in g s I have been try in g to say su g g est? W h a t ’does this
a ssociation between th e cause o f A rt an d the cause of F re e th o u e h t real Iv
m ean to us? Does it not m ean, frie n d s, th a t the cause o f R atio n alism and
M o rality h as been prom oted as m uch by the c u ltu re of the em otions and the
elevation o f the fe elin g s as by the developm ent o f the in te lle c t? Does it
not m ean th a t to th in k rig h tly you m ust le a rn to feel rig h tly ? Does it
not m ean th at if you a re to h a v e elevated th o u g h ts, you m ust begin to have
th at q u a lity o f fe e lin g w hich w ill enable the m ind to grow and develop 5
It is q u ite tru e we R a tio n a lists talk of R elig io n as need in I X
s e a rc h lig h t o f honest th o u g h t, a g e n u in e ly e th ic al basis. W e no less need
in our R elig io n a m ore ad equate sense o f B eauty. W hereas people a re
d riv e n out o f the churches, not only by the bare, u n in te lle c tu a l appeal of
the dogm as but by th e hideousness o f the o ld fa ith , it has been the p riv ile g e
o f those w ho have m in istered h ere to present, not o n ly a more in te lle c tu a lly
s a tis fy in g fa ith , but in every w ay a m ore b e a u tifu l fa ith , a m ore livelV
fa ith , a m ore joyous fa ith
How m uch the w orld owes to the labours of
those w ho have striv en in th is place, anim ated by the a n g el h e a rt of m an to
make m en not o n ly m ore th o u g h tfu l and m ore sincere, but to m ake them m ore
responsive to th e ap p eal o f B eauty. T r u ly you have h ad w ith you here
men who have re alised th is need men who are a w a re th a t sw eetness as
w ell as lig h t is necessary fo r m an ’s life .
You a re lea v in g th is c h ap e l, but, rem em ber, the s p irit o f poetry w ill
en ab le you to re-create y o u r life , to m ake it rich e r, to m ake it better to
make it m ore b e a u tifu l, if only you c a rr y w ith you th is th o u g h t o f poetic
B eauty u n ite d w ith T ru th , a n d you know th a t the soul o f S outh P la ce
is not in c ru m b lin g w a lls but in th e ric h endeavour, th e h e a rtfe lt, sincere
lives o f those who a re p riv ile g e d to w ork together as M em bers o f such a
com m unity.
OF
SOUTH
PLACE
CHAPEL.
19
M r. F en to n then re ad th e fo llo w in g m essage from M r C. D e l i s l e
B u r n s , M .A ., who, th ro u g h illn e ss, w as u n a b le to a tte n d :
T H E NEW SO U TH PLACE.
T o p la n th e a ctiv ities o f the Society in its new b u ild in g seems
lik e g iv in g it p re -n a tal e x is te n c e ; fo r the Society w ill c e rta in ly have
a new b irth w hen it is e stab lish ed in R ed L io n S q u are. I t w ill be
m uch m ore in the p u b lic eye. Its tra d itio n w ill th ere fo re m ake a new
a p p ea l, a n d w ill be in te rp re te d in term s of the need o f a new g eneration.
T h e rig h t to reason o u t fo r ourselves w hatever solution is possible
o f the fu n d a m e n ta l problem s o f lif e has been secured.
C h ristia n
doctrines have been subm itted to c ritic ism even by those w ho profess
C h ris tia n ity ; a n d no sane m an w ould now deny th a t reason is th e test,
as it h as a lw a y s in fa ct been th e source, o f tru e belief. We do n6t
stan d fo r a n y p a rtic u la r conclusions. W e sta n d fo r the m ethod an d
a ttitu d e of reason, w hich governs conduct as it g u id es th o u g h t. W e
a re free now to reason an d to act upon th e re su lts of re aso n in g , in a
w ay in w hich ou r fo re fa th e rs w ere not free.
T he new South P lace m ust show w hat can be m ade of such freedom ,
l t m ust be the c en tre o f in sp ira tio n fo r a new a n d finer type of
c iv ilis a tio n th a n th a t supported by the C hurches. T he c iv ilis a tio n of
th e W est, w hich is som etim es called C h ristia n , is do m in an t in L ondon
a n d E n g la n d to -d a y ; but its c ritic s a re m any an d its d efen d e rs a re
in fu ll re tre at.
W hether its c h ie f defects a re du e to the d e cre p it
form s o f a n cien t re lig io n or to the m ere em ptiness o f th e a p p e tite fo r
w ealth an d pow er, c iv ilised lif e seems to lack th a t sp o n tan eity and
h a p p in e ss w hich e a rlie r c iv ilisa tio n s had.
T h ere a re tw o c h a ra c te ristic s o f the new s p irit w hich is now ris in g
up a g a in st th e d o m inant creeds a n d custom s. F ir s t, in te llig e n ce a n d
in te lle c tu a l v ita lity a re given a place w hich they w ere denied by
C h ristia n ity . I do not see w hy we should “ suffer fools g la d ly .” T h e
fools have never reciprocated th a t treatm en t. T h ere w ill a lw a y s be,
o f course, people who a re looking about for som ething foolish to believe.
L et us tell them to go aw ay a n d p la y an d leave the a rts , the sciences,
re lig io n , a n d p o litics -to us. I do not mean th a t we a re m ore in te llig e n t
th a n o ther people—o nly th a t we v a lu e in te llig e n ce m ore. Am ong the
m ost g la rin g om issions o f th e B ible and the d o c trin e of th e C h u rch
is the om ission to m ention the d u ty of each m an to th in k for h im self.
A second c h a ra c te ris tic o f the new s p ir it is a fra n k a tten tio n to
“ e x te rn a ls .” I a t a n y ra te have had enough of s p irits w ith o u t bodies.
W e w a n t co lo u r an d lig h t an d sound. T he g race o f form an d the
rh y th m o f b o d ily lif e go to the m ake of the new re lig io n w hich is,
th ere fo re, i f one m ay use a m isused w ord, “ p a g a n .” T h e new South
P la ce m ust be a c en tre for the a rts as w ell as fo r th e sciences. In
ex p erim en tal p ractice we m ust work out th e so rt of su rro u n d in g s and
th e sort o f in te lle ctu a l atm osphere in w hich the m ind can feel rejoiced
to be free.
T h e C h a i r m a n , before c a llin g on M r. W a llis M a nsford, m entioned h o w
m uch the Society owed to him , an d said th a t he h a d taken endless tro u b le
in m aking the m an ifo ld a rra n g e m e n ts needed for th a t n ig h t’s c elebration.
M r . W a l l i s M a n s f o r d . —I th an k the C h a irm a n fo r h is g ra c e fu l w ords,
a n d w ill o nly say in re p ly , th a t m y w ork in connection w ith the C en ten ary
C elebration is only one m ore lab o u r o f love fo r the Society to w hich I am
so m uch indebted, a n d to whom I owe m ore th a n I can ever repay.
It is m y p lea sin g d u ty to record, on b e h a lf o f the C om m ittee an d the
au d ien ce, our very h e a rty a p p re c ia tio n to o u r C h a irm a n , the R ead ers an d
Speakers fo r th e ir very h e lp fu l an d in s p irin g co n trib u tio n to o ur C en ten ary
C elebration.
I w ould rem ind you th a t ou r program m e in connection w ith the
C elebration o f the C en ten ary o f South P la c e C hapel does not end w ith
to -n ig h t’s fu n c tio n . On S u n d a y m o rn in g next o u r C h a irm a n w ill give
the C e n te n ary C elebration D iscourse : “ A C en tu ry of R elig io u s E v o lu tio n ,”
�20
CENTENARY
CELE B R A T IO N
SO U V E N IR
and the w ords an d m usic o f the hym ns and an th em s w ill be associated
w ith the nam es o f W . J. Fox, D r. C onw ay, a n d th e sisters F low er
In
the evening th ere w ill be a C oncert, c o n sistin g o f M usic com posed or
p u b lish ed in the y e ar 1824. A C en ten ary S ouvenir is in p re p ara tio n a n d
in M atch next P ro fe sso r G rah am W a lla s w ill give the C onw ay M em orial
L ecture, tak in g fo r h is subject : “ A stu d y o f W . J. F o x .”
B ut th a t is not the end, fo r five an d tw en ty years ago, w hen a ctin g
as S ecretary a t a n o th e r fu n c tio n o rg a n ise d fo r the purpose o f fre e in g the
B u ild in g from its M ortgage Debt, m y old frie n d an d teacher. M oncure
C onw ay, then re sid in g in P a ris , w rote me as follow s : “ P eople w ill say
to you ‘ W hy take so m uch tro u b le over som ething th a t w ill only last a
sh o rt t im e ? ’ Persevere in y o u r task. Remember w h at Goethe said to the
la d y who w ondered w hether it w as r ig h t to bestow so m uch tim e an d p a in s
oft a d in n e r p a rty w hich is so soon ended. ‘ M ad am e,’ sa id the poet ‘ a
b e a u tifu l th in g never ends !
I f th is can be sa id o f a d in n e r p a rty
how m uch m ore w ill it a p p ly to o u r C en ten ary C elebration, w hich, we
hope, w ill live in your h e arts a n d m inds fo r a long tim e to come.
T he C h a i r m a n , in re p ly , sa id .— I t rem ain s fo r me, in the nam e of
m yself, an d o f a ll the R eaders a n d Speakers, to th an k you fo r your very
kind Vote o f T h an k s, an d to express the recip ro cal p lea su re w ith w hich
they have atten d ed th is evening.
The following Cables were received from :
M rs. M IL D R E D CO N W A Y SA W Y ER , New York.
Love a n d best w ishes.
Mr. F E L IX A D L E R , N ew York.
T he A m erican E th ic a l Societies send c o rd ia l g re etin g s and
sincerest fra te rn a l w ishes fo r y o u r c o n tin u ed grow th a n d power.
and the following Letters fro m :
M r. W IL L IA M A R C H E R .
I am a f ra id I cannot speak a t the c eleb ratio n on F e b ru a ry 1
F o r one th in g , I sh a ll very pro b ab ly be abroad. A nd, fo r an o th er
th in g , even i f I am in E n g la n d , th e re is n o th in g I can say th a t
w ould not be better covered by some other speaker. I am so rry
M r. H E N R Y W . N E V IN S O N .
So m any th an k s fo r y our in v ita tio n to the celeb ratio n on
F e b ru a ry 1. I should lik e to come, but it is so u n c ertain w hether
I s h a ll be in L ondon th a t you m ust not count on me nlease to
speak.
’ K
’
P rofessor G IL B E R T M U RRA Y .
I f I w ere a little m ore free, I should g re a tly like to take p a rt
in th e c eleb ratio n of th e C entenary o f the South P lace C hapel, but
I am a f ra id I am th ic k ly en g ag ed a ll th ro u g h th is S p rin g , a n d
m ust not tak e on a n y m ore speeches.
P ro fesso r K A R L P E A R S O N .
I m ust th an k the a u th o ritie s o f the South P lace E th ic a l Society
fo r th e ir very k in d suggestion th a t I should tak e p a rt in the
c elebration on F e b ru a ry 1. I re g re t very m uch th a t it is not
possible now fo r me to do so.
I very m uch a p p re c ia te m y old connection w ith South P lace,
w h e re I gave one o f m y e a rlie s t pu b lic lectures in 1880, a m eeting
w hich w as m ore m em orable for th e speech of a young red -h a ired
Irish m a n , la te r know n as G. B. S., ra th e r th a n fo r the lec tu re I
gave.
W ith th e best w ishes th a t the South P lace E th ic a l Society m ay
su rv iv e a n o th er cen ten ary .
OF
SOUTH
PLACE
M r. E D W D . C A R P E N T E R .
I take the Society’s k in d
but m y s tre n g th a n d h e a lth
me to accept the proposal.
C en ten ary celeb ratio n . W ith
CHAPEL.
21
in v ita tio n to speak as a com plim ent,
now adays a re too u n c e rta in to allow
I w ish, how ever, a ll success to the
k in d re g a rd s.
S ir F R A N K R. B E N S O N .
I take i t a s a g re a t com plim ent th a t you sh o u ld ask me to
a d d ress you. I s h a ll u n fo rtu n a te ly be ju s t com m encing inji
d ra m a tic to u r in the provinces on th e day you nam e, so th a t I sh a ll
be u n a b le to have the honour a n d the p lea su re of speaking to you.
A ll good w ishes.
M r. E U S T A C E CO N W A Y , New York
Both m y sister an d I a re very interested in both of y o u r p rojects
(C entenary C elebration a n d th e N ew South P lace), a n d w ill do
w h at w e can to assist, but it does not seem th a t th ere is m uch th a t
we can do on th is side of the w ater beyond se n d in g our good w ishes
an d thanks.
M r. P E R C IV A L C H U B B , St. L cuis.
Y our letter o f Decem ber 2 ju s t to h a n d ; an d I h asten to say
th a t I sh a ll be g la d to do w h a t I can to send y o u r w ay a n y o u t
s ta n d in g A m erican w ith in m y reach who m ay h ap p en to be in
L ondon on F e b ru a ry 1, w hen you a re to celebrate y our c en ten n ia l.
O f course, th a t event w ill in te rest a ll of us—m yself in p a rtic u la r.
W h ile it is not tru e th a t I w as a c tu a lly a m em ber of th e South
P la ce Society m yself, it w as fo r some tim e m y S und ay -m o rn in g
place o f p ilg rim a g e , a n d I s till have m y old hym n-book a n d one
or tw o pam phlets.
I am su re our Societies w ill c are to send you g re etin g s, a n d I
w ill take steps a t once to th a t end. M eantim e, w ith a ll seasonable
good w ishes.
D r. H E N R Y N E U M A N N , B rooklyn, N .Y .
M r. C hubb h a s to ld u s th a t y o u r Society is to celebrate its
one h u n d re d th a n n iv e rsa ry in F e b ru a ry .
M ay I express to you, fo r th e B oard o f T rustees of the B rooklyn
E th ic a l Society, o u r g ra tifica tio n a t th is fa c t? Y our Society has
h a d a n honoured h i s t o r y ; an d it is our w ish th at its tra d itio n of
service m ay be ever ric h e r a s th e years go by. N u m e ric ally o ur
Societies a re sm all. O u r w ork, how ever, is needed in the w o r l d ;
a n d i f w e make it o u r m ain concern th a t the seed we sow be o f the
r ig h t sort, we can go fo rw a rd , a s I am su re South P la ce C hapel
w ill, w ith renew ed stre n g th . O u r w arm est good w ishes go out
to you !
M r. G E O R G E H A V E N P U T N A M , N ew York.
M y frie n d , M rs. M ild red Conw ay Saw yer, whom I have know n
since she w as a little g irl in h e r fa th e r’s household, asked me
y esterd a y w hether I m ig h t p ossibly be ab le to be in L ondon in
F e b ru a ry a t a tim e w hen, she rep o rts, a m eeting is to be h e ld in
h onour o f the m em ory a n d th e w ork o f m y good frie n d , M oncure D .
C onw ay.
I am going to L ondon, D .v., in A p ril next. I to ld M rs. Saw yer
th a t I co u ld not possibly a rra n g e to m ake th e jo u rn ey in F e b ru a ry .
I should h a v e been very g la d to have the p riv ile g e of sa y in g a
w ord in re g a rd to the notew orthy services ren d ered by D r. C onw ay
to th in k in g a n d reverent citizen s on both sides o f the A tlan tic.
I f D r. C onw ay’s w ork co u ld have been c a rrie d into th e 20th
C e n tu ry , it w ould have been better understood an d w ould have
secured a p p rec ia tio n from a very m uch la rg e r c irc le o f th in k in g
h e are rs a n d re ad e rs. H e w as a sch o lar w ith a re a l reverence fo r
the th in g s o f th e s p irit. I t w as h is co ntention th a t the influence
o f e sse n tia l tr u th w as in te rfe re d w ith by th e legend w hich had
�22
CENTENARY
C E LE BRA T IO N
SO U V EN IR
been accepted as dogm as an d w hich, even in these la te r years, were
s till h a m p e rin g w ith the s p irit a n d the action o f m ankind.
I tru s t th a t C onw ay’s w ork is being c a rrie d on by o th er lead ers
w ho possess some m easure, a t least, of h is co u rag e an d in te lle ctu a l
force.
I am w ith best wishes for the success of the Commemoration
M eeting.
M r. W . S. G O D F R E Y , B ournem outh.
D ear M r s. F letch er
S m it h ,
I d u ly received the notice of next F r id a y ’s C elebration, but being
i ll an d aw ay from tow n, I s h a ll, m uch to m y re g re t, be u n ab le to
a tte n d . I sh o u ld like, how ever, to be allow ed to semi a w ord of
g re etin g , w ith m y very best w ishes fo r a successful m eeting an d for a
second c e n tu ry fo r th e Society o f even g re ater p rogress a n d p ro sp e rity
th an the first.
J
My association w ith South P lace dates back to D r. M oncure
C onw ay’s days, so th a t I m ay claim to be one o f its o ld er frie n d s. I
alw ays th in k of it w ith p lea su re an d w ith g ra titu d e , fo r I have listened
to m ore w isdom discoursed from its p la tfo rm —often to th in but a lw a y s
in terested c o n g reg a tio n s—th an I have h e ard in a n y o th er C hapel or
C hurch I ever en tered . M ay the new b u ild in g soon a rise, an d w orthy
successors come alo n g to fill the places o f those w ho th ro u g h the past
100 y e ars have so sp le n d id ly h eld a lo ft the torch of reason in a
ben ig h ted w o rld . I am p roud to have occupied occasionally the South
P la ce p latfo rm . M y last p u b lic utterance, a n d w h at w ill probably
prove to be the la s t o f m y life , w as d elivered th ere in Septem ber 1921
1 am so g la d to see th a t y o u are to take p a r t in the proceedings ori
F rid a y , an d to g a th e r from th is th a t you are s till in good h e a lth
I
am a d d re ssin g th is letter to you, because your nam e has been associated
w ith S outh P la c e ever since I first knew it. W ith kindest re g a rd s
—Y ours very sin cerely ,
W . S. G o d f r e y
QF
SOUTH
PLACE
CHAPEL.
23
A CENTURY OF
RELIGIOUS EVOLUTION
A D iscourse D elivered at South P lace Institute by
The Right Hon. J. M . R O B E R T SO N
on Sunday, 3rd February, 1924.
W h at F u lle r c a lle d “ c en ten a ry so le m n itie s,” a t a p erio d w hen
“ s o le m n ” h a d n o t yet come to m ean “ som bre,” a re not m erely in te restin g
b ut p o te n tia lly profitable experiences. I f we w ill take the tro u b le to re a lis e
them , they h elp us to re a lis e th e n a tu re o f th e process o f th in g s. In the
m odern p a st o f o u r own c o u n try , im m une from v iolent social ch an g e,
th o u g h a g re a t w ar can p ro fo u n d ly a lte r ro u tin e fo r the tim e, no two
successive days, b ro a d ly speaking, have p e rce p tib ly differed a s re g a rd s the
to ta lity o f th e ir be lie fs, th e ir theory o f life , th e ir use o f la n g u a g e a n d
lite ra tu re , th e ir p h y sic al environm ent. A nd yet, a fte r a c en tu ry o f y ears,
o ur natio n has passed from a ris to c ra tic ru le to p o p u la r G overnm ent, from
a p ersecu tin g orthodoxy to a state o f opinion in w hich orthodoxy professes
to fe a r p e rsec u tio n ; from th e lif e of stage-coaches to th e life o f ra ilw a y s
a n d u n d e rg ro u n d tubes a n d w ireless b ro a d ca stin g a n d th e om nipresenl
autom obile.
In w h at we m ay c a ll th e social process, on its m ental side, th e re is
f a r less o f su d d e n a n d v ita l ch an g e th an in the lif e o f th e in d iv id u a l. H e
m ay in a few weeks or m onths give up h is in h e rite d creed , em brace a new
id ea l, m ake a new frie n d who influences a ll h is th in k in g : h e m ay suffer
a bereavem ent w hich m ay p ro fo u n d ly a lte r the lig h tin g o f h is life , an
illn e ss or a n accident w hich leaves him a c h an g e d m an. B ut th e to ta lity
is not, as such, so affected. T he a g g re g a te undergoes no tra n sfig u ra tio n ,
no sudden o r sw ift conversion, no a n a lo g y to bereavem ent. I t changes
insen sib ly .
A nd yet, a f te r a h u n d re d y ears, th e a g g re g a te is less like
its form er se lf th a n m any a n in d iv id u a l m ay be to a n in d iv id u a l ten
decades back. T h e South P la c e S ociety is one of th e w itnesses, an d one
o f the illu stra tio n s.
In 1824, South P la ce C hapel, n ew ly b u ilt, w as opened on F e b ru a ry .1
a s a U n ita ria n place o f w o rsh ip by th e fam ous o ra to r, p re ac h er, a n d p o li
tic ia n , W illia m Johnson F o x ; a n d a lre a d y both the p reach er a n d the
Society w hich stood by h im h a d und erg o n e a ra th e r ra p id re lig io u s ev o lu :
tion. T he Society h a d taken form as e a rly as 1793 u n d e r th e m in istra tio n s
o f the A m erican B a p tist p re ac h er, E lh a n a n W in ch ester, w ho c u t across
orthodoxy by re n o u n cin g a n d a ssa ilin g th e d o c trin e o f E te rn a l H e ll, th u s
fo u n d in g or h e lp in g to sp read th e creed, so-called, o f U n iv e rsalism , w hich
th en m eant sim p ly “ U n iv e rsal S alvation in C h ris t.” In h is n a tiv e la n d
W inchester h a d in h is yo u th been an orthodox B a p tist p re ac h er, being
b ro u g h t u p sound in the C a lv in istic fa ith . O ne day, (t) tra v e llin g in New
E n g la n d , he met a young wom an w ho re tu rn e d to h is doctrin e o f fu tu re
dam n atio n fo r the non-elect th e answ er th a t a ll m ust be saved : she “ be
h eld infinite fu ln ess in C h rist fo r a ll m a n k in d .”
W inchester re fu te d
h e r w ith texts, a n d they w ent th e ir several w ays, never to m eet a g a in .
B u t he w as then o n ly tw en ty y e ars old ; a n d th e d o ctrin e o f u n iv ersal
salv atio n (perhaps because it cam e from a m a id e n ’s m outh) took root in h is
h e a rt, an d soon converted him .
H e w as the e ld est son o f a m echanic n e ar B oston, w ho nam ed h is
fifteen c h ild re n out o f th e B ible— th e boys out o f the O ld , th e g irls out of
1 See the account by M oncure C onw ay in h is C entenary H is to r y o f the
S o u th P lace S o c ie ty, 1894, ch. 1. T h e re is a n A m erican b io g ra p h y of
W inchester by E . M. Stone, 1836.
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the N ew T estam ent—a n d he h a d become the le a d in g B a p tist preacher in
P h ila d e lp h ia . T h a t post he h a d to renounce w hen he tu rn e d U n iv e r s a lis t;
a n d in 1787 he cam e to m ake a new care er in E n g la n d . A lre a d y the w ound
of th e R evolution W ar w as so fa r healed th a t his n a tio n a lity caused him
no tro u b le ; an d he set about d e liv e rin g m en from the fe a r of hell-fire.
A fter five o r six y e ars o f m iscellaneous p re a c h in g h is U n iv e rsa list
a d h ere n ts in L ondon b u ilt or p u rch ased for him the P a rlia m e n t C ourt
C h a p el, in A rtille ry L ane, a n d th u s found ed the Society w hich, a fte r
vario u s in te rn a l vicissitu d es, settled in South P la c e C hapel th irty y ears
la te r, u n d e r W . J . Fox.
T hose e a rly U n iv e rsa lists c a lle d .themselves “ P h ila d e lp h ia n s ” —not
a fte r the c ity o f W in c h este r’s fo rm er pasto rate, but a f te r a text in th e
A pocalypse. T h ey w ere not, u n d e r W inchester, U n ita ria n s . H e w as so
fa r fro m m e d d lin g w ith b elief in God th a t he never m ade a n y tro u b le
about the T rin ity . H is g re at task in life w as, so to speak, to u nderm ine
b elief in the D e v il; an d th a t w as then q u ite a s h a rd an u n d e rta k in g as it
h as ever been since to w ean m en from T heism . W e have, indeed, h is
in d iv id u a l testim ony to th e effect th a t he found Jo h n W esley stro n g ly
in clin ed , in p riv a te conversation, t< the U n iv e rsa list v iew ; but W esley
5
never p u b lish ed a n y such a v o w a l; an d w hen he d ied , in 1791, it was
W inchester’s fu n c tio n to defen d the g re a t sect-founder a g a in s t the
theological m alice o f the zealots of the E stab lish m en t w ho p roclaim ed th a t
he h a d “ passed in to th e lake o f fire .” W e m ay note th a t th u s, from the
first, th e Society is identified w ith the s p ir it o f T olerance. N ever has it
lacked, an d never, let us hope, w ill it lack speakers to bear w itness a g a in s t
b ig o try a n d a ll th e w orks thereof.
W inchester h ad to re tu rn in 1794 to A m erica, a n d w as expected to come
a g a in .to E n g la n d , b u t d ied in h is n ativ e la n d in 1797, w h e rea fter h is place
w as filled by the Rev. W illia m V id ler, a n o th e r ex -B ap tist, who had been
converted to U n iv e rsalism by W inchester. E d itin g “ T he U n iv e rsa list
M iscellany, or P h ila n th ro p is t’s M useum , intended chiefly a s an A ntidote
A gainst th e A n ti-C h ristia n D o ctrin e o f E n d less M isery ” (1797-1801), he
w as T ed in to d iale ctic exercise w ith the re su lt o f becom ing, a fte r m uch
h e sita tio n , a U n i t a r i a n ; a n d a t once th ere w as m ade c le a r the fa ct th a t
fo r m ost U n iv e rsa lists U n iv e rsalism h a d th en but one dim ension. T he
c o n g reg a tio n m e lte d ; a n d as C onw ay p u t it, “ D en ial o f th e T rin ity cost
th is Society £320 per a n n u m .” A new com m unity o f U n ita ria n s h a d to
be b u ilt up , w hich su b stitu te d an “ open com m union ” for th e so-called
“ close c o m m u n io n ” th a t h a d subsisted on B a p tist lin e s in the P h i l a
d e lp h ia n b o d y ; a n d th a t nam e w as now abandoned. V id le r, like W in
chester, h a d th e g ift o f eloquence, a n d w hen he died in 1816 he had won a
h ig h sta tu s in th e U n ita ria n body. I t is w orth rem em bering th a t he
fram e d a v in d ic a tio n o f Ju d a s Isc a rio t on lines w hich have been taken to
be q tiite new in o ur own d a y —re p re se n tin g th a t m ythical personage as
having- aim ed not a t b e tra y in g but a t fo rcin g h is M aster to p u t fo rth h is
power. L ik e W in ch ester, V id le r h a d spent h is life w o rth ily , as C onw ay
p u t it, “ in m erely c le a rin g a w ay the dogm atic rubbish for th e fo u n d a tio n
o f a ra tio n a l tem ple ” — a statem ent in w hich, tw o generations la te r, O liv er
W endell H olm es acquiesced as a description o f th e re lig io u s h isto ry of
h im self an d m any o f h is personal frie n d s. “ E lh a n a n W in c h e ste r,” w rites
C onw ay, “ w as even a m an of genius, yet no p a m p h le t of h is h a s now any
re lig io u s value, so c oncentrated w as he on th e then vast discovery th a t
d iv in e nun ish m en t is not e te r n a l.”
Tt is an o th er w ay o f rem inding^ us th a t those steps in conjoint or
c o n g reg a tio n a l e v olution w ere n ece ssa rily m ade on em otional as d istin g u ish e d
from p h ilo so p h ical pro m p tin g s. W inchester w as converted by a voung
lay-w om an : a n d he, a feeler ra th e r th a n a th in k e r, converted in V id le r a
k in d re d s p irit, th o u g h V id le r w as p ra ise d as a close reasoner. T h ere is
no trac e am ong th e ir a d h e re n ts o f an v one w ho saw the in te lle c tu a l
a b su rd ity or the scientific lu n ac y of the d o ctrine o f e te rn al torm ent. Such
th in k e rs th ere m ust have b e e n : but they stayed aw ay from c h u rch and
ch ap e l, o r, i f for p ru d e n tia l reasons they w ent th ith e r, h e ld th e ir tongues
about th e ir beliefs. Robert B u rn s, in W in c h este r’s gen eratio n , c le a rly lean t
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to W in c h este r’s view , b e g in n in g w ith a hum orous tolerance to w ard s S atan
h im self w hich p e rh ap s tended to c o u n te rv ail fo r a tim e th e poet’s
beneficient influence in the w ay o f u n d e rm in in g b ig o try in Scotland. B ut
B u rn s rem ained a c onventional D e is t; a n d w rote th a t “ An a th e ist
la u g h ’s a poor e x ch a n g e F o r D e ity o ffended,” w h ich m ust have done m uch
to p u t him r ig h t w ith a ll who m ade th e ir God in th e ir own im age,
H um ane em otion m ade th e U n iv e rsa lists revolt a g a in st the d o ctrin e of
E te rn a l T o rm e n t; a s tirrin g o f p u re reason developed U n ita ria n is m , from
roots o f th eistic th o u g h t (lab elled A ria n an d Socinian) in the old. theo
lo g ical w o rld , p a rtly fe rtilis e d by the a ir s an d dew s of e ig h te e n th c en tu ry
D eism , a n d perm itted to grow by the p o litic a l accident w hich en ab led a
num ber of h e retic a l P re sb y te ria n c o n g reg a tio n s to subsist u n d e r T ru s t
D eeds, subsidised by the w ill o f L a d y H ew ley in 1710.
In the y e a r a fte r the o pening o f S outh P la ce C h ap el, th ere w as
fo rm a lly established a U n ita ria n A ssociation. T h is w as m ade possible by
the rep eal in 1813 o f the old pen al law s a g a in st a n ti-T rin ita ria n is m , a
concession m ade by the a u th o ritie s to a form o f heterodoxy w hich w as
c a re fu l not o n ly to protest its e n tire devotion to the m onarchy but its
d etestation of the activ e deism w hich h a d taken on a new p o p u la r lif e a fte r
the F re n c h R evolution u n d e r the vigorous im petus of T hom as P a in e.
T h u s w hen, in 1819, R ic h a rd C a rlisle w as sentenced to th re e y e a rs’ im
prisonm ent, a n d j£l,500 fine, fo r p u b lis h in g P a in e ’s “ A ge o f R eason,”
it w as a U n ita ria n who conducted the prosecution. A nd th en it w as th a t
W. J. F ox show ed the m etal he w as m ade of by d e liv e rin g a discourse
w hich, in th e w ords o f C onw ay, “ sh in e s as th e one re lig io u s c a n d le in
th a t d ark tim e .” A lone, I th in k , o f th e reverends o f the tim e, h e denounced
a ll persecution o f w h a t w as term ed “ u n b e lie f.” “ T here is no m edium
in p rin c ip le ,” he d e clare d , “ betw een th e lib e rty o f a ll a n d the ty ra n n y
o f a p a rtic u la r sect. C h ristia n s, you k in d le a flame in w h ich yourselves
m ay p e ris h .” T h e n a rro w er U n ita ria n s a n g rily p ro te s te d ; b u t F o x ’s
c o n g reg a tio n on th e fo llo w in g d a y passed a reso lu tio n e x p ressin g “ the
h ig h degree o f sa tisfac tio n w ith w hich they h e a rd th e m an ly , en erg etic,
a n d a rg u m e n ta tiv e discourse d eliv ered by h im la s t e vening on th e d u tie s
o f C h ristia n s to w ard s D eists, a n d e a rn e stly re q u e stin g him to p u b lish the
sam e.”
Such w as the m oral a n d in te lle c tu a l q u a lity o f th e m an w ho in a u g u
ra te d S outh P la c e C h ap el, a n d o f those w ho follow ed h is teach in g .
A lre ad y , by h is eloquence a n d h is fe rv o u r a n d fa c u lty , he w as b e g in n in g
to be a pow er, a n d on th e d a y a f te r h is in a u g u ra l discourse it w as a n
nounced a t th e com m em orative d in n e r a t th e L ondon T a v e rn th a t every
seat in S outh P la ce C h ap el w as e n g ag e d . T h u s fa r, F ox w as q u ite
orthodox as to the B ible, w hich m akes h is stan d fo r tolerance th e m ore
la u d a b le . B ro u g h t up a n o rthodox D issenter, s ta rtin g in lif e as a w eaver boy a t N orw ich, a n d tra in e d a t th e P ro te sta n t D issen tin g C ollege a t
H om erton, he h ad taken y ears to reach th e U n ita ria n position, an d h a d ,
lik e h is tw o im m ediate predecessors, to p a rt w ith h is orthodox c o n g re g a
tio n w hen he in v ite d them to follow him , as E m erson h a d to p a r t w ith h is
U n ita ria n co n g reg atio n w hen he in v ite d them to su b stitu te a ra tio n a l fo r
a theological view o f the C h ristia n sacram ent. F ox in th e end tra v e lle d
p e rh ap s fu rth e r th a n E m erson d id ; a n d yet th e re is n o th in g to show th a t,
a p a rt from the dissensions over h is m anagem ent of h is dom estic tro u b les,
he h a d a n y difficulty in c a rr y in g th e m ass o f h is co n g reg a tio n w ith him .
H e an d th ey th u s p lay e d a re p resen tativ e p a rt, as h is an d th e ir successors
have done since h is tim e, in th a t g ra d u a l a d v an ce w hich h a s in te rp en e trated
la rg e sections o f re lig io u s life in E n g la n d w ith th e s p ir it o f c ritic a l reason,
to th e p o in t a t w hich th is p la tfo rm h a s become u n re stric te d by a n y dogm a,
or a n y tra d itio n save those o f sane decorum an d a m en ity an d h u m an ity .
B u ild in g s, lik e books a n d m en, have th e ir d estinies.
W hen we Tecall the social, p o litic a l, a n d in te lle c tu a l aspects o f E n g lis h
lif e a h u n d re d years ago, the tran sm u ta tio n becomes im pressive. S tirrin g s
o f new lif e th ere w ere in m an y directio n s. A ggressive free th o u g h t w as
g u aran tee d a g a in st o b sc u rity by c h ro n ic prosecutions, prom oted by W ilb erforce an d h is pious a sso c ia te s; R obert O w en, th e m ost benevolent o f a ll
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C E LE BRA T IO N
SO U V EN IR
ag g ressiv es, w as re ac h in g the w orking m asses on a la rg e r scale th a n even
P a in e had d o n e ; a n d in very different c irc le s a m ore p hilosophic im pulse
was p re p a rin g m in d s like Jo h n S tu a rt M ill a n d G eorge G rote fo r th e ir
tasks. B u t s till the m ass even o f th e ed u cated w ere w holly docile to
o rth o d o x y ; an d w h a t figured as new re lig io u s influences were new
C h ristia n fo rm u la tio n s. E d w a rd Irv in g was fo r the m om ent th e o u tsta n d
in g figure in th a t o rd e r o f in n o v a to rs; though I rv in g sat a t th e feet o f
C o lerid g e, whom he revered. A nd fo r m ore th an tw enty y ears to come
the new sensations in E n g lish lif e w ere those of re lig io u s conflict, v a ria
tions o f dogm atic belief, oppositions o f sect, a n d se c ta ria n p olitics.
T he C ath o lic A ssociation in Ire la n d w as form ed in 1823 an d suppressed
by la w in 1825 fo r a term o f th ree years.
T h e C ath o lic R e lie f B ills
o f 1821, 1822, 1823, a n d 1825 w ere a ll c a rrie d in the H ouse o f Commons
a n d rejected in _the L o rd s, by no g re a t m ajo rities. In 1829 the m easure
w as a t len g th c a rrie d th ro u g h ; but the re lig io u s m alice w hich h a d so
o b stin ately d elayed it rem ained un ap p eased , a n d th e I r is h p o litic a l tra g e d y
w ent on its w eary w ay.
W hen, then, the so-called T ra c ta ria n m ovem ent, a ris in g out o f th e
R om ew ard tendencies of Jo h n H e n ry N ew m an an d h is c o ad ju to rs, p ro
g ressiv ely convulsed th e E n g lis h ecclesiastical w o rld , it d id so because the
an ta g o n ism between P ro te stan t an d C ath o lic a n im u s w as a m ain elem ent in
th e n a tio n a l life . T h e m ental difference between then an d now m ay be
m easured a t th is po in t by try in g to im agine a n y storm of o pinion over an y
in d iv id u a l’s choice betw een A n g lica n ism a n d R om anism in our day, w hen
th e C hurches a re se rio u sly p a rle y in g a b o u t R eunion, th o u g h even coy
c o n fa b u la tio n s betw een A n g lica n a n d C ath o lic d ig n ita rie s to th a t end evoke
w a rn in g s th a t it w ould break up th e E stab lish m en t. I t is no lo n g er a
m atter o f w arm n a tio n a l concern, save in th a t aspect.
A h u n d re d y e ars ago, E n g la n d w as in the m ain dog m a-rid d en . H ig h
C h u rc h a n d Low C h u rch , E v an g e lic alism in sid e a n d outside the E sta b lish
m ent, p ietistic p ro p a g a n d a o f a ll kin d s, m issio n ary e n te rp rise, C h ristia n
E vidences an d C h ristia n E d u ca tio n — these w ere everyw here o u tstan d in g
them es. U n ita ria n is m w as the position o f advance w ith in the re lig io u s
field occupied by a sm all a n d re la tiv e ly th o u g h tfu l an d c u ltu re d m in o rity .
T h e g re at reactio n a g a in s t th e F re n c h R evolution h a d ostensibly revived
belief : c e rta in ly it h a d revived re lig io sity an d th e p re stig e of orthodoxy.
O f the D eism w h ich h a d been m ore or less fa sh io n ab le from the d ay o f
G eorge th e F ir s t dow n to 1790 th ere w as le ft, indeed, a co n sid era b le
rem n an t, now b ro a d ly frin g e d by th e new dem ocratic and defin itely antiB ib lic al D eism so p o w e rfu lly p ro p a g ated by T hom as P a in e. B ut th e
p re v a ilin g aspect, the ascendant pow er, w as th a t o f p iety an d b ig o try .
Yet a ll the elem ents o f a new pro g ressio n , a new d ilu tio n o f t r a d i
tio n a ry b e lie f, w ere present. E ven in belles leltres, there w ere th e u su a l
sig n s o f in s ta b ility o f fa ith am ong the poets—a fe a tu re o f o u r lite r a rv
h isto ry from C haucer onw ards. S helley h a d sc a n d alised in tu rn the
u n iv e rsity an d the lite ra r y w orld. Even W ordsw orth, a fte r h is re n u n c ia
tio n of h is y o u th fu l re v o lu tio n ary id ea ls, rem ained v isib ly m uch o f a
p a n th e is t; C oleridge, a fte r m any ch an g es, in c lu d in g a sw in g to U n ita ria n
ism , satisfied o n ly a m in o rity as to h is G erm anic o rth o d o x y ; K eats, then
little re g a rd e d , w as c e rta in ly no devout C h ris tia n ; S a ra C o lerid g e
sa id o f him la te r th a t h e h a d no r e li g i o n ; B yron w as know n to
he skeptical. In a w ork pu b lish ed in 1830 by Jam es K ennedy, a n a rm v
doctor, e n title d “ C onversations on R e lig io n w ith L ord B yron a n d O th e rs,”
w e find B yron on the isla n d o f C ep h alo n ia in 1823, liste n in g , am ong others,
w ith an a sto n ish in g patien ce to the e x h o rtatio n s an d d eh o rtatio n s o f an
ex trem ely satisfied and extrem ely tiresom e exponent o f C h ristia n E vidences,
who m odestly dem anded to be listen ed to for tw elve hours w ith o u t c h a lle n g e
o r in te rru p tio n .
T h e com pany seem to h av e been m a in ly D eists, lik e
B y ro n ; and n e ith e r th e ir com p laisan ce no r h is w as q u ite e q u al to the
stra in , though h e rem ain ed on v e ry frie n d ly term s w ith h is m entor. T h e
o u tsta n d in g facts are th a t B vron avow edly w ished to believe in B ible
C h ristia n ity , but found irrem ovable difficulties in so d o i n g ; and th a t th e
cham pion o f the fa ith cla im e d to prove h is case by “ the most rig id lo g ic a l
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d e m o n stra tio n ,” the t r u th o f th e S c rip tu re s b eing in h is o pinion t r as su s
ceptible o f d em onstration a s a n y p roposition in E u c lid .”
I t is sa fe to say th a t no d e fen d e r o f the fa ith in o u r ow n d a y w ho had
ed u ca tio n e nough to know h is E u c lid w ould dream o f ta k in g up su c h a
position.
L ong since, th e defence has fa lle n back upon a p p e a ls to
em otional assent, to “ s p ir itu a l e x p erien c e ,” a n d to a g en eral a lle g a tio n
th a t C h ris tia n ity is v in d icated by its influence on c iv ilis a tio n . T h is stress
on the evidence fo r C h ris tia n ity in its a d a p ta tio n to s p ir itu a l needs had
been la id by C o lerid g e a s e a rly as 1824. B u t a t th a t p eriod, p robably,
even th e U n ita ria n s in g en eral stood upon m ira c le s; th o u g h the influence
o f P rie stle y , to nam e no o th er, h ad tended to set up a belief in u n iv e rsa l
cau satio n , w h ich w ent so f a r as to p u t w h a t w as c a lle d th e “ n e cessarian ”
aspect on a ll hu m an actions as w ell as upon a ll n a tu r a l processes. W e see
th is a ttitu d e in the M a rtin e au fa m ily , Jam es a n d H a rrie t h a v in g a lik e
been b ro u g h t up in it, th o u g h H a rrie t in h e r y o u th h e ld by h e r S abba
ta ria n is m a t the sam e tim e.
Jam es M a rtin e a u ’s la te r w ith d ra w a l from the necessarian p osition is
one o f the m any p roofs th a t the course of tr u e p h ilo so p h y no m ore ru n s
sm ooth th a n th a t o f tru e love.
O n the one h a n d , N ecessarianism , oi
D eterm inism a s we now c a ll it, is a lw ay s troublesom e to h um ane T heism ,
tho u g h L u th e r a n d C a lv in , lik e A u g u stin e, h a d no difficulty in reconciling
it w ith 'theirs. T h u s we find L ucy A ikin, w r itin g in 1831 to D r. C h a n n in g ,
c o n fessin g th a t th o u g h she h a d long before fo u n d th e d e te rm in ist a r g u
m ent irre fu ta b le , she w as u n h a p p y about it. “ I now begin to fe e l a g a in st
i t , ” she w rite s ; a n d she goes on, very m uch in the m anner of Ix>rd B a l
fo u r in o u r ow n g e n era tio n , to protest th a t “ W e can n o t well believe in
God w ith o u t exp ectin g th a t H e w ill som etim es come, as it w ere, to an
e x p la n a tio n w ith u s .” B efore th a t tem per philo so p h y h as sm a ll chance.
Jam es M a rtin e au lean t m ore on e th ical g ro u n d s; b u t w e m ay b ro a d ly say
o f h is recoil from d eterm in ism th a t it stood for an in a b ility to see th a t, as
h eld by those w ho u n d e rsta n d it, it in no w ay affects the spontaneous p la y
o f w ill, choice, m oral ju d g m e n t, inasm uch as th e ra tio n a l d e te rm in ist
re g a rd s h is reasoned choice an d p referen ce as, for h im , e q u a lly the latest
fu lfilm en t o f the Cosm ic m ovem ent w ith a ll the o th er processes o f N a tu re.
B y ex erc isin g o u r reasoned w ill, so to say, we p u ll o u r w eig h t in th e
u n iv e rs e ; a n d the scientific reco g n itio n th a t we a re co nditioned by th e
p a st a n d present is no m ore fru stra tio n o f our m oral action th a n is o u r
know ledge th a t we move u n d e r the law of g ra v ity a p a ra ly s in g
o f our
c a p a c ity o r o u r d esire to move.
B ut th a t can h a r d ly be reckoned a common p h ilo so p h ic perception in
o u r own d a y ; a n d in L ucy A ik in ’s it m ust have been m uch less com m on
s till. O n ly let us rem em ber th a t she w as s u b s ta n tia lly a t th e sta n d p o in t
o f L o rd B a lfo u r, a s w hen she w rites : “ C ould th ere ever have been a good
m an w ith o u t a M aker of M an in fin itely su p erio r in goodness? ” —never
d re am in g th a t the a rg u m e n t involved th e c o ro lla ry : “ C ould th ere ever
have been a bad m an w ith o u t a M aker in fin itely su p e rio r in b a d n e s s ? ”
a n d tha resolution o f the dilem m a in th e ph ilo so p h ic conclusion th a t good
ness a n d badness a lik e a re not p re d ic ab le of th e Infinite. In fine, w e have
h ere one o f the m any cases o f id e n tity of a ttitu d e in in d iv id u a ls sep arated
by a h u n d re d years of a n evolution w hich has so a lte re d th e sta n d p o in t o f
m u ltitu d e s o f others th a t th eirs co nstitutes an o u tstan d in g fe a tu re o f d iffer
ence between the two ages.
A nd th is g ra d u a l a n d g en eral s h iftin g o f th e b alance is w h a t h a s taken
place over the w hole field of re lig io u s o p in io n , philo so p h ic an d nonp h ilosophic a lik e . T he sm all m in o ritie s of a c en tu ry a g o h a v e become th e
la rg e m in o ritie s o r th e m a jo rities o f to-day.
I t is re a lly h a r d to say
w hether th e m a jo rity o f so-called ed ucated people to-day do or do not
believe in m iracles. A ll th a t is c ertain is th a t an im m ensely la r g e r p e r
c en tag e now disbelieve in them . And so w ith th s b e lie fs in sa lv atio n by
blood and by fa ith , in s c rip tu ra l in sp ira tio n , in a b o d ily re su rrec tio n , in a
p h y sic al h e ll a n d heaven, in the d iv in ity o f Jesus, in th e sin fu ln e ss o f
u n b e lie f, in th e dam n atio n o f the h eath en , in in h e rite d d e p ra v ity , in
th eo cratic election, in a g overning P rovidence, in a P e rso n a l God, in
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an g els a n d dev ils, in p ra y e r a n d fa stin g , in the A postolic succession of
bishops, in the d u ty o f th e S tate to p u n ish blasphem y so-called in th e
(d iv in e a n d p u n itiv e purposes of earth q u ak e s, storm s, pestilences w ars
a n d in d iv id u a l accidents, a n d a ll the rest of th e stra n g e m ass of ig n o ra n t
affirm ation c o n cern in g the unknow n w hich ou r ancestors b u ilt up for them
selves o r h a d b u ilt up fo r them , a n d sought to la y upon the sh o u ld ers o f
posterity .
E very one o f these b eliefs is s till held by m u ltitu d e s in our own
co u n try as elsew here. W hat has c h an g ed is the balance of in te lle c tu a l and
social p restig e.
F o r ev ery ra tio n a lis t of a c e n tu ry ag o th ere a re a
h u n d re d , p erh ap s a thousand, to-day.
B ig o try has become im potent to
persecute by c rim in a l procedure, save in police cases in w hich indecency
is in d icted as b lasp h em y ; th o u g h beyond question th e avow al of ra tio n a lism
c a n s till be a g rave d isa d v an tag e to a m an, in some environm ents, both
so c ially an d com m ercially. Am ong educated people, a c tin g as such, it is
no lo n g er a lik e ly experience to h e a r a n y one contem ned as an “ infidel ” ;
an d in a n y ed ucated com pany, even o f churchm en, th ere a re p re tty su re to
be d isbelievers in m any i f not in a ll o f the lis t of doctrin es I have given
as once p a rt o f orthodox C h ristia n ity . A nd of th is process of tra n s m u ta
tion every stage, every aspect, has been e ith e r recognised or prom oted by
teach in g d e liv e re d from th is p la tfo rm d u rin g the cen ten a ry period we a re
c o n sid erin g .
T o estim ate the re la tiv e influence of a ll the facto rs a t w ork w ould be an
u n d e rta k in g beyond .the pow er o f o u r im m atu re sociology. B ut by com
mon consent the developm ent of th e n a tu ra l sciences h as counted fo r m uch
in the tra n sfo rm a tio n . It m ig h t have been supposed th a t the eighteenth
c e n tu ry expansion of astronom y w ould alone have had a checking effect on
an th ro p o m o rp h ic re lig io n ; but it seems ra th e r to have encouraged reso rt to
the D esign A rgum ent. “ T h e undevout astronom er is m ad ” w as a m uch
a p p la u d e d lin e . T o-day, ta k in g “ devout ” in the sense o f believ in g in a
personal God, in a p h y sical heaven, it w ould be m ore p la u sib le to say th a t
th e devout astronom er is m ad. I t is p re tty c le a r, how ever, th a t the m ere
m u ltip lic a tio n o f scientific stu d ies h a d the sam e tendency to prom ote
ra tio n a l th in k in g about a ll c au satio n as th e stu d y an d p ra ctic e of m edicine
had p ro v e rb ia lly done even in ages in w hich m edicine w as but feebly
scientific.
A nd w hereas in 1834 we find a trea tise on C h ristia n E vidences, by the
E a r l o f Rosse, se ttin g o u t by d e n y in g the e te rn ity o f the univ erse, it w ould
be h a rd to find even an E a rl to-day a t th a t sta n d p o in t. T h e pious E a rl
e v id e n tly fe lt th a t the conception of u n lim ite d p h y sical c o n tin u ity , tho u g h
held by A risto tle alo n g w ith a b elief in D eity, w as lo g ic a lly ’in im ica l
to the C h ristia n fa ith . A nd, a t th a t stage, to asc rib e e te rn a l d u ra tio n to
a w o rld v isib ly in process o f c h an g e m ay have seemed to some as u n p lau sible as others found the d o ctrine o f c rea tio n . B ut the balance o f opinion
began to s h if t h e a v ily an d ste a d ily as soon as th e d o ctrin e o f E volution
began to find w ide a c c e p ta n c e ; w hich it d id as soon as D a rw in m ade h is
m em orable open in g w ith h is O rig in o f Species. T he conception is to be
trac ed to G erm an a n d F re n c h specu latio n o f a previous gen eratio n , in w hich
G erm any a t least e x h ib ited a m ore progressive in te lle ctu a l life th an th at
o f E n g la n d . B ut it is o n ly a fte r D a rw in ’s p roduction o f a concrete doctrin e
o f the e v olution o f Species th a t the id ea takes firm an d la s tin g h old o f
th in k in g people in g e n era l a n d n a tu ra lis ts in p a r tic u la r ; w ith the re su lt
th a t the long ra tio n a lis tic attack on th e H ebrew cosm ogony c a rrie s th e day.
T h en c efo rth the doctrin e o f th e F a ll, w ith the super-im posed doctrin es of
S a lv atio n an d D am nation, have o n ly a d w in d lin g statu s even fo r c h u rc h
m en.
B y th e tim e o f th e advent o f D arw in ism , Fox h a d become ra th e r a
p o litic ia n th a n a p re ac h er, th o u g h he never w ho lly abandoned h is w ork
as a lec tu re r on re lig io u s h isto ry an d on m orals. F ox w as a w hole m an,
in a m easure by reason o f the b ra cin g a n d to u g h en in g experience o f h is
y outh, but also in v irtu e o f the n a tiv e sin c erity w hich m ade him m aster o f
a sty le a t once n a tu r a l an d s k ilfu l, the self-expression o f a lettered m an not
m agnetised by lite r a ry tra d itio n . I f o n ly he h ad com pleted the A uto
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b io g rap h y o f w h ich he le ft a frag m e n t, it w ould, I fan cy , have been
fo u n d a t least e q u ip o llen t w ith th a t of N ew m an. As it w as, h is fun ctio n
th ro u g h o u t h is connection w ith th is place w as to g u a rd h is h e are rs v ig il
a n tly a g a in st a ll m an n er o f n arrow ness, to keep th e ir m in d s open to new
tr u th w hencesoever it cam e, a n d to see it th a t th e bias o f re lig io n should
never be allo w ed to m ake G od-w orship a b a rrie r to hum an sym pathies, as
he saw it often to be a ro u n d him , even in h is own denom ination.
I t is sound h isto ric a l m ethod to note these influences of in d iv id u a ls on
th e ir tim e. An in co n sid e rate asseveration o f the a ll-im p o rtan c e o f g re at
men by one-idead id e a lis ts led B uckle, a n d h a s led m any since, to insist
th a t th e influence o f the pro m in en t in d iv id u a l is i llu s o r y ; th a t he leads
by fo llo w in g ; th a t it is the g en eral m ovem ent th a t oounts. B ut m ovem ents
are m ade by m e n ; a n d th ere a re the fu rth e re rs, the in sp ire rs, a s th e re are
the passive p a rtic ip a to rs . T h a t is how we know m ovem ents : th ere is no
m ore ju stic e in c a n c e llin g out the prom oters th an in c a n c e llin g out the m ass
who, as such, give effect to the le a d in g given them . In a ll the th o u g h t
m ovem ents o f th e p a st c en tu ry fo rc e fu l m en have been v isib le forces
T hom as P a in e, the two M ills, B entham , Fox, H olyoake, B ra d la u g h
Colenso, D a rw in , H u x le y , T y n d a ll, A rn o ld , S tra u ss, R enan, a n d a ho st of
less em inent but energetic m en, m ade opin io n am ong the m ass, am ong the
th in k e rs, am ong th e sp ecialists, am ong th e students, on the lin es o f th eir
sp ecial pow er of a p p e a l; a n d th ere resu lted a p rogressive m u tatio n o f
belief in a ll classes alik e. E ven in h is p u lp it p e rio d , w hen h is a u d ien ce
w as, as he sa id , a re stric te d one, F ox w as a c en tre from w hich lib e ra l
th o u g h t ra d ia te d in m any d irections.
A fte r a n in te rv a l o f y ears, in w hich th e ap p ea l o f a sa lie n t p e rso n a lity
w as lac k in g , a n d its p re stig e g re a tly d w in d led , to a po in t a t w hich absolute
stoppage w as co ntem plated, th e re cam e to F o x ’s place a n o th e r A m erican
p ilg rim , M oncure D a n iel C onw ay, w ho h a d a lre a d y , in h is own person,
m ade the advance from o rthodoxy to heterodoxy, an d w ho h a d the same
r a d ic a l bias in respect o f a v ita l in te rest in p u b lic affairs. T h e young
p reach er who in h is n ativ e la n d h a d seen sla v ery b uttressed by B iblical
texts a n d d octrines w as com m itted a t once to fin d in g hu m an san ctio n s for
m orals, an d to seeing in a ll re lig io n s a lik e th e w orkm anship o f m an.
T h u s it cam e a bout th a t ev ery a d v an ce in sc h o la rly o r scientific sc ru tin y of
the problem s on w hich orth o d o x y la id dow n its law found in C onw ay an
e a g e rly receptive stu d e n t an d in te rp re te r; a n d th e persuasive c h arm w hich
w as h is in a special degree, a c h arm com pounded o f fe e lin g , hum our,
sy m pathy, know ledge a n d lite r a r y s k ill, m ade h is influence as dynam ic s's
h a d been th a t o f Fox.
A fte r seven y e a rs’ te n u re o f th is p la tfo rm , he sum m ed u p h is course
in the book e n title d T h e E a rth w a rd P ilg rim a g e , a p h ra se w hich te lls at
once of h is personal experience a n d o f th a t of h is age. T h e prologue is
headed : “ H ow I L e ft the W o rld to Come fo r T h a t w hich I s .” I t w as a
record o f a s h iftin g o f v alues, a g ra d u a l discovery th a t sound ethic is
hom ocentric, not th eo c en tric; a n d th a t th e re lig io n s h e ld as revealed from
the skies are no less the w ork o f m en’s h a n d s th an those d isc ard e d an d
contem ned on th a t very plea. F o x ’s hym n : " M ake us a God, said Man-,”
gives tb c cue fo r th e w hole tra n s itio n . A nd fo r C onw ay, as for F ox, there
w as no in d isso lu b le dogm a, n o u n m odifiable doctrin e save th e law of
lo y a lty to tr u th a n d to the good o f h u m a n ity ; th o u g h F ox rem ained a lw ay s
n o m in a lly a T h eist, w hereas C onw ay a t le n g th abandoned th e b e lie f in a
c o n tro llin g M oral P rovidence.
T o-day the num ber of liste n e rs in th is place w ho w ere ta u g h t by C on
w ay is s till, I am g lad to th in k , c o n sid e ra b le ; b u t we, too, a re o f the
p a ssin g g e n e ra tio n ; an d in th e 26 y ears since h e fin a lly w ith d rew from
th e p la tfo rm th e process o f change in opinion h a s been continuous as before,
tho u g h less s trik in g to the o u ts id e r’s eye. P e rh a p s the decade o f m axim um
d istu rb an c e o f orthodox opinion in E n g la n d in o ur tim e w as th a t o f the
seventies, w h ich opened w ith C onw ay’s E a rth w a rd P ilg r im a g e ; a n d a lre a d y
in th a t decade the influence o f C onw ay b ro u g h t to h is p la tfo rm avowed
free th in k e rs, avowed ath eists. W hen once the E a rth w a rd P ilg rim a g e h as
been re a lise d fo r w h at it is, a ll serious th o u g h t is on a new fo oting o f
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in tercom m unication fo r those who have gone even p a rt of the w a y ; a n d
differences of o pinion come to be fe lt as but differences of tem per tow ards
the past. : N e ith e r F ox nor C onw ay ever approved of D isestablishm ent, and
both fram e d good arg u m e n ts a g a in st it. T heism , a g a in , survives ’as a
sentim ent w ith some who have rejected it as a dogm a. A nd w hereas the
controversies o f la st c e n tu ry ro u n d the nam e o f C h rist were b ro a d ly between
those who affirm ed h is d iv in ity an d those who affirm ed his h u m an ity , the
open controversy is la tte rly over the question o f h is h isto ric ity .
It is
p ro b ab ly tru e th a t the U n ita ria n sta n d p o in t is now w id e ly h e ld in the
ch u rch es w hich are n o m in a lly T rin ita ria n . T o m y know ledge, the la tte r
in clu d e a few a t lea st who have aban d o n ed even the b e lie f in the h isto ric a l
a c tu a lity o f Jesus. B ut the bulk o f op in io n is pro b ab ly now a t th e six ty
y e a rs ’ o ld sta n d p o in t of R e n a n ’s L ife of J e s u s ; an d a n y advance from th a t
to , a c h allen g e of the h isto ric existence is s till com m only view ed w ith m ore
confident derisio n th a n R enan h im self bestowed upon it. Yet th ere, too,
“ it m o v es” ; a n d a t a tim e w hen le a d in g U n ita ria n s affirm th a t the view
is “ com pletely e x p lo d e d ,” it is fin d in g new sc h o la rly exponents.
P ro g re ss in these fields o f o p in io n is never o therw ise th a n th a t of a
slow tid e .
In 1839, L ucy A ikin w rote to C h a n n in g : “ A lea rn ed but
h e retic a l C am b rid g e d iv in e tells me : ‘ T h is gen eratio n o f us th in k , the next
w ill speak. ’ ” T h a t p re d ic tio n w as h a rd ly fu lfille d to the le tte r ; but it
has been la rg e ly fu lfille d in o u r ow n tim e. C oncerning the a u th o rsh ip of
the F o u rth G ospel, P ro fesso r R obertson S m ith, w r itin g about 1890, sum m ed
up th a t “ In th e perio d of th ir ty y e ars e n d in g 1860, o f the fifty g re at
au th o ritie s in th is lin e , fo u r to one w ere in fav o u r of the Jo h a n n in e a u th o r
sh ip . O f these, N
one q u a rte r, an d c e rta in ly the very g re atest, fin ally
ch an g e d th e ir position to th e side of a la te r date a n d n o n -Jo h a n n in e a u th o r
sh ip . O f th e new c ritic s, tw o -th ird s re je ct the tr a d itio n a l th eo ry w holly
or very la r g e ly .” S till m ore com plete, o f recent years, has been the r e
versal, la rg e ly th ro u g h R obertson S m ith ’s own w ork, of the tra d itio n a l
view o f the a u th o rs h ip o f the books o f the O ld T estam ent.
A nd w hen some professed ra tio n a lists a re fo u n d confidently an d even
v io le n tly re je c tin g o th er in n o v atin g view s, we do w ell to re ca ll how in the
h isto ry o f B ib lic a l sc h o larsh ip it has re p ea te d ly happened th a t professed
ra tio n a lists resisted c ritic a l advances w hich w ere b eing m ade by professed
su p e rn a tu ra lists.
Some of th e old ra tio n a lists fo u g h t for the P a u lin e
a u th o rs h ip o f th e E p is tle to . the H ebrew s a n d o f the E p istle to T im o th y ,
when e v an g e lic als declared th a t it could not be m ain tain ed ; a n d stood for
the M osaic a u th o rs h ip o f the P en tateu ch w hen otherw ise orthodox scholars
h a d disproved it.
I t is not s u rp ris in g , then, to find professed r a tio n
a lis ts in o u r own d a y scouting V an M an en ’s th esis o f the spuriousness of
a ll the P a u lin e E p istle s, an d o th er ra d ic a l theories, w hich even some
chu rch m en su p p o rt.
B ut, a g a in , let us rem em ber, the in n o v atin g theory
is not as such n ece ssa rily tru e : confidence in these m atters is a fr u it o f
slow g ro w th ; a n d th e w ise ra tio n a lis t w ill doubt g u a rd e d ly , an d keep a ll
views open to revision.
T h e v ita l th in g is ju s t openness o f m in d , the rejection o f dogm atic
c ertitu d e s on m atters o f in fere n ce from p a rtia lly d o u b tfu l d a ta ; the r e a d i
ness to a d m it th a t doubt ra tio n a lly a rises when cause is show n ; the avow al
th a t o ur w isest m ental state is a consciousness th a t we are seeking for
tru th , not th a t we have fin a lly found it in an u n a lte ra b le guise. W h at we
c a ll tru th is its e lf lik e every other aspect o f th e cosmos, in a state of
e te rn a l developm ent. Science, so-called, modifies u n d e r o ur e y e s ; an d so
it is w ith ou r science o f h u m an th in g s.
It is, I believe, the h o n o u rab le d istin c tio n o f th is In stitu te th a t it has
kept such view s of tr u th before its m em bers d u rin g the h u n d re d years th at
have now elapsed since its ODening. Step by step, it h a s m odified its
fo rm al creed, d e n u d in g its e lf o f dogm a, g iv in g a h e a r in g to a ll new
th o u g h t c o n sid era te ly expressed, e x p ressly se ttin g ethics above creeds, con
sta n tly ta k in g account o f a ll serious discussion o f social a n d n a tio n a l
problem s, c a rin g above a ll th in g s fo r freedom of th e s p irit in th e stu d v
o f them . And as betw een th is place a n d th e vast m a jo rity o f p laces o f
w orship so-called, the d istin c tio n is still notable, m uch as th e ir p ra ctic e
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has la tte rly m odified in th e d irec tio n o f a m ore to le ra n t discussion of
in n o v atin g view s.
I f the In stitu te is in a n y o th er respect less conspicuous th a n it w as
w hen F ox a n d w hen C onw ay w ere its teachers, it is a ssu re d ly not d u e to
an y recovery of in te lle c tu a l p re stig e by the creeds w hich they p u t aside.
I f the old fo rm u la ab o u t “ the re lig io n of a ll sensible m en ” w ere to be
reduced to a n y p ra c tic a l specification, it w ould pro b ab ly be fo u n d to come
n e a re r the p re v a ilin g view s of th is place th a n to th a t of an y c reed -lim ited
c h u rch . W hen, tw enty y e ars ago, M r. H a rd y w rote in th e p re fa c e to h is
D yn a sts th a t “ the a bandonm ent of th e m ascu lin e pronoun in a llu sio n s to
the F ir s t o r F u n d a m e n ta l E n e rg y seemed a necessary a n d lo g ical conse
quence o f th e long abandonm ent by th in k e rs o f th e a n th ro p o m o rp h ic con
ception of the sam e,” th e re w as no such sc a n d al as w as evoked w hen, th ir ty
ye ars e a r lie r, M orley in h is book on V o ltaire sp elt “ God ” w ith a sm all
“ g .”
W ith in the C h u rch o f E n g la n d its e lf th ere h a s grow n up an
o rg a n isatio n avow edly a im in g a t the rejection from its creed of a ll B ib lic a l
elem ents reco g n isab le as h isto ric a lly a n d scien tifically fa lse. T h e difficulty
fo r those refo rm ers is to say w here th e lin e is to be d ra w n , a n d w hat
p crtio n s o f the C h ristia n creed w ill be le ft. An old Scotch d iv in e , h ’ g h ly
a n d w id ely a n d ju s tly esteem ed in h is d ay , avow ed to me not m any y e ars
ago th a t he an d a n old schoolfellow , a lso a m an of h ig h e cc lesiastical
repute, h a d recen tly surveyed together th e chan g es th a t h a d taken place
in th e theology a n d b e lie f of th e ir tim e, a n d h a d d e clare d th a t th e w hole
aspect o f th in g s h a d so v ita lly a lte re d th a t they fe lt them selves in another
w o rld th a n th a t of th e ir youth. A ll the old lan d m a rk s, he d e clare d , w ere
gone. I f th a t w ere tru e o f S co tlan d , it m ust be tru e to a la rg e extent of
E n g la n d , how ever the South m ay la g behind th e N o rth in lo g ic a lity .
A nd p e rh ap s one of the m ost sig n ifican t re su lts o f the tra n sfo rm a tio n
is ju s t the re la tiv e la tte r-d a y lack of in te rest in re lig io u s problem s in
ge n era l. W h at has em erged, say some shrew d observers, is not so m uch
un b e lie f as indifference.
A nd indifference is perchance a m ore serious
d a n g e r to p rogressive th a n to retro g ressiv e th o u g h t. F o r th e re tro g ra d e
creed c an go on su b sistin g by reason of its h o ld on the m ass o f u n e n
lig h te n ed m in d s, a s does a ll su p e rstitio n in a ll backw ard races an d p la c e s ;
an d if in the m eantim e m en tu rn aw ay from th e task o f m a in ta in in g the
c o n tra ry p ro p a g a n d a , h o ld in g it not w orth w hile, the u n e n lig h te n e d fa ith
m ay recover g round, as h a s h ap p en ed m any tim es in hu m an h isto ry .
R eal hum an service then, to m y th in k in g , is being done by a ll w ho re a lise
th a t the general w e lfa re o f m an k in d depends upon the vigorous a c tiv ity o f
the w hole lif e o f the m in d , an d is not to be secured by a m ere gospel o f
b re ad -a n d -b u tte r, h o u sin g a n d com fort, m inim um w ages a n d easier w ork,
w ith only a v a g u ely conceived e d u ca tio n w h ich is not h eld to in clu d e
in stru ctio n on th e g e n era l problem s set u p by th e creeds.
Some o f us c an v iv id ly rem em ber how , th ir ty a n d fo rty y ears ago, we
w ere to ld by professed social re fo rm e rs w ho p roclaim ed them selves o f a
new school th a t w o rk in g m en need not be tro u b led about the a u th o rsh ip
o f the P en tateu ch o r the tru th o f the B ib le ; th a t w h at concerned them w as
sim p ly b etter w ages a n d w o rk in g co n d itio n s. W e have none o f us, I hope,
ever c a p itu la te d to th a t view o f th in g s. T o-day th e lea d ers o f the L abour
P a rty u n a n im o u sly assu re the p ertu rb e d B ritish W e e k ly th a t it is qu ite a
m istake to re g a rd them as a n y m ore affected by irre lig io u s view s th a n the
p a rty w hich in clu d ed L o rd M orley. A nd it is but f a ir to say th a t th ey
show no tendency to d e p a rt from the av erage o rthodoxy o f th e E n g lis h
N onconform ist churches. T h e m ore need th a t th e m ental l if e should be
kept going and gro w in g by those w ho feel its v alue, an d w ho see th a t it
is f a r from being f u lly catered fo r in e ith e r o u r schools o r o u r u n iv ersities.
Com m onplace reaction is easy o f grow th i f th ere be none to do w eeding
work. And th e retrospect o f th e re lig io u s evolution o f a c e n tu ry is no
w eak m onition to a co n tin u an ce o f the w ork w hich fu rth e re d it w ith in these
w a lls.
W e do w ell, then, a t such a tim e to say : “ Come now, le t u s p ra is e
fam ous men a n d our fa th e rs w ho begat u s ” —ou r s p iritu a l fa th e rs, th a t is,
who tro d a p a th a n d c le are d a field fo r us, an d b u t fo r whose w ork o u r lot
�327
centenary
c e l e b r a t io n
s o u v e n ir
had been d a rk e r a n d poorer. Th© debt, indeed, goes fa r beyond a c en tu ry .
B efore South P la ce opened its doors, brave a n d strenuous w ork h ad been
done fo r the e m a n cip a tio n o f the m odern m ind from th e ty ra n n ie s o f creeds
a n d a u th o ritie s. Men to whom , p robably, even th e g e n ia l W inchester and
V id ler p a id sm all trib u te , h a d m ade possible th e ir m easure o f freedom an d
en lig h ten m en t. T w o h u n d re d years before W inchester, th e fre e th in k in g
M arlow e h a d sp re ad the th o u g h t th a t H eaven a n d H e ll w ere not places but
states o f m in d . B ut none the less w as th e ir m erit in striv in g , in an age o f
v iolent reaction a n d persecution, a g a in st a darkened theology w hich was
f r u i tf u l in c ru e lty . A nd to th e m ore h ig h ly c u ltu re d an d endow ed teachers
who in the succeeding g enerations c a rrie d on th e ir w ork in th is place by
m ed ia tin g u n w e a rie d ly fo r a ll new tru th , sta n d in g b ra v ely by the d a rin g
s p irits w ho took the spears o f b ig o try in th e ir breasts o u tsid e o f a ll such
sh e lte r a s w as given by these w a lls—to them “ re so lu te ,” in the w ords
spoken by Goethe a h u n d re d y e ars ago, “ to liv e in th e W hole, the Good,
the B e a u tifu l ” —to them we p a y to-day a g ra te fu l an d affectionate trib u te ,
a s to men who loved h u m a n ity n ot u n d e r su p e rn a tu ra l com m and but in v irtu e
o f the greatness o f th e ir own h e arts.
��OF THE
Celebration o f the 150th
Anniversary
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SOUTH PLACE ETHICAL SOCIETY
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February 14
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1943
�SOUTH PLACE ETHICAL SOCIETY
Conway Hall, Red Lion Square
London, W.C.i
T h e C elebration o f th e
150th A n n iversa ry o f S o u th Place
E th ic a l S o ciety
Sunday, February 14, 1943
com m em oration o f the establishm ent o f a congregation o f religious
dissenters, under Elhanan W inchester, at Parliam ent Court C hapel, Artillery
Lane, Bishopsgate, L ondon, on February 14, 1793, from w hich South Place
Ethical Society has directly descended.
T he C elebration took place at C onw ay Hall. T he Right H on. Lord
Snell, P.C., C.B.E., L L .D ., took the chair at 11 a.m., a large com pany being
present. He began by reading letters from a number o f distinguished friends
o f the Society w ho were unable to bc present, and from kindred Societies in
the U nited States o f A m erica. T hese appear elsew here in this pamphlet.
Lord Snell then delivered the follow in g address :—
Ladies and G entlem en.— For more than tw elve generations the South
Place Ethical Society has been the loyal servant o f great ideals, lt has fought
the good light and it has kept the faith. W e cannot accurately m easure its
influence on those w ho knew its work and w ho loved what they knew , but
throughout its career it has been a w holesom e corrective and an ever-constant
help to people in times o f m ental indecision. We are met this m orning to
celebrate its past and gratefully acknow ledge our indebtedness to it. Let us
all praise fam ous men w hose spirit hath begat us. T here are som e w ho have
left a name behind, and those who have left no m em orial save in the wider
know ledge and tolerance o f our time. T h ey are part o f that power in the
U niverse which works and plans for better days.
T h e Society has been served by a long line o f distinguished men whose
erudition was associated with the enthusiasm o f their time, and w ho in times
o f gloom and stress alw ays kept their teaching alive with hope. Such leaders
o f the Society were both liberators and prophets. T hey were courageous in
outlook, but never negative; their enthusiasm s were restrained, but rarely
timid or evasive. We have, therefore, a goodly heritage to sustain. In the
course o f its work the Society attracted m any distinguished visitors. J. S.
M ill, T. H. H uxley, Herbert Spencer certainly knew and respected the work
that it was doing. H ere, L ongfellow heard for the first time his “ Psalm o f
Life ” used as a congregational hym n.
»
Let not the Society be ovcrproud o f this record. It has been criticized.
lt has been accused o f being too consciously high-brow and too iself-assured.
N o r have the audiences escaped a certain am ount o f criticism . It has been
said that they cam e not to receive inspiration from the speaker but to find out
how much he knew about his subject, and it is said that the audience would
m ore readily tolerate a false moral pronouncem ent than a flaw in logic. A s a
hopelessly low -brow person m yself I can neither confirm nor deny these
accusations. W e are here to applaud the Society's contributions to the needs
o f past generations and to our ow n. H ow much there has been that calls for
praise and thanksgiving! In an age o f unw holesom e superstition the Society
was an antiseptic, lt destroyed and it healed, lt practised alm ost alone the
religion o f the open mind and kept its feet firmly on the ground. E m otion
separated from reason it distrusted.
W ith quiet, calm deliberation it
disentangled every knot. T he Society has had a progressive outlook on all
the great issues o f the day, and it has never been afraid to let an unaccepted
Iii
THE OBJECTS O F THE SOCIETY
are the study and dissemination o f ethical principles,
and the cultivation o f a rational religious sentim ent.
�view be stated from its platform . If a man had an unpopular cause to
advocate the Society gave him the right to be heard. F or m any years it was
the only practising C atholic Church It judged both tradition and prophecy
by the searching test o f know ledge. W as a thing true? If so let it be
accepted w hoever m ight reject it. W as it false? Then let it be denounced
whatever the consequences. T he prestige o f antiquity o f a belief or a
prejudice gave it no relief from criticism. T he Society was thorough in its
rejections and its acceptances.
It was more nonconform ing than the
N oncon form ists. It aim ed to reform the R eform ation. It took itself for
better or for w orse and said “ here is where w e stand and on the solid rock o f
fact and reason we will build our C hurch.” It did not reject the ancient
philosophers and teachers because they were not m odern, but it required them
to prove their case even if they were old. It has been said that when Oliver
W endell H olm es, afterwards the great Am erican judge, was about to begin his
studies at Harvard he called on Emerson to receive his blessing and pay his
respects. E m erson in effect said to him : “ Y ou are entering on a great
experience and I wish you well. Y ou will be subjected to the influence o f the
ancient philosophers, but do not allow you rself to be over-aw ed by them.
Say to P lato: ‘ L ook here, you have been pleasing m en for more than two
thousand years, now see if you can please m e.’ ” In giving this advice
Emerson sought to influence the young student not autom atically to accept
the conclusions o f a great teacher, but to subject them to the test o f his ow n
experience and to the facts o f the modern world. St. Paul probably had that
need in mind when he s a id : “ Prove all things, and hold fast to that which is
go o d .”
T he influence o f a highly specialized group such as South Place Ethical
Society can not be estim ated with precision. T hat influence is not alw ays
ob vious or m easurable, but it is w ithout doubt real and w holesom e. S om e
tim es it show s itself in re-shaped hum an lives, and som etim es its transform ing
and energizing pow er passes into the purposes and achievem ents o f society.
In how m any cases has the Society liberated and enriched the individual,
given him direction and purpose, and changed what was a mere unit o f a
population into a creative personality? H ow m any have found in its teaching
and fellow ship that which satisfied the mind, consoled the heart and aroused
in them a m uch-needed reform ing zeal? T he influence that the Society has
had on the thought and practice o f the nation is not so obvious, but it has
been both considerable and com m endable. M inorities such as it represents
are the essential instrum ents o f collective progress. W ise advancem ent and
helpful readjustment rarely, if ever, com e spontaneously from the multitude.
T he m ass is generally conservative in instinct and habit; it holds fast to what
it know s, and distrusts adventure in unexplored fields. T he challenge to the
outw orn, the call to march forward usually com e from lonely men with
courage and prophetic insight w ho seeing the approaching daw n, strike their
tents and journey towards the sunrise. T he crow d will accept only what the
pioneer has m ade fam iliar to it, and it has often stoned the prophets. Its
attitude is illustrated by the railway traveller w ho prefers to sit with his back
to the engine because, while he does not much care where he is going, he likes
to see where he has been.
T h e South Place Ethical Society has not lacked leadership o f an inspiring
type. It has been guided by m en w h o “ not having received the prom ises, but
having seen them afar off, were persuaded o f them .” Such m en gave to
the land freedom o f speech, free printing and freedom o f assem bly and
w orship. W hat they w on is entrusted to us for safe-keeping, and we shall
not betray our trust.
T h e list o f subjects considered on this platform reveals that it has been
both catholic and tolerant. N o lim itation or test has ever been im posed upon
i'ts speakers. T h e o n ly thing dem anded o f them has been that they should
2
speak the truth as th ey knew it. It has been in the highest sense a Society o f
Free Thinkers. M y ow n m em ories o f it cover m ore than 50 years, and 1 have
know n m ost o f those w h o have served it during that time either as individual
M inisters or as mem bers o f that appointed Trinity o f O racles w ho instruct
and guide us from this platform upon which I too have been accorded the
privilege o f m aking an occasional appearance.
F inally I remem ber that on the Sunday when he took h is first leave o f the
Society (M ay 17, 1885) D r. C onw ay ch ose for his them e “ A charge to be kept
at South Place.” M y cop y o f that discourse, together with the rest o f m y
household effects w as destroyed by G erm an K u ltu r, but I remember that it
laid upon us the charge to keep aloft the standard raised by our fathers. T hat
we have tried to do, and today w e rededicate ourselves to its service. It is
good to have know n the Society, a privilege to have served it. W ith gratitude
and pride w e salute its past and we com m end its future to the gallant youth o f
our time.
Mr. J. M cC abe
I was invited to speak today on the them e o f South Place and freethought.
That, I presum e, w ould m ake m any o f you fear that I w ould
pursue a favourite line o f w hich you have heard very often but I am taking
the word “ free-thought ” in the broad sense in which Lord Snell referred
to it. W e are com m em orating today not m erely1 the fact that this Society
has lasted 150 years, but that during that tim e it has courageously and with
m agnificent effect adjusted itself to every truth that men have discovered
in that time. Em erson once said or w rote that consistency is the virtue o f
a coward. T his Society has developed from a small U niversalist congregation
o f ex-B aptists under Elhanan W inchester w hich, under V idler, later adopted
U nitarianism . It was a sm all and obscure section o f a small and obscure
sect. By the end o f the 19th Century it was taking a m ost useful part in
the public life o f this country. Som eon e once said that man is his own
Prom etheus. T hat was one o f the greatest discoveries o f the last century.
M an discovered that w hatever power, w hatever goodness, w hatever truth,
w hatever beauty exists com es from hum anity itself. T hat applies particularly
in ethics. T h e doctrine o f eternal punishm ent 150 years ago was the basis
o f ethical teaching throughout this country. F ox had already discarded that
dogm a w hen he took up his ministry. But the Society began with it in a
m odified form . Even F o x believed that the Bible w as inspired and must
have a kind o f w orship and adoration which no one except certain very
backward bodies give it today. F o x was a great man. Year by year he
looked upon this changing England and said that we o f South Place must
teach what is true and sound. A ll other churches were struggling with the
old bonds.
But those tw o great m en. Fox and C on w ay, w ho led this
congregation never troubled for a single m om ent to invent new phrases.
O nce it was plain that m an had taken the sacred fire from heaven and that
hum anism w as the goal, South Place becam e hum anist. In so doing, it
follow ed the creed o f the majority in this country. W e understand from
the figures com piled by the Church o f England that on Sundays nine out
o f ten o f the people o f this C ity com e under no kind o f Christian influence
w hatever. T hey neither go to Church nor read the Bible. T o m any it will
seem strange that the average conduct o f this country continues as high
as it d oes in such a state o f things. There was a critic o f the last century,
W. H. M allock, w ho said, “ Y ou will go on for som e tim e because you are
burning the oil that you stole from the sanctuary when you left it.” But
F ox and C onw ay knew better. T hey burned a new oil w hen the old w as
found faulty. One dogm a sufficed, that man shall inspire his ow n power,
that all pow er com es from him , and that there is alm ost an indefinite advance
3
�in front o f us for that power. It was said o f F o x that he m ade U nitarianism
respectable, but C on w ay m ade hum anism respectable.
I cam e into the Society 47 years ago w ondering, as I cam e out o f the
gloom and isolation o f the cloister, w hether I w as alone in the U niverse.
W ithin tw o m onths I found that there was at least one Society w hich held
those ideals w hich I had built up in my ow n mind during a year or tw o ot
trouble. T hen alm ost to the surprise o f m ost o f us w e found ourselves in
accord w ith the view o f the m odern w orld. If w e cast our thoughts back
to the norm al world before the war, w e see that the m ajority o f p eop le in
the country hold the position w e hold today. T hey m ay not like the
phraseology and rationality o f the ethical creed but the majority o f educated
people stand in the position to w hich C on w ay brought this Society cwei
70 years ago. T here were m any w ho predicted ruin as, they said, the old
doctrines held together the fabric o f an old civilization. Som ehow the world
has im proved. D o n ’t rem ind m e that there is a war on. It proves the
ethical case. W hat is it that the w orld is saying tod ay o f the arch-crim inal
but a condem nation in our language. Cruel, greedy, savage, selfish—
C onw ay’s language, w hich has becom e the dogm a o f South Place. W hat he
said and laid dow n as the fundam ental principle o f th is Society we see no
reason to change.
M oral law is hum an law.
T here is no hell fo i the
transgressor. T here is no need o f hell beyond this w orld. Y ou shall pay
in this world for all transgressions. Som e o f us have an unbreakable
confidence in the future o f m ankind.
W hen evil-m inded men defied the
m oral law , there arose at on ce a volum e o f m oral indignation justifying our
principles.’ W e face a grave and delicate future. T here is going to be a
time requiring very great courage and discrim ination. .South Place m ust hold
on to those principles that it has represented lor the last sixty or seventy
years. There w ill be a cry for excessive reprisals. There w ill be a cry for
action w hich will disturb indefinitely the future o f this planet. W e hold on
to our principles. I remem ber standing on this plattorm , or rather at South
Place C hapel at the beginning o f the century. W hat confidence w e had.
T h e m iddle ages w ere over, we were entering upon the age o f indefinite
progress. N o one then foresaw the horrors through which the world was
to pass I rem em ber arguing with J. M . R obertson as to w hether w e should
totally disarm or partially disarm. Our confidence has n ot been justified.
But that progress will be sustained and we shall enter upon the path o f
indefinite im provem ent we are certain; it depends on character. Som e years
ago friends o f m ine in various countries said the ethical issue was out-dated
and that the econ om ic issue alone was w hat matters to m ankind. W here
are those friends today? Trodden into the blood-sodden mud that is Europe
today. That is a vindication o f the principles w hich C on w ay gave us at the
chapel. A nd w e w ill hope that in another fifty years it w ill be fou n d not
on ly faithful to these principles but to have regained that influence on the
life o f the com m unity w hich it had and which it has exercised to the
advantage o f the world.
JL/r*
V « 1j« !“■ JUrtll
y
«
T he C hairm an and Mr. M cC abe have dealt tor the m ost part with the
past o f the Society. I wish to say a word about its future, and I am taking
for my text (if 1 m ay use that expression) that declaration o f belief in the
duty o f free inquiry and the rights o f religious liberty m ade by W. J. F o x
on his appointm ent as M inister o f the old Parliam ent Court Chapel,
Bishopsgate, in 1817. T he C hairm an had this declaration in mind when he
spoke o f the R eligion o f the Open M ind. T hat was the type o f religion
w hich has lasted am ong us for the past 150 years and which will, I hope,
continue to exist— and flourish— in the near future. T he duty of t i ee
4
inquiry and the right o f religious liberty seem to m e to go together. They
are based both upon philosophical reasons and upon political reasons. I shall
glance at the philosophical reasons first.
H ow little we know o f the universe in which w c live : 1 ventured, in a
recent discourse here, to point out that, in a very real sense, the m ore we
know the m ore w e becom e aware o f our real ignorance. W hat we know
is like a little lighted patch in an area o f surrounding darkness; the m ore
we increase the size o f the illum inated patch, the m ore we increase the
length o f the circum ference, increase, therefore, its area o f contact with the
unknow n— the m ore, that is to say, we becom e aware o f the environing
darkness.
T hat this is so is becom ing plain, even in Science w hich, 50 or 100
years ago was confidently and bravely exploring the dark places o f the world.
Science is a m atch which m ankind has just set alight. F or a tim e we thought
we were in a room and that our light w ould be reflected from and display
walls inscribed with w onderful secrets and pillars carved with divine
m essages, lt is disconcerting, n ow that the prelim inary splutter is over and
the flam e burns clear, to see our hands and just a glim pse o f ourselves and
the patch o f ground upon which we stand, and around us, in place o f all
that com fort and beauty and friendliness and m eaning we expected, darkness
still.
T his being the case, one w ould have thought that free inquiry and
religious liberty w ould bc m ore than ever cardinal virtues, but this to-day is
far from being the fact. M ankind has alw ays been, and still is, under the
dom ination o f two great fallacies. T he first is that there is som ething
m orally good in believin g— irrespective o f w hat it is that one believes. M en
like to be told w hat they ought to do and w hat they ough t to think—-witness
the popularity o f the Church and the A rm y— and as alw ays m ake a virtue of
what they like.
1 cannot share that delusion. It seem s to m e that it is m uch m ore
important that a man should m ake up his mind for him self as to what he
ought to do, and w hat he ought to think. If current beliefs appear to you to
be unw orthy o f belief, then he ought to accept the duty o f free inquiry, with
a view to substituting worthier beliefs.
T h e second fallacy is that it is right or virtuous to share the beliefs ol
others. A ttem pts are being m ade everyw here, in realms where know ledge is
hazy or incom plete, to im plant particular dogm as, and then to in^*
on m aking the world u ncom fortable for all w ho do not accept them.
e
are living in an age o f increasing dogm atism s. Their spread is part ot the
disease which threatens to overrun our world. C om pare this situationi with
the optim ism that existed at the beginning o f the century. Then (in 191 j),
Professor J. B. Bury, in A H isto ry o f F reedom o f T h ou gh t, w rote :
“ T h e struggle o f reason against authority has ended in what
appears now to be a decisive and perm anent victory for liberty.”
and John Stuart M ill, in L ib e rty , (1859) w rote :
“ It is too m uch to profess to be afraid lest barbarism after having
been fairly got under, should revive and conquer civilization.”
W e have travelled far since then. A huge gulf lies between their world
„nH that o f the present-day G erm any, a land in w hich w hatever is not
com pulsory is verb o ten . Only last Sunday it fell to m y lot to visit that vast
R om an C atholic sem inary at M aynooth in Eire. W ithin its w alls are six
hundred voung celibate m ales for w hom all vital questions are closed for
w hom all necessary know ledge is provided, and to w hom even a free
in a iii rer such as I believe m yself to be appears m the light o f an infidel.
Or consider the pow er o f advertisem ent in the m odern world as an
instrum ent for the m anufacture o f m ass opinion. I believe that if every
hoarding In the country were covered with announcem ents to the effect that
�C. E. M . Joad was the m ost m odest man alive, supported by a myriad
leaflets and a brass band, it w ould soon becom e a received opinion that I
was consum ed by an abnorm al shrinking from publicity.
G row ing up around us is a vast number o f different creeds and religions
which are springing into existence because, presum ably, they satisfy som e
instinctive and repressed need o f m an’s m ind— or m an’s soul. I see a world
in w hich A strology, Spiritualism , R osicrucianism , Buchm anism and British
Iraelitism (to nam e on ly a few ) are appealing to m any, not w ithout c o n
siderable success. T hese aspirins for the sick headache o f m odern hum anity
all purport to furnish positive answers to questions on which the truth is
not know n. Such bodies are the greatest enem ies o f the cause for w hich
this Society stands.
T h e duty o f this Society is to get the people freely to inquire, and to
keep the spirit o f doubt and scepticism active. T here has never been any
thing more disastrous to society than, w hat W illiam Jam es called, “ T h e
W ill to B elieve.” For “ T he W ill to B e lie v e ” I w ould substitute “ T he W ish
to F ind O ut,” and (in the absence o f discovery) “ T he D uty o f D o u b t.”
I know no better way.
We m ust rem em ber that a great war is alw ays follow ed by reaction.
We shall be invaded by nfew creeds, cults and dogm as, and the probable
results o f such invasions o f the m inds o f men will be intolerance and the
persecution o f people like ourselves w ho exist to prom ote free inquiry and
free thought. T he duty this Society has responded to so adm irably for the
last 150 years presses upon us now even m ore fully. We can hardly
discharge it m ore faithfully than by em ulating the high exam ples the Society
itself has set us.
I should like to end by a quotation from G ilbert M urray's S to ic,
C hristian an d H u m a n is t:
“ M an is surrounded by unknow n forces o f infinite extent and
alm ost infinite power. It is m an’s consciousness o f these forces, or,
shall we say, o f the infinite extent o f the unknow n com pared with the
sm all sphere o f know ledge in which we live, that constitutes the
attitude towards life which w e call a religious attitude. A m an w ho
never thinks at all about the unknow n but is confident that outside his
approved range o f know ledge there is nothing, or at least nothing that
m atters, is clearly w ithout R eligion; I conclude therefore that he is
equally w ithout religion w hether his approved range is the E n cyclo p a ed ia
B ritannica or the dogm as o f som e infallible Church. T o be cocksure
is to be w ithout religion. T he essence o f religion is the consciousness
o f a vast unknow n. Call it F aith or call it D o u b t : they are tw o sides
o f the sam e m edal.”
Professor J. C. Flugel (w ho kindly took Professor K eeto n ’s place at very
short n otice);
A n A nniversary like this is alw ays heartening if for no other reason than
that w e feel ourselves bound closely to those o f the past. W e have heard
a great deal o f the very heartening past o f this Society. Som e o f you present
on this platform have m ade m e blush for m y seem ing ignorance o f it. Y ou
have know n som ething o f this Society for one-third o f its existence. I have
not know n o f it for so long as I should have liked. I have know n it for
about ten years and during that period, observing its activities, som etim es
from the body o f the hall, som etim es from the platform , a few things have
alw ays im pressed me. F or instance, how ever different the conditions under
which one has met one can alw ays rely on a goodly number o f people being
here. First I cam e in the winter, and then in sum mer, and there were still
about the sam e number. T here have been different speakers on different
topics, but little difference in the audience. W hen war cam e with its sirens,
again very little difference, lt is astonishing, too, with what skill the audience
6
adapt them selves to the occasion and console them selves for their disappoint
ments. O nce when I w as unexpectedly deputizing for a colleagu e only fou
people got up to le a v e — Y ou have already heard that South Place has not
lacked courage so that they were clearly not afraid to leave T his occasion
w as rather a fresh opportunity to stim ulate their w its, and discover whether
I w as wrong.
,
T h e Society has great traditions, and one can prophesy for it a vigorous
future though, no doubt, it will have to adapt itself to changed conditions
and circum stances. W e m ay remind ourselves that this m eeting on St.
V alentine’s D a y m ay have som e significance. L ove is m ore im portant than
hate. W e have to consider the ram ifications o f love and hate, but particularly
o f love
T here are a great m any topics w hich will be raised. It w ould
be interesting to have particulars o f the subjects. On the w hole there has
been a decreasing em phasis on m etaphysical matters and an increase o f
attention to econom ical and p sychological topics. T his will be carried further.
B iology will occupy an im portant place in the future as w ell as politics.
In so far as the Society transfers its activities to these spheres it w ill only
be carrying on its work as the interests that found expression in the religious
controversies o f the past have, to a large extent, becom e attached to
econ om ics so cio lo g y and politics. W e have to advance. Progress, how ever,
involves an increased length o f com m unications, and there will be a great
growth o f sinister influences w hich w ill threaten our com m unications. T hese
old fields o f m etaphysics w ith
w hich w e have been concerned in the past w ill
Still have to occupy us. W e look forward to those w ho will address us 150
years hence. W e do not know their subjects, but w e feel confident that this
Society w hich has survived tw o great wars, the N ap oleon ic and the first
W orld War, and is in process o f surviving a third, w ill continue to con front
the difficult problem s which w ill com e before us. L ooking both before
and after w e realize that we are standing
linked in a long chain, on e end
stretching to the past, one held out to the future. W e rejoice in the
stim ulating influence o f both past and future. W e greet the past and look
hop efu lly towards the future.
M r. S. K . R atcliffe
O n this anniversary we think o f the age and continuity o f the South
Place Society. E ngland is com m on ly thought o f as a land o f close tradition,
m ore favourable than any other to the grow th o f voluntary associations. Y et,
if we except som e fam ous academ ic foundations, there are not m any existing
societies w hich have endured into the second century, and it is interesting
that those w hich have d on e so are m ostly linked with philanthropic and
ethical purposes. South P lace is o f this small number, in no less activity than
at anv earlier stage. A s today we look back to the beginning, w e m ay note in
Particular tw o points. First, that the parent Society was form ed within
four vears o f the outbreak o f the French R evolution. T he -initial im pact o f
that crashing event w as already over. It had drawn a line betw een the old
F iirone and the unknow n. W ordsw orth w as recalling its first flush w hen he
w rote •• Bliss was ii in thal daw n lo be alive." In 1793 the Terror and war
w ith E ngland w ere im pending. T h e repercussions on our side o f the C hannel
w ere m any. T h e hopes and activities brought ou t by the R evolution
nrovoked m easures o f repression, but L ondon in the last decade o f the 18th
S n tu r v was a stim ulating city. M en and w om en were thinking about the
fundam entals o f life and society w ith a new freedom and intensity S econdly,
there is the fact that A m erica w as beginning to m ake itself felt in .E n ja n d .
R e n fa m in Franklin had appeared in L ondon, and had been recognized as he
first o T i n a A m erican. It w as not unfitting that the first m inister o f the
first orig nat a
becom e South P lace should have com e from
still that t h e second o f th e fam ous
leaders w ho shaped the character o f the Society should be A m erican, a
�friend o f those poets and teachers in the U n ited States w ho were looked upon
in the m iddle o f the 19th century with especial adm iration from our side.
T h ey were fresh and inspiriting, and they sounded a fine equalitarian note,
the best o f all tonics for V ictorian E ngland. E m erson’s early essays cam e
over w hile W. J. F o x was still in charge, and when M oncure C onw ay arrived
Em erson's lecture tour in England (1847) was a recent m em ory. South
Place w as on e o f the cradles o f the English-speaking Entente upon which so
great a m easure o f our hopes now depends.
T here is no portion o f the S o ciety ’s heritage o f higher value than the
wide hospitality o f its platform . T h e roll o f visiting speakers is m ost
remarkable— such em inent V ictorians as H u xley and T yndall and M ax
M uller, dow n to later contem poraries like Bernard Shaw, G ilbert M urray,
and the gallant H enry N ev in so n so lately lost to us.
T he appointm ent o f a quartet o f lecturers after Dr. C onw ay's
retirement was a distinctive arrangem ent. There has been nothing in London
at all similar. It m eant am ong other things that, in the interval between the
Boer War and the first W orld W ar every conspicuous public question was
reviewed at South Place by the regular speakers. T h ey were com plem entary
to one another. H erbert Burrows w as a picturesque and rather mystical
rationalist. Joseph M cC abe we have with us still; he has fetched a wider
com pass than any in his spiritual pilgrim age. J. M. R obertson, a two-fisted
fighter, seem ed in his earlier stage to have a positive genius for identifying
him self with unpopular causes.
Y et he proved h im self an effective
parliam entarian and was th e first o f our com p an y to attain the distinction o f
m inisterial responsibility. H is range o f know ledge was im m ense; he was one
o f the tw o or three m ost w idely-read men on e h as know n. Our honoured
J. A. H ob son , the third m em ber o f the quartet to go, holds h is unique place.
W e shall not cease to be grateful for his creative thinking, the constant play
o f his kindly and satiric hum our, and to recall that lean, slight figure, fam iliar
over so long a period in L ondon assem blies, the em bodim ent o f a spirit that
was alert, courageous, and w h olly incorruptible. N or do we forget D elisle
Burns, w ho had the training and all the gifts for an ideal ethical teacher,
lacking on ly the health w hich w ould have enabled him to fulfil his calling.
H is loss to the S ociety w as not to b e estim ated.
South Place began in the French R evolution, the opening crisis o f the
m odern age. It has carried on through a century and a half to the ultimate
agony o f our civilized world. “ Our present business is the general w oe,”
says one in K ing Lear; and that w oe is o f im m easurable depth and extent,
going infinitely beyond all previous experience. W e cannot doubt the truth
o f Dr. Joad’s forecast that there are still grimmer d ays ahead. Our people,
it w ould seem , are in danger o f being misled by the miracle o f England, by
the m arvellous resistance o f our people in the Battle o f Britain and the
recent victories w hich, as w e believe, proclaim oyr island to be as o f old
invulnerable. T he events o f the past two years have left us singularly detached
from the continent o f ruin and anguish, so that m any am ong us cannot feel
that the structure is destroyed. Y et the truth is th e r e ; the historic E urope o f
2,000 years has gon e and can never be restored. T h e other day we listened
to A lexander W erth speaking over the air from a point in the desolation
that w as Stalingrad. T h at great m odern industrial centre is wiped out. And
so it must be through the continent as the tides sw eep over the vast theatres o f
war. T h e conqueror destroys in his march forward. T he resisting arm y
destroys as it flings the invader back. T he retreating enem y com pletes the
hideou s work. V ictory for the U nited N ation s cannot be separated from
material ruin. T h e structure o f that w on d rou s Europe lies in the dust. And
yet there must and will be recovery, for m ankind is indestructible. W e were
glad to hear from D r. Joad so clear a reaffirmation o f that central South
8
P lace principle, the duty ol frej:
chaUe^ge1o f ^ u r terrib le tim e falls
rem nant o f the faithful
, nositive duty o f proclaim ing the values
w ith especial force, the kindred ; nd p
a
a ,ues 0 [ lc a son and conscience,
that c a n never be rem oved or s h a k e n - t h e values or r e a so n ,^ ^
bclicvc
o f intelligence and hum anity, o:f tollera e ^ ^
through the recovery of
S e L the ^ n d a l nT h e r e S no other path by w hich w e can return.
is
This,
how ever we name it, is the one and o n ly road.
I ; “
rather severe that you
the particularly m o™ f ,
° b o n ' ] am not responsible for it, so you
that was going to toe th e
* id ‘tbere w as a tendency in our people to
have to put up with it. Dr. Joad said t
■ because that is all I know
refer to the past. I
a lon g tim e, and thinking o f the exhibits
anything o f really. T o go b a c k quite a 1 g
^
^ QUt Y bear in mind
in the Small H all w hich M r. H erbe
Jt is lh e certificate o f my
one relic in m y possession ^ h ich I.treasv^r
^
by M r c h a rles
m em bership o f the N ationa
w m
e t ^ jtb which South Place has
Bradlaugh, for it » a m em en to o f t h f ^ e m e
wilderness for a tim e and
been intim ately connected. ^ fter l ™ t 1 w as
y ^
QUr ch a irm a n
' \ j r then I joined the/S©trth L ondon Eth
Society 1 have not forgotten. T
w hose work fo r 7the Central London^^ ^ 1 Society ^ ^
.n
went there m any tim es and our Chairm an w
rr.nnection T hen, notw ithtogether a very difficult
for “ Superior Persons' Ethical
standing that T had read that. . . ■ b
t0 tafce on airs m yself and
K
W
i S
M
t°
S.P.E™.' there
is hope.
So. in ,9 1 2 . I ,o,n ed
this Society.
B ut m y d u ty is to rise o n b e h a lf
frien d s to thank our C h a ir m a n ,
for their very v a lu a b le su p p or 1
relig io u s and eth ica l m o v e m e n t
ccjebration o f th e 150th an n iversary o f a
th ro u g h v a r io u s r ev o lu tio n a r y p h ases
e x isten ce. I c a n n o t d o b etter than
has pursued a con t.n u ou s and vsgorou^extstenc^
quote a passage from our C h a u m a n s ,
For one hundred and f i y y
thoughts andW ealSS iiT h at
“
_
H c sajd:
has been (he
o f great
w h a t w p were we are and shall
certain hc is,\,h en gratitude on
remain.
lecturers for their inspiration in carrying on the lt e
our part t dueMo our lecut, e r s ^ ^ ^
tQ pay tribute to tiur
present lecturers w h o are so w ell represented o n our p a
thought and
• i r e doing yeom an service in m aintaining the principles o
Their
sp eech a ^ i n upholding the integrity o f —
m a n d ethtcal v a l u « ., T h e,r
le a d e rs h ip ^ ° ld | usto g e th e T jn fa c e ^ o P th e ^ s o r^ tr^ ^ ^
^
^
w ho
S s
o f our lecturers’ g ood work I am sure this m eeting joins w ith me in heartily
thanking Lord Snell and his fellow -lecturers here.
9
�P rofessor G . W. K eeton, w ho was prevented by illness from being present,
subsequently sent the fo llo w in g :
A hundred and fifty years is a long span in the life o f any institution, even
in a coun try such as this where institutions are proverbially long-lived. It is
therefore not in any sense surprising that in the course o f its lon g career our
Society should have had its ups and dow ns, and that its developm ent, though
it m ight seem at tim es im perceptible, has been continuous and in the
aggregate considerable. T od ay it is w ith peculiar satisfaction that w e see
within our m idst evidences o f particular vitality, even during a total war
w hich has involved a far greater dislocation o f the national life, and a greater
drain upon the efforts o f those w ho are not directly serving in 'the Forces, as
our young men and w om en are d oing, than has ever been required before.
Perhaps when this S o ciety celebrates its tw o-hundredth anniversary in
th© year 1993, som e o f the major issues o f our time will have been solved.
Perhaps w e shall have social security; perhaps even we shall have abolished
war. C ertain it is that if w e have n ot d one these things we shall have seen
drastic and far-reaching changes, not on ly within our country, but in the
world at large. But o f o n e thing I am quite certain; that is, that w hether the
problem s w hich agitate us today are solved or not there will be in 1993 a
number o f problem s aw aiting solution o f w hich w e are as yet ignorant. That
necessarily m eans that the n eed for Societies such as ours, and for a platform
such as C onw ay H all, will be even greater then than it is tod ay. Let us hope
that at that tim e our strength to face that problem will be proportionately
the greater, that our efforts m ay not pass unremarked by people at large (as
they som etim es appear to do at present), and that our principles, tested by the
■criticism and the experience o f another half-century, will be even more
clearly apprehended and firmly professed than they are today.
It is interesting to reflect upon the conditions prevailing when the Society
w as founded in Bishopsgate in 1793, and to com pare and contrast them with
the cond itions existing today. T hen, as now, a w orld-w ide struggle w as in
progress, although at that tim e the sinister genius o f N a p oleon had not yet
revealed itself behind the m ounting terror o f the French R evolution. I have
no doubt w hatever that our first M inisters were regarded with som e anxiety
by those w ho watched over the destinies o f this country at that critical period.
Inevitably, they were deeply interested in the progress o f events in France.
Inevitably too, they must have felt sym pathy with the efforts o f the first
reform ers, for if there is one thread which runs through the work o f our
successive M inisters and Lecturers, it is their abiding interest in the problem s
o f social justice, augm ented in som e cases by very practical efforts to achieve
it. Our first M inisters lived at a time when full religious .toleration had been
by n o means achieved, before the passing o f the first F actory A ct or the first
R eform Bill, and when the governm ent o f the day w as headed by a
remarkable statesm an, w ho in his early Parliamentary career had shared som e
o f the idealism o f his yet greater father, but w ho as the struggle with France
progressed was com pelled steadily to abandon one by one his liberal plans
and to resort ultim ately to m achinery o f repression in a trem endous and
successful effort to ensure the survival o f this country and em pire. In those
days, when society was much less com plex than it is today, the em ergence o f
a free pulpit within the confines o f the C ity o f L ondon must have been the
subject o f num erous confidential reports by governm ent agents, and it w as
no doubt watched w ith som e care, but it would foe an interesting study to trace
the association betw een the Society in its early d ays and that undaunted body
o f liberal thinkers w h o refused to foe silent even in the grim m est days o f the
great struggle w hich lasted from 1792 to 1815.
N evertheless, in spite o f the stern nature o f .the times, the Society
survived as it is d oin g today, and the period follow in g the con clu sion o f the
N ap oleon ic W ars was on e o f the periods o f its greatest usefulness, lt was an
10
eventful and an exciting age. C laim s for social and P ° | * i c a l L ^ t h
denied were steadily grow ing in volum e, until in the m iddle o f the nineteenth
century the tide flow ed with irresistible force. T he period too w as on e w hen a
strong dem and for increased educational facilities m anifested dself and if
one studies the ministry o f F o x , o n e finds that h e spared no effort to discharge
his obligations in respect o f it. M any o f his addresses h ave an astonishingly
m o^er n r ing? al th ou gh I suspect that one or tw o o f them o n s u c h top ics as
“ War ” and “ Im perialism ” m ight possibly result in a period o f ^ t e n t i o n i
delivered today. One finds that F ox was n ot content sim ply to de ^ T Sund ^
addresses H e developed discussion classes on the problem s of the day, and
held public d isp u ta fio K with leaders o f public thought. At alm ost precisely
f h e s a C m om ent other groups with similar ideals, though unconnected with
anv religious organization, were slow ly establishing them selves as e uca 10 a
forces ancT corporations, to form the nucleus from w hich the great and
intricate U niversity o f L ondon has since grow n. A short time aS ° ’
som e o f the addresses w hich F o x had given to his assem blies o fw o r k in g m e n ,
and was greatly impressed by their sincerity and foy the range o f his interests.
N o doubt when
were responsible for
though gradual is
problem s o f the day
the Society celebrated its centenary in 1893 those w ho
its destinies shared the general im pression that Progress
continuous, that the major social and m tem ationa
were well on their w ay to s o iu t io n a n d t h a t the nano
ssr» sags*
test by which social and political system s m ay be judged.
Y
S t T k our business to seek, if only to a lim ited degree, to assist this spirit
r
Cis.h .M reason that I confidently expect our Society to grow
it
for that
in streng
as the years pass.
T h e follow ing letters were received fro n t:
D r. G eorge Catlin
I offer m y congratulations to the South P lace Ethical Society on its
hundred and fiftieth anniversary, and wish it m any happy centenaries
Instead o f lim iting itself to a m erely secularist rationalism
flavoured by
the last century, it has kept abreast o f the times. It has em phasized not
on ly the ethical in life and society but what I w ould like (coining a new word)
to call “ reasonablism
too rare these days— and so has kept true to the
great hum anist tradition, o f liberty, tolerance and taste
T hanks t o t h i s ,
in the best sense, liberal spirit, it continues, in its forum , to Iead
fo u g h t
o f its generation instead o f being led by it. lt has alw ays fo
Platonic injunction to “ set sail and go w hithersoever the argum ent m ay
lead ’’ It perform s a unique and invaluable function in stim ulating grey
beards, abashing adolescents and giving philosophers, popular and unpopular,
a hearing. L ong m ay it flourish.
M r. W . B. Curry (D artington School, T otnes)
* T ereatlv regret m y inability to attend anniversary m eeting. Please
c o n v e y 8 m y
fervent hope that the good work o f the Society for R eason,
H um anity and T olerance will lon g continue. (Telegram .)
^
�M r. Laurence H ousm an
T hough I am a m em ber o f a Christian C om m unity, I w elcom e the 150th
anniversary o f your Society as a p roof that the Ethical M ovem ent is still
going strong. It has, in the past, done m uch to lessen the hold w hich bigotry,
intolerance and superstition have had on the religious w orld in general; and
even on theologians its influence has been w h olly for good.
C hristians d o not sufficiently realize h ow m uch they ow e to the
H um anist m ovem ent for the lessening o f religious persecution in their
various societies, and for its rem oval lrom legislation. T h e m ore we are
Freethinkers the better shall w e be qualified to discover what is worth
believing. For what is true R eligion but right relation to Reality?
D r. Julian S. H uxley
I am sorry that 1 can n ot possibly be present on the occasion you
m ention, but send a brief m essage :
“ T he South Place E thical Society has in its 150 years o f life done a
great deal to foster that com bination o f rationalism and the religious spirit
w hich is so necessary for the future o f Society. I w ish it equal success in
the future.”
M rs. E. H o lyoa k e M arsh (daughter o f G eorge Jacob H olyoak c)
M y father joined South Place in or about 1858 and our fam ily have
belonged ever since. I am sorry ow ing to the strenuous tim es and m y age
that I cannot join in. South Place has such a grand record and has enabled
m any unorthodox men and w om en to get an audience and in that way has
helped the cause o f religious freedom and progress. Best w ishes for its
continued success.
D r. G ilbert M urray
I w arm ly congratulate the South Place Ethical Society on its hundred
and fifty years o f valuable and inspiring activity. T he present state o f the
w orld, in w hich m en o f the m ost diverse religious beliefs are united in a
com m on struggle against evil things, is a testim ony to the truth o f M oncure
C onw ay’s position . M en are divided by their various religious dogm as but
united by their com m on recognition o f R ight and W rong. I w ish I could
be with you today.
P rofessor T . H . Pear (M anchester U niversity)
I am very sorry war conditions m ake it im possible for m e to give
m yself the pleasure o f attending your 150th anniversary on Sunday. Had
I been there I should have liked very m uch to say h ow deeply T admire the
aim s o f the Society and no less the w ay in w hich they are carried out in spite
o f all difficulties. I w ish that during the happy years I spent in L on d on I had
know n about your Sunday m eetings. T hey w ould have been a source o f
great help to me. M ay I wish the Society at least another 150 years o f
useful work?
P rofessor L. Susan Stebbing
I m uch regret that I am unable to be present on this occasion. The
foundation o f this Society 150 years ago was an event w hose im portance has
been show n in the developm ent and influence o f this Society. T hrough your
work som e ordinary m en and w om en are helped to think freely about what
m ost concerns them as persons and as citizens. For this w e have reason
to be grateful.
D r. R . H . T houless
I feel honoured to be allow ed to congratulate the E thical Society on
the attainm ent o f its 150th anniversary. M ore than ever at the present time,
12
th e re
is an im portant function to be fulfilled by a Society devoted to
is the only attitude that is w holly sane.
lon g rem ain such a centre.
I hope that the E thical Society m ay
T he A m erican E thical U n ion (M r. G eorge E . O 'D ell, Secretary)
T he Officers and E xecutive Board o f the A m erican E thical 1
Union wish
me to extend to the South Place Ethical Society their m ost cordial greetings
on the occasion o f the 150th anniversary o f the founding o f the Society.
T he long record o f the South Place Society for freedom o f
m
matters o f religion and ethics and its eventual identification with the E thical
M ovem ent give it a unique place in the history o f the M ovem ent, a p
l i p u £ and on e w hich w e in Am erica greatly respect an d admire
In these days o f international conflict and the clou ding o f the life c
m ankind it is a special solicitude on the part o f Soctettes such as ou ts that
they shall d raw together in devotion to the com m on cau se o f human
'nliohtenm ent W c w ish to feel our nearness to you, as yours to us.
a c c e p t our heartfelt sym pathy with you in your great share tn our com m on
troubles! and our expression o f hope that before long your Society wtll be
able to face its w ork unencum bered by the exigencies o f war.
B rooklyn Society fo r E thical C ulture (D r. Henry N eu m ann Leader)
It is a pleasure to transm it to you in the nam e o f the Broo y
for E thical Culture the congratulations o l our Society on t
d tand
fiftieth anniversary o f the founding o f your fellow ship. W e c a n understand
I S
-
o n - C any r e .ig iL w hatever
is its contribution to the ethical life o f m ankind.
M ay your light continue to shine!
Fthical Society o f St. L ouis, M issouri (M r. H . V . Putzel)
A s d S J m a n o f the Board o f Trustees o f the E thical Society o f Saint
L ouis it is m y great privilege and distinct pleasure to send to the South
Place Ethical Society the cordial greetings ol our m e m b e r s,a n d _ o
to the m em bers o f your Society, on the occasion o f its sesqm centenm al, our
hearTheren g hats * been5' a rem arkable m utuality betw een the British and
American Societies
T he success o f the E thical M ovem ent in the U nited
States is in no sm all m easure due to those E nglishm en w ho have labored
and happily are still laboring so ardently in the field o f hum anism a n d eth.es.
A m erica ow es much to H enry J. G old in g, H orace J. Bridges, G eorge E
O 'D ell and W . E dw in C ollier; and the St. L ouis Society in pai
ever be in the debt o f Percival C hubb and J. H utton H ynd
L ord Snell,
too to w hom w e w ould send special greetings, has ever b
<
■
fnr
g u e s t in Saint L ouis, and w e hope that before lon g it m ay be possible for
him to resum e his visits to A m erica.
. .
„
Ait in the past the U nited States and G reat Britain have earned on an
exchange o f Ethical Society Leaders, to the great benefit o f each country,
?t is o u r sincere hope that our close fellow ship will continue to be sustained
by constant interchange o f such services as m ay strengthen our com m on
mime to the benefit o f the w orld at large.
I t h i n k it was Bism arck w ho said that it w a s .o f the m ost m om entous
U- ♦ • Ihm ifirnnce that G reat Britain and A m erica spoke E nglish. M ay
it 'b e 'o f e v e n greater significance that in both countries they also speak the
�language o f H um anism and Ethics; and m ay the voices o f our great Leaders
be heard and heeded in the Peace to com e.
W ith sincere congratulations and cordial greetings.
Mr. J. H utton H ynd (Ethical Society o f St. L ouis, Leader)
T o the greetings w hich Mr. H. V. Putzel will send you in the nam e o f
the E thical Society o f Saint L ouis I w ish to add my ow n personal greetings
and congratulations :
Because I feel that I ow e a special debt o f gratitude to the m em bers
o f the South Place Ethical Society w ho, as far back as 1793 and on into the
T w entieth Century, responded to the appeal o f their A m erican and British
m inisters and leaders, thus d oing so much to raise the religious life to a
m ore rational and ethical level. Their response, so courageous in the face
o f so m uch bitter m isunderstanding o f m otive and aim , m ade it ever so
m uch easier for those w ho, in a later tim e, were to seek the greater freedom
and joy o f a m ore rational and ethical religion. A nd as one o f the seekers
w ho found a spiritual hom e in the E thical Societies in the City o f L ondon
I wish to record m y sincere gratitude.
It was one o f your distinguished ministers, Dr. Stanton C oit, w ho
introduced m e to the Ethical Societies in L ondon; and it was m y special
privilege and great honor to assist him for four or five years in the Ethical
Church in Bayswater, and to be his understudy. N ever for a m om ent have
I regretted the step w hich, by my confidence in him and his belief in m e,
led m e from the Christian ministry to the Ethical M o v e m e n t: and it is my
sincere hope that the Ethical Societies will never com prom ise their position
o f leadership in the m ore rational and natural interpretations o f ethics and
religion. T h e earlier leaders o f the South Place E thical Society obeyed their
vision and took the risks o f ob edience, and with their exam ple before us,
on this occasion o f the sesquicentennial, we m ay obey the vision as it appears
to us, and take the risks o f obedience as they com e to us, in our ow n day—
and thus be faithful to the great and glorious tradition that is ours.
Philadelphia E thical Society (M r. W. Edwin C ollier)
On this 150th anniversary o f the foundation o f your Society, it might
interest you to know that your history is at the m om ent m ore fam iliar to
the average m em ber o f our Philadelphia Society than it has ever been.
It has becom e m eaningful and even helpful to us in tw o connections.
In the A m erican branch o f our com m on M ovem enf, it happens that the
Societies on the Eastern seaboard contain m any m em bers o f Jewish back
ground. C onsequently those adm inistering the Selective Service A ct have
som etim es brought pressure on our m em bers to state their religion as
“ Jew ish.” In order to dispel the con fu sion thus revealed as existing in the
public m ind, we have issued a brief historical pam phlet in w hich, inter alia,
the unbroken descent o f your Society from a U niversalist Baptist establish
m ent is outlined and stressed.
Second ly, as an essay in self-education, mutual understanding and
religious “ good-neighbourliness,” the R eligion and E thics (Study) G roup
o f our Society this season invited representatives o f tw enty-one den om in a
tions to give us first-hand accounts o f their beliefs. Included were the
U nitarians and U niversalists. Our historical linkage w ith these d en om in a
tions was brought out and in each case it was your Society particularly w hich
was involved. " On the one hand, your form er M inister, Stanton C oit, has
m ade it his lifew ork to actualize Em erson's vision o f “ a church founded
on m oral science ” ; on the other hand, you and the U niversalists share a
com m on descent from Elhanan W inchester.
So your nam e and origin is a household word in our far-off Society
today.
lt
T h e Trustees o f the Philadelphia Ethical Society, by unanim ous
resolution, desire to associate them selves w ith m e m greeting you o n this
happy occasion. T h e E nglish Ethical M ovem ent hke the nationi o f w hich
it is a part, has gallantly endured the years o f
sweat and tears , m ay it
prove now to be on the eve o f flowering into true prosperity and everincreasing effectiveness.
The Society fo r E thical C ulture in the City o f N ew Y ork (D avid S. M uzzey,
Chairm an o f the Board o f Leaders)
.
T h e Leaders and Trustees o f the N ew Y ork Society for Ethical Culture
thank you for your letter o f N ovem b er 5, inform ing them o f the 150th
Anniversary Services to be held on Sunday, February 14, and congratula e
you that you have Lord Snell to preside at the M eeting.
U n fortu n ately, none o f our m em bers w ill be in the neighbourhood to
accept your kind invitation to participate in the m eeting, but w e are w ishing
you every good fortune and a continuance o f the work o f your Society.
T he L uncheon M eeting
A bout 300 people were present at the m orning m eeting. M any o f them,
dispersed b y the war, had m ade a special effort to attend, and when the
speeches from the platform were finished, there were reunions in the
vestibule and m any greetings to be exchanged. A t length, about a hundred
m em bers and guests adjourned to the “ Jupiter's Pillars R estaurant, 3_ Great
Q u e e n Street, K ingsw ay, w here lunch had been arranged.
Lord Snell again presided, supported by the speakers o f the m orning and
by the guests w h o had been on the platform with him. A f per lunch. Lord
Snell on behalf o f the C om m ittee, w elcom ed Mr. Y u su f Ali o f the Ethical
U n ion Mr. R. O. Prowse o f the Ethical C hurch, M iss L. Gerard o f the
H am pstead Ethical Society, Mr. H . T om pkin s o f the E nglish Positivist
C om m ittee, and Mr. C. Bradlaugh Bonner o f the R ationalist Press A ssocia
tion, also Mr. H ow ell Sm ith, Mr. R ennie Sm ith, Mrs. G . L ong and Mr. John
K atz. H e then called on M rs. F lorence H aw kins o f the G eneral C om m ittee
to address the com pany.
||.|
| jp
|
It is my great honour to w elcom e you today and I thank especially the
guests and lecturers fo r this opportunity o f m eeting them .
. t
1 w ould like to m ake a very b rief reference to the sim ilarity o f events 151)
vears ago when our Society was founded, and those o f today. Then there was
a w ould-be world conqueror, N ap oleon , and today Hitler follow s the same
oath Our Society runs as a thin red line from one great period to the other.
I w ould like to speak o f the m em bers w ho today carry on the tradition.
O f the Trustees responsible for the Trust D eed , w e have with us Mr Andrew
W atson, w ho was Treasurer o f the C oncert C om m ittee for over 10 Y ^ rs,
Mr C. J. Pollard, a form er Secretary o f the Society and a past Lditor
T h e M o n th ly R eco rd ; Mr. Percy D ixon with his charm ing f a m d ^ M n C . E.
Lister, w h o is still our Treasurer; Mr. E. J. Fairhall, w h o frequently acts as
C h a irm a n o f the G eneral C om m ittee, and m yself.
a a \c r,n*A
O f the G eneral C om m ittee, a great number o f us are m id d le-a|ed
w om en W e feel the w ar is m aking great dem ands on us but w e are carrying
o n orateful that w e have not had to put up with the offending presence o f the
G erm an A rm y and know the agony o f our sisters in the occupied coun ries
Wh° o T o u r O f f i c e r s ' 6 m ^ y T n ie n tio n Mr. S. G. G reen, w h o over a period o f
I
Ar,n \
deal to develop the business o f letting C onw ay
m i l ^ M r F G . G ou ld edits The M o n th ly R eco rd and also cultivates a
,Hal 1_ finwrvr-s from which often decorate our H all. Then there is
Mrs! Lindsay, our faithful Registrar.
I must m ention Mr. H erbert M ansford,
�our architect, w ho w as m aking prelim inary drawings for C onw ay H all forty
years ago. H e is today in charge o f the interesting co llection o f old records of
the S ociety show n in the Sm all H all. T he w ork o f his brother, Mr. W allis
M ansford, for our Society extending for a period o f over fifty years, is
gratefully recognized. I have already m entioned Mr. Lister as Treasurer and
Trustee; I take this opportunity o f referring to the heroic manner in w hich
he and Mrs. Lister rem ained in residence at C onw ay Hall during the period
o f the air-raids on L ondon, and especially on the night in M ay, 1941, when
R ed L ion Square w as a blaze o f fire. 1 w ould like to nam e our vocalist,
Mr. G . C. D ow m an , w ho sings regularly at our Sunday m eetings, and
also M iss E lla lvim cy, mem ber o f a w ell-know n m usical fam ily, our
accom panist and pianist w ho was at one time accom panist to M adam e
M elba. I w ould refer also to the late Mr. A. J. C lem ents, w ho put the name
o f South Place on the map o f the world of m usic. T he annual cham ber
music com petitions arranged .in his m em ory still keep us in touch w ith the
m usical life o f the country. Mrs. C lem ents is happily present today.
M r. Charles Bradlaugh Bonner
It is m y lot to speak for the G uests on this remarkable occasion. I find
m yself to be a sort o f Trinity, for in the first place I represent the R ationalist
Press A ssociation w hose activities are som ew hat allied to those o f South
Place E thical Society. We endeavour to provide m aterial for private study
w hich you study sociably together. I am also the sole available m em ber of
the E xecutive o f the W orld U n ion o f Free Thinkers. T he Belgian President
and Secretary were alive eighteen m onths ago, but I have not heard from
them since. A year before the war we held an International C ongress in
C onw ay H all and a very successful gathering it was.
M y third interest
is personal. Birthdays like this one co m e so rarely in the history o f
societies particularly those w hich have intellectual and ethical reasons for
their being in days like these w hen reason and ethics are rather overlooked.
M v personal and hereditary interest lies first o f all in M oncure Daniel
C onw ay w ho when m y grandfather was fighting Parliam ent, gave a series
o f addresses in his support w hich he very m uch appreciated. One o f my
very early m em ories as a sm all boy was o f being taken to listen to D r.
C onw ay Perhaps this was to counterbalance a visit w ith m y Baptist relatives
to Church w here I was given a book to keep m e quiet during the serm on.
I visited C onw ay in Paris, and saw one o f the earliest colour photographs
w hich was a portrait o f him. I also rem em ber the addresses given by my
mother (H ypatia Bradlaugh Bonner) to children gathered at South Place.
It is in the light o f these recollections that I should like to add m y w ords
to those which have gone before, not only to express the thanks and
appreciation o f m y fello w G uests, but to give you our birthday w ishes
for m any 150th birthdays. W e look forward, for the spirit o f yo u th is here
even if Mrs. H aw kins does com plain o f m iddle age. W e m ust look forward
to the time that is com in g, for the determ ination to enquire w hat is good
that m arks all the deliberations o f this Society will be required greatly m
the com in g years, and I hope that the future will evok e m ost valuable
inspiration for you and w hat you stand for.
Let m e end by quoting from a poem written by Jam es T hom son (B.V .)
to com m em orate the inauguration o f the Leicester Secular H all in 1881:
“ W e n ow dare,
T aught by m illenium s o f barren prayer,
O f m utual scorn and late and b lo o d y strife
With which these dream s have poisoned our poor life.
T o build o u r T em p les o n another plan.
D evotin g them to G o d ’s creator, M an .”
16
Our debt to the past has this m orning been acknow ledged Our debt t
the future has yet to be paid, and before the m eeting dissolves I w ant to
set our m inds to the thought that w e can n ot live on m em ories. W e can ^
progress with veterans alone. W e have got som eh ow to d.rect m any young
people to our ranks. 1 do not know w hat your ou tlook on life is, but in
spite o f pessim istic remarks som e m ay have to m ake. 1 have faith in the
future
At the end o f m y life I remain as hopeful in outlook as w hen I
was a ’boy but I hope for a number o f people to pursue the path w e have
blazed
W e have the satisfaction o f know ing that you ng people w ill no
have to go through the agony o f outliving an ancient faith. AU their mental
eneray w ill be free for reconstruction. Let us give them our blessing a
us salute the com ing days. I now call upon our final speaker to sum up.
Mrs G . L on g (M iss M arjorie Bow en)
lt is ob viou sly im possible to m ake even the b n eiest sum m ary o
the beautiful speeches w e have listened to. I ow e a personal debt to South
Place E thical Society. I used to go to its m eetings w hen 1 w as a sm all child.
1 am the descendant o f a grim Scottish N on con form ist One o f P rovidence s
worst decrees is that no w om an seem s able to contribute to philosophy,
know the best when 1 see it. 1 feel now as then that there can be nothing
better than reason and ethics. W hy this should be so I have never been
able to explain satisfactorily. But w e m ust have reason and ethics and hold
fast to them
In them only lies our salvation. It w as not altogether that
strip o f water o f the E nglish C hannel, it w as also our non-conform ist relusal
to know when we were beaten that saved us after Dunkirk. O ne appeal
would m ake to the distinguished m en w e have heard today, and that is to
influence w om en and children. T hus w e cut a G ordian knot. N oth in g is
easier than to persuade a child before it is five years old. 1 hat is ol primary
im portance, lt is distressing to hear there may be once m ore an outllow
of superstition and m ysticism . T hat can lead now here. W e m ust have
reason and that is one o f the m ain objects in the education ol the young.
W e m ust try to leave the m inds o f children free so that they can apply
rationalism and ethics to w hatever brand o f religion they m ay choose.
1 thank you for asking m e here today. I am extrem ely gratetul.
The A ftern oon M eeting
T he Chairm an on bringing the proceedings at this stage to a close,
invited the com pany to return to C onw ay H all tor tea
M any aid so and
ihev were ioined there by num erous m em bers and friends w ho could not be
present at ?he luncheon
A group o f ladies had been at m uch pains to
provide refreshm ents especially rem arkable for variety and delicacy, a tim e
o f war. Som e self-sacrifice had obviously been involved. Mrs. H o renee
H aw kins as hostess w elcom ed new com ers.
Later in th® . a tl®rJ?°°J!
V eronica M ansfield (m ezzo-contralto) accom panied by M iss EUa Ivim ey,
delighted the audience w ith a recital o f songs by Bach, M ichael Head a
Balfour G ardiner. M iss M ansfield w as born at Perth, W estern A ustralia.
She was chosen by D am e N ellie M elba for a scholarship at the oya
o» ege
o f M usic, L ondon. She is w ell-know n in oratorio and in B.B.C. program m es.
Thus was the Society’s w ell-know n interest in good m usic reflected on this
con clu sion , Mr. John K atz m ade a short and heartily applauded
speech in w hich he voiced the thanks o f all to Mr. S. G . G reen (Secretary),
and his helpers for w hat they had d on e to m ake the anniversary celebrations
so successful.
17
�T H E E X H IB IT IO N IN T H E SM A L L H A L L
In the Sm all H all w as a collection o f the S ociety's R ecords and R elics
covering the past century and a half. R elating to the original chapel in
Parliam ent C ourt, B ishopsgate, there w as an external view , portraits o f
Elhanan W inchester and W illiam V idler, the pewter com m u n ion plate, and
M inute and A ccou n t books. T his chapel becam e a synagogue and w as
standing at the end o f the nineteenth century. T h e salaries and expenses
seem to us now quite trivial except for candles, w hich w ere probably the on ly
source o f illum ination. T he earliest exhibit in con n ection w ith the second
chapel (South Place, Finsbury) w as the draft inscription for the foundation
stone written by W. J. F ox. T here was a h andsom ely bound list o f subscribers
to the building, and volu m es o f The M o n th ly R e p o sito ry , a m agazine started
by F o x in 1829 and edited by him for several years.
V arious w orks o f Dr. C on w ay were sh ow n , together w ith som e o f the
S ociety’s ow n publications, nam ely, R eligiou s S ystem s o f the W orld and
N a tio n a l L ife and T h ou gh t. T hese were Sunday A ftern oon F ree Lectures
extending over several years, m ostly given by recognized authorities. A
“ M onthly List ” o f July, 1891, gave som e idea o f the S ociety’s varied activities
even at a time when its m em bership and incom e had declined. T he Saturday
afternoon R am bles were started in 1887 and from these developed co-op era
tive holidays at Easter and W hitsun. T he M onthly Soirdes som etim es took
the form o f T ableau x V iva n ts and Spelling Bees then fashionable, or dram atic
perform ances in w hich Mrs. T h eod ore W right, M iss A thene Seyler and the
F entons frequently appeared. One season the Soirees had particular evenings
to w hich m em bers were invited to bring specim ens o f special interest relating
to G eo lo g y , B otany, P hotography, Printing, etc., short papers being read by
m em bers and others relating to the subject for the evening. Mrs. Cock burn
lent a collection o f Soiree program m es extending over ab ou t 30 years. A
printed catalogue o f b ook s referred to the L ending Library started in 1886
w hen public lending libraries were very scarce in L ondon. In 1889 a Club
for W orking G irls was started in South Street, in one room , and mem bers
volunteered to give lessons in music, painting, etc. T hree years later it was
rem oved to R owland H ouse, E ldon Street, its closen ess to the Chapel enabled
the four rented room s to be used for D iscussion M eetings and the Sunday
School. T he C lub was later rem oved to H om erton (C hesterton H ouse), and
then to Mare Street, H ackney, where it functioned until the outbreak o f the
present war. G roup photos o f garden parties and dramatic perform ances
were exhibited.
In connection with the Sunday S chool there was an
autograph letter from M aurice M aeterlinck to W allis M ansford, w ho c o n
ducted the A nnual C hildren’s Service in 1891. T h e poet also sent to each
child a signed illustration o f h is hom e in W andrille A bbey.
,
In the S ociety ’s N ew scutting Books Mr. R atcliffe discovered his ow n
/F e < 0 lengthy report for th e / H ttily N t *ws, dated June 28, 1897, o f Dr. C onw ay's
Farewell D iscourse. A s he put his autograph to the cutting he remarked that
he had not seen Dr. C on w ay previously. T here w as an alm ost com plete
series o f portraits o f the Society's m inisters and regular lecturers, and an
album included photographs o f various m em bers w ho had held office or
otherw ise helped in the work o f the Society. A religious cartoon published
about 50 years ago was exhibited in which Dr. C on w ay w as depicted declaim
ing from a roofless South Place C hapel. It bore the inscription: “ M oncure
C onway'* Free and Airy T abernacle.”
18
T H E SO C IE T Y 'S M IN IS T E R S A N D L E C T U R E R S
F ro m
R ev. Elhanan W inchester
R ev. W illiam V idler
R ev. W illiam Johnson F o x , M .P.
A s s is t a n t s
to
Mr.
To
Feb. 14, 1793— M ay, 1794
1794— A ug. 23, 1816
April 2, 1817— Jan. 29, 1853
(last discourse F eb. 8, 1852)
F ox
R ev. Philip H arw ood
R ev. N . Travers
R ev. H enry Icrson
R ev. Henry Icrson
R ev. H . N . Barnclt
Dr. M oneure D . C onway
D r. Stanton C oit
Dr. M oncure D . C onw ay
Feb.
Feb.
Jan.
Jan.
Jan.
27, 1840— Sept. 23, 1841
1849— D ec. 1850
1851— Jan. 1853
30, 1853— April 26, 1857
31, 1858— June 21, 1863
Jan. 31, 1864— July 27, 1884
Sept. 2, 1888— D ec. 31, 1891
Oct. 2, 1892— June 27, 1897
A successor was not appointed.
T he platform was supplied by
Lecturers invited by the C om m ittee, m ost frequent am ong w hom were the
first four nam ed below . In M ay, 1907, the R ules were altered to provide
G eneral M eeting o f a Lecturer or
for the appointm ent by the A nn
r this R ule the follow in g appointm ents
Lecturers in place o f a M inister. Ui
have been m ade :
F rom
Mr. Herbert Burrows
M r. John A . H ob son
Rt. H on . J. M . R obertson
To
M ay 1907— D ec. 1922
„ — April 1, 1940
„ — Jan. 5, 1933
M r. Joseph M cC abe
M r. S. K . Ratcliffe
D r. C. D clisle Burns
„
„
1915—
1918— Jan. 22, 1942
D r. C. E . M . Joad
P rofessor G . W . K eeton
„
1941—
—
T H E SO C IE T Y 'S M E E T IN G PLA C ES
Parliam ent Court Chapel, Bishopsgate. From February 14, 1793.
South Place C hapel, Finsbury. F rom February 1, 1824 to M arch 31, 1927.
L on d on Institution, Finsbury Circus, used until
C on w ay H all w as occupied on Septem ber 1, 1929.
19
�T H E S O C IE T Y ’S N A M E S
T he congregation w hich assem bled in support o f Elhanan W inchester, the
Am erican Baptist preacher, at Parliament C ourt Chapel in 1793, called
them selves Philadelphians.
W inchester had cut across orthodoxy by
& announcing and assailing the doctrine o f Eternal H ell, thus helping
C&to spread the creed, so-called, o f U n iversalism w hich then meant
sim ply “ U niversal Salvation in C hrist.” H e had converted V idler, his
successor, to U niversalism , and V idler, in turn, converted him self in 1802 to
U nitarianism . By this change his congregation was much reduced. There
was, how ever a Baptist connection w hich lasted long after the Society had
becom e actively associated with the U nitarian body. W. J. F ox had stiuggled
from a severe C alvinism to U nitarianism , w hich stage o f developm ent he had
reached several years before becom ing the M inistei at Parliament C on 1 1
Chapel in 1817. H is aim before taking up that post had been to form a
congregation on a com prehensive principle w ith V irtue and n o t Faith for the
bond o f union. T h e subscriptions invited for building South Place Chapel
were for a new U nitarian C hapel. Mr. F o x took an active part in founding
the British and Foreign U nitarian A ssociation in 1825, and he was its first
F oreign Secretary.
H is heterodox op in ion s were not, how ever, viewed
favourably, and in 1837 the Society was excluded from the Unitarian
A ssociation, becom ing thenceforth its ow n denom ination as it remains to this
day. T he Trust D eed drawn up in 1825 introduces the term “ Society or
C ongregation o f Protestant D issenters.” T his term is used in a copy o f the
Rules in use in 1857. U p till 1852 the term “ F o x ’s Chapel ” was probably in
popular use. T he A nnual R eport for 1871 on ly uses the w ords
“ South Place C hapel.” In 1873 the title adopted w as “ South Place
Chapel and Institute,” thus referring to the Society's other activities.
For the A nnual R eport o f 1879 the heading is “ South Place R eligious
S ociety.” T his was changed to “ South Place Ethical S o c ie ty ” in 1888.
N o alteration in the principles o f the Society was involved. T he book
by Dr. C onw ay, published in 1894, is entitled “ Centenary H istory
o f the South Place S ociety.” T he older mem bers will no doubt continue to
speak o f “ South P lace,” but in time this term will give way com pletely to
“ C onw ay H all.” So m any other organizations now hire the S ociety's
prem ises that som e danger to the identity o f the Society is threatened. It is
for the m em bership to see that in years to com e predom inant use o f C onw ay
H all is made by South Place Ethical Society.
T his S ouvenir of the 150th A nniversary C elebration has been p repared for the G eneral
C om m ittee by the E d ito r o f T he M o n th ly R eco rd .
T he E d ito r th an k s M r. T . H . E lstob
an d M iss D o ris P artington fo r w riting d ra ft reports o f som e o f the speeches, M r. H erbert
M an sfo rd for the description o f the E xhibits, an d all the speakers for correcting d rafts
o r p ro o fs.
H e also th an k s the Secretary fo r suggestions, info rm atio n and advice.
Farleigh Press Ltd. (T .U .), B eechw ood W orks, B eechw ood Rise, W atford Herts
T H E U N IV E R SA L 1ST C H U R C H
(An apoeal for help). B v Arthur I eacocK.
U niversalist Press, 57 C avendish R oad. L ondon, S.W .12. 4d.
By a rem arkable coinciden ce the year 1943 in w hich has
celebrate
the 150th A nniversary o f the found ing o f the congregation o f U niversalis s
, which developed into South Place Ethical Society, is the 300th A n n iv ersa ry
o f the U niversalist C hurch, for within the building in C avendish R oad.
C lapham C om m on , know n as the South London U niversalist Church, is
preserved the shrine o f Gerrard W instanley, the leader o f the C om m on
w ealth d ays w ho held fast to U niversalist teachings. It bears the date 164j
In days lon g past the distinctive doctrine o f U niversal Salvation was preached
from within the A nglican Church but its advocates were persecuted so that
they established congregations o f their ow n. Their influence spread to the
M ethodists, and this incurred the displeasure o f John W esley that st^ .n
upholder o f the doctrine o f H ell Fire— w ho described the U niversalists of his
tim e as “ w retches w ho called them selves M ethodists.
A m ong these
“ w re tc h e s” w as John M urray w ho wearied with the suffering caused by the
hostility to his w ork, sought refuge in the U nited States where he tounded
the first A m erican U niversalist Church in 1774. lt m ay be assum ed that
Elhanan W inchester cam e under its influence, for, seceding from the Baptists
am on g w hom he w as a leadingg preacher, he turned U niversalist, and com ing
to England in 1787 w as appointed in 1793 M inister o f Parliament Court
Chapel by a congregation o f his follow ers. T he Am erican Church flourished,
but that in E ngland has d e c lin e d : in fact, it w ould appear that the sole
surviving congregation is that which m eets at C lapham under the leadership
o f the Rev. W . Arthur Peacock.
*
T he pam phlet under notice contains a reference to the loss sullered by
U niversalism when the original trust deed o f South Place C hapel was
abandoned, w hen “ the broader view o f C hristianity was forsaken that the
hum anist position m ight be em braced.” There is no bitterness, and w e on
our part regard with affectionate sym pathy those from w hose w idening
b eliefs our ow n have em erged. W e m ust, how ever, remark that the rea
aw ay from U niversalism took place in Mr. V idler’s tim e long betore
w hen our original Trust D eed w as drawn up, and that the subsequent
m odifications o f the Deed to con form w ith the Society s objects was m ade
in -the present century.
In Mr. Peacock's pam phlet w e r e a d : —
“ T he U n iversalist Church rises above all credal assertions. T he spirit
o f its faith is expressed in its ideals o f b elief: —
“ We believe in O ne Great all C reative and all Pervading Potentiality;
in the Sacredness o f all Life; in the vision that is deepened and w idened by
K now ledge; in the excellence o f W isdom ; In the Brotherhood and H um anity
o f Jesus; In the Faith that is W edded to R eason; in the O neness o f all
R eligiou s Ideals; In a L ife, a Justice, and a Truth that are Eternal; and in the
D utiful R everence to all that is N o b lest and Best in M ankind
W e o f South Place m ay have no wish to criticize these ideals. \ \ e arc
inform ed that they were accepted in their present form by the Church in this
country som e fifty years ago. W e recognize in them m uch that we still
cherish T here m ay even be som e am ong us w ho having read the pam phlet
m ay care to respond to the appeal for financial help that the w ork o f the
Church m ay be continued.
T hey
K e p t T he F a it h .
���
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Architecture and Place
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Humanist Library and Archives
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2016
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A collection of digitised items from the Humanist Library and Archives telling the story of buildings and spaces occupied by the Conway Hall Ethical Society (formerly the South Place Ethical Society). Also includes several born digital items.
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Conway Hall Ethical Society
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Conway Hall (London, England)
South Place Chapel, Finsbury
Mansford, Frederick Herbert (1871-1946)
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English
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Souvenirs of South Place Ethical Society
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South Place Ethical Society Souvenirs presented to SG Green, Secretary of South Place Ethical Society. Volume commemorates 100 years since the opening of the Chapel at South Place, (1824-1924), and 150 years of South Place Ethical Society, (1793-1943). Includes the South Place Ethical Society book plate and an illustration of South Place Chapel.
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South Place Ethical Society (London, England)
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Gould, F. G.
Mansford, Frederick Herbert
Pollard, C. J.
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South Place Ethical Society (London, England)
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1924
1943
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SPES/6/3/11
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Chapels
South Place Ethical Society
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application/pdf
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Green, S. G.
South Place Chapel, Finsbury
-
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Frederick Herbert Mansford, F.R.I.B.A. (1871–1946)
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Portrait of Frederick Herbert Mansford, F.R.I.B.A. (1871–1946) included in "Frederick Herbert Mansford; citizen and architect of London: selection from his papers."
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Landau, Dorothea
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n.d.
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The Ecclesiological Society
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Mansford, Frederick Herbert (1871–1946)
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920 MAN
G1052
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<p><a href="http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/" rel="license"> <img style="border-style: none;" src="http://i.creativecommons.org/p/mark/1.0/88x31.png" alt="Public Domain Mark" /> </a> <br /> This work (<span>Frederick Herbert Mansford, F.R.I.B.A. (1871–1946)</span>, by <span><span>Dorothea Landau</span></span>), identified by the <a href="https://conwayhall.org.uk/library/" rel="dct:publisher"><span>Humanist Library and Archives</span></a>, is free of known copyright restrictions.</p>
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PDF Text
Text
Frederick H erbert M.ansford
Citizen
and Architect of London
Selections from his papers
THE
E C C L E S IO L O G IC A L
S O C IE T Y T R A N S A C T IO N S
V olum e 1 (N ew Series), Part 5
1947
P rice:
Ten Shillings and Sixpence
920
MAN
Objects:—T o Study the Science of
W orship in all its Aspects, including
Architecture, Sculpture, Painting, W ood
work, Metalwork, Mosaics and Stained
Glass, Ceremonial, Liturgies and Music,
and to preserve our heritage of Records
and Remains.
�qiosz
sysk-ir
�T R A N S A C T I O N S — Vol. 1 (N ew Series)— Part 5
&&o lo g ic £^
Patrons : T he M ost Rev. and Right Hon. G e o f f r e y F i s h e r , d . d ., Lord
Archbishop o f Canterbury; T he M ost Rev. and Right Hon. C y r i l G a r b e t t ,
d . d ., Lord Archbishop o f York; and T he Right Hon. T he Viscount E s h e r ,
M .B .E ., H O N . A .R .I.B .A .
President : T he Very Rev. W . R. M a t t h e w s , k . c . v . o . , m . a . , d . d . , d . l i t . , Dean
o f St. Paul’s.
Vice-Presidents : Canon S. A . A l e x a n d e r , c . v . o ., c . m . g ., m . a ., h o n . a . r . i . b . a . ;
A l f r e d C . B o s s o m , Esq., J . P . , m . p ., f . r . i . b . a . ; J . N i n i a n C o m p e r , Esq.;
T he Very Rev. D . H. S. C r a n a g e , m . a ., l i t t . d ., f . s . a ., h o n . a . r . i . b . a .;
W . A . F o r s y t h , Esq., f . r . i . b . a . ; H . S . G o o d h a r t - R e n d e l , Esq., m u s . b a c .,
p p . r . i . b . a . ; M iss R o s e G r a h a m , c . b . e ., d . l i t t ., f . s . a . ; F r e d e r i c k R. H i o r n s ,
Esq., f . s . a ., f . r . i . b . a ., m . t . p . i . ; Sir C h a r l e s A. N i c h o l s o n , Bart, m . a ., f . r . i . b . a . ;
Professor A. E. R i c h a r d s o n , m . a ., r . a ., f . s . a ., f . r . i . b . a . ; Sir G i l e s G i l b e r t
S c o t t , o . m ., h o n . d . c . l ., h o n . l l . d ., r . a ., p p . r . i . b . a , ; J o h n N . S u m m e r s o n ,
Esq., b . a . ( a r c h .) , f . s . a ., a . r . i . b . a . ; Professor A. H a m i l t o n T h o m p s o n ,
C .B .E ., M .A ., H O N . D .L I T T , H O N . L L .D ., F .B .A ., F .S .A ., H O N . A .R .I.B .A .; Professor
C l e m e n t C . J. W e b b , m . a ., d . l i t t ., f . b . a ., h o n . l l . d ., h o n . d . d .
F.
H.
By D
M A N SFO RD
orothea
L andau
Council :
Chairman : D. C h i s h o l m S i m p s o n , E sq.* ; Mrs. E. T . B a i l e y ; T. A. C o y s h , E sq .;
the Rev. T. H. C r o x a l l , m . a . , b . d . , b . m u s . * ; J. D u d l e y D a y m o n d , Esq.;
F. D a r w i n F o x , Esq.;
R o b e r t F r a n c i s , Esq.;
M r s . A . R.H a t l e y ,
b . s c ., f . r . g . s . * ; F. H e n l e y , Esq.; W . E. H u g g i n s , Esq.; H. L. M a n n , Esq.*;
and the Rev. H. M a t t i n s o n , m . a . ; with the undermentioned Officers
ex officio.
Hon. Secretary : F r e d k . R. B u d g e y , Esq.*
Hon. Director o f Meetings : W . W . B e g l e y , Esq.,f . r . h i s t . s . , l . r . i . b . a . *
Hon. Treasurer : A. J. H a t l e y , Esq., m . a . *
Hon. Editor : T h o s . F. G a r n i s h , Esq.*
(* Members o f Editorial Committee).
Society’s Address: W alcot House, 139 Kennington Road, Lambeth, London, S .E .ll.
247
�CONTENTS
rage
F R O N T IS P IE C E
P ortrait by M iss D . L andau
F O R E W O R D ...................................................................................
251
A P P R E C IA T IO N
......................................................................
253
P O E M — " Ely
......................................................................
255
......................................................................
256
B E L L S A N D B E L L - R I N G E R S ...........................................
257
C IT Y S W O R D -R E S T S
.........................................................
258
JO H N S T O W
......................................................................
258
IN IG O JO N E S
......................................................................
259
”
CHURCHYARDS
W R E N 'S C IT Y C H U R C H E S
...........................................
260
B O M B E D C H U R C H E S IN L O N D O N ..............................
262
N IN E T E E N T H C E N T U R Y A R C H IT E C T U R E
265
T W E N T IE T H
269
C E N T U R Y A R C H IT E C T U R E
P R E -W R E N C H U R C H E S —
St. Bartholom ew the G reat; St. Olave, H a rt Street
St. H elen, B ishopsgate; St. K atharine C ree ...
St. A ndrew U ndershaft ...
W REN CHURCHES
........................................................
(a) G othic— St. M ary A lderm ary
( b) H y b rid — St. M ichael, C ornhill
(c) Early C ontrasts— St. Benet, Paul's W harf, and
St. Law rence Jew ry
(d) D om es— St. M ary-at-H ill, Billingsgate; St. Stephen,
W albrook; St. M ildred, Bread Street; St. M ary
A bchurch
249
272
273
274
275
276
276
277
278
�Page
W R E N C H U R C H E S — Continued
(e) T ow ers and Spires — St. M artin, L udgate ;
St. M argaret P atten s; St. D u n stan -in -th eE ast; St. Bride, F leet S t r e e t ..............................
( / ) L ate C ontrasts — St. M argaret, L o th b u ry ;
St. A ndrew by th e W ard ro b e
C oncluding note
280
P O S T S C R IP T T O W R E N — St. M ary W oolnoth, L om bard
Street
284
ST .
THE
282
283
G E O R G E ’S C H U R C H , H A N O V E R S Q U A R E —
early su b u rb an ...
...
...
................
285
P A R IS H C H U R C H O F ST . J O H N , H A M P
S T E A D — rural and later su b u rb an
..............................
FOREWORD
286
T H E E C C L E S IO L O G IC A L S O C IE T Y —
L ist o f Officers ...
Sum m ary o f R eports, 1943-46 ...
H IS Part, N o. V, Vol. 1, N ew Series, o f the T ransactions of
the Ecclesiological Society, is issued as a m em orial n u m ber to
the late Frederick H erb ert M ansford, for m any years a valued
m em ber o f the Society. It has been com piled from his MSS., o f
w hich he left an extensive collection, and consists of notes and
com m ents prepared by him from tim e to tim e for talks and lectures
to the Society and to his students.
T
247
289
T h e selection and arrangem ent of these notes for publication
have been devotedly undertaken by M rs. A. R. H atley, B.Sc.,
F .R .G .S ., H on. Secretary of the Society’s E ditorial and Publications
C om m ittee, w hose task was by no m eans a light and easy one, and
to w hom the C ouncil, on behaff of the Society, wishes to express
its cordial appreciation and thanks.
T h e Council desires also to acknowledge its indebtedness to
the M ansford fam ily for generous contributions tow ards the cost
o f p rin tin g and publishing this m em orial num ber, and to th e
friend w ho has provided the block for the frontispiece.
A s in the case of other parts, the C ouncil m ust not be assum ed
as subscribing to every statem ent or opinion contained in the
Society’s T ransactions; all such expressions are m ade on th e
responsibility o f the authors o f the several contributions.
-
�FREDERICK HERBERT MANSFORD
F.R .I.B .A . (1871-1946)
U R Society is proud to recall am ong its past m em bers m any
who have given loyal service to its work in scholarship and
tim e and w ith these, M r. F. H . M ansford, the subject of
this m em oir, m ust take a high place.
A t the beginning of his last illness he w rote, in reply to a letter
of sym pathy from the C ouncil : " As I lay in bed I reflected on
m y early association w ith the Society. I m ust have been about
tw enty-five w hen I first addressed the m em bers in the old C hapter
House. C anon Lewis G ilbertson was th en C hairm an b u t I do not
rem em ber if he presided. T h e subject was ' N otes on C ity
C h u rch es,’ w hich had not then been so carefully researched. T h e
walls o f the room w ere panelled high in oak and it was excellent for
sound. T h ere was a very large cat curled up on an oak table in the
hall and he received, b u t I m ight say ignored, the strokes from various
m em bers before ascending. T h e walls of the landing w ere hung
w ith large fram ed schem es for cathedral decoration, some by a
pupil of A lfred Stevens, whose nam e escapes m e at the m om ent."
A ctually the Rev. E. H oskins was the C hairm an and the date of
the m eeting, 16th January, 1901, so he was rath er m ore th an tw entyfive at the tim e. A n d so, for nearly fifty years, he gave his services,
w ithout stint or question, reading m any Papers and conducting
a long series of visits, only giving up a year or so before his death
under stress o f ill-health.
T h e care taken in th e preparation o f his talks is evidenced
by th e fact th at this m em oir is com piled from N otes selected from
the large bulk of m aterial prepared for lectures and visits.
A L ondoner, born in A ldersgate Street on the 10th A pril, 1871,
his love for L ondon buildings coloured his life’s outlook. A fter
schooldays at L enham , in K ent, and at M orley G ram m ar School,
he entered th e architectural profession, first through the office of
G eorge H u b b a rd , F .R .I.B .A ., and th en in th at of A lfred W a te r
house, P resident of the R .I.B .A ., and architect of so m any great
V ictorian buildings, w here M ansford became chief draughtsm an,
before setting up his own practice in 1906 at R uislip.
H ere he
built for him self " W a ld en ," in K ingsend, w hich provided him w ith
a hom e and an office for the rest of his life. O th er houses of consider
able interest followed at Ruislip, at Petersfield, and elsewhere.
All are notew orthy as exam ples of clever planning and contriving
to m eet the wishes of clients w ith definite views.
M ansford’s greatest work, however, was the South Place
Ethical Society’s prem ises, Conway H all, R ed Lion Square. As
a m em ber of the Ethical Society he em barked on this w ork w ith
enthusiasm , w ith the result that, w hen it was com pleted in 1929,
O
253
�th e m usic critic o f th e Daily Telegraph said, w ith regard to the
large m eeting hall, “ owing to its excellent acoustic properties,
it is th e best hall in L ondon for th e appreciation of cham ber
m usic.” In the 1920’s he served on th e L ibrary C om m ittee of
th e Royal In stitu te o f British A rchitects and, in 1931, soon after
its inception, he becam e th e very active honorary secretary of
th e A rchitectural G raphic R ecords C om m ittee, carrying on until
its transform ation in 1940 into th e N ational B uilding; Record.
It should never be forgotten that, despite a grievous lack of funds,
d u rin g this period 36,500 references, together w ith the m easured
draw ings and a n u m b er o f catalogues from some fifty libraries,
w ere dealt w ith by voluntary effort and m uch o f the credit is due
to M ansford.
H e was a freq u en t co n trib u to r to th e architectural press of
A m erica, as well as o f E ngland, d u rin g th e first forty or so years of
this century. H e was also a keen m em ber of the Society for the
P rotection o f A ncient B uildings and derived m uch pleasure from
lecturing at th e C entral School o f A rts and Crafts. But, of all his
activities, th ere can be no d o u b t th a t ecclesiology was his chief
interest. T o a profound u n derstanding o f mediaeval architecture
he u nited a w ide know ledge o f m odern churches and, up to w ithin
a few m onths of his death, w hich occu red on the 13th June, 1946,
he usually had som e new discovery to report.
T h e Papers w hich he read before th e Society were the result
o f very careful preparation and usually threw fresh light on some
aspect o f th e subject, and this applied w ith even m ore force to the
talks given at " visits.” T h ese were given after a detailed study of
th e literature o f th e subject, one or m ore personal visits and,
usually, correspondence w ith those m ost likely to be able to clear
up doubtful points.
T h e resulting N otes are consequently full
o f such m atters o f interest as th e unexpected irregularities in W re n ’s
plans w hich, in several instances, M ansford traced to the re-use of
m ediaeval foundations.
M em b ersh ip o f our Society b ro u g h t him m any friends, of
w hom th e present w riter is p ro u d to have been one. F o r nearly
tw enty years we travelled about th e country at every possible
holiday or w eek-end, visiting cathedrals, abbeys, parish churches,
schools and private houses, u n d er every condition o f w eather and
road and w ith m any adventures. Yet, th ro u g h all the stresses and
strains, M ansford rem ained th e kindly, considerate com panion,
th e planner o f routes and the negotiator of problem s. Ripon,
N orw ich, Bristol, A m pleforth, Lichfield, M arlborough, Llandaff,
D ow nside, B irm ingham , Bath, Leeds, N ottingham , Portsm outh,
and L eicester are a few nam es w hich conjure up glowing m em ories
o f the fascination o f th e E nglish scene. T u rn in g over the record
o f these pilgrim ages one can b u t repeat the w ords of th e old
C hinese poet, L i-Po, “ D aw n reddens in the wake of night; b u t
the days o f o u r life re tu rn n o t.”
W .W .B .
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ELY
REY’ scudding clouds across the sky,
A distant h ero n ’s lonely cry,
T h e u p tu rn ed earth be-dyked and black.
A sluggish river’s straightened track,
G ay butterflies am idst the sedge,
W illow s upon the w ater’s edge.
A w indm ill’s sails th at hang forlorn,
Furrow s all lined w ith sprouting corn,
T h e ru tty drove th a t crossed the flood
W ith now a crust of sun-baked m ud
In noon-day glare th at heats and tires,
A nd drifting sm oke o f rubbish fires—
T hese m em ories recall to me
T h e fen-bound Isle of Ely.
G
A gently rising lonely hill,
A n ancient city calm and still,
T h e streets unpaved for horses’ hoofs,
G rey tiles upon the huddled roofs.
H oary, serene and crow ning all
T h e lofty tow er and buttressed wall;
A ro o f’s im pressive height and length
A nd stones th at speak of age and stren g th ;
A wooden lan tern ’s fretted crest;
T h ’ em brasured tu rrets at the west,
T h e gardened precincts sheltering round.
Southw ards— the m eadow ’s sloping ground,
G olden w ith b u ttercups of spring,
Jackdaws and rooks upon the wing.
Such m em ories recall to me
T h e grey-roofed tow n of Ely.
T h a t vista from the w estern door
O f painted roof and m arble floor,
T h e N orm an pillars rising clear
W ith o u t an intervening chair.
T h e octagon’s am azing span,
T h a t daring th o u g h t o f W alsingham .
A n d then the choir— beyond the screen,
W h a t m iracles of craft are seen !
W h a t miracles of sound are heard
A nd feelings deep w ithin me stirred !
255
�I
Prayer and praise have here arisen,
Since these stones from rocks were riven,
F o r m ore th an twice six h u n d red years.
H ere m en have voiced th eir hopes and fears,
M onk and abbot, bishop and prior,
C anon and priest and preaching friar,
Since th e days o f E theldreda,
A bbess-queen and E ly’s founder.
I close m y eyes and see m eanw hile
A long procession fill th e aisle,
Smoking incense, bell and candles,
M itred prelates, m onks in sandals,
Also days q f priestly thu n d ers,
Saintly relics w orking w onders,
’T ill th ro u g h m ists o f superstition
W ycliffe had a clearer vision—
N o longer now th e fast and scourge,
B righter years upon us surge,
M an will find his heaven below,
A lthough his progress m ay be slow.
N ext th e organ’s deep vibration
Com es th e drow sy intonation,
A nd th e chorused long A m e n .
M ay, 1920.
F .H .M .
T h e city churchyards have often been curtailed and som etim es
altogether absorbed by streets and buildings; yet there are m any
unexpected little plots rem aining and they provide shady corners
and resting places for city folk am id the wear and tear o f business
life. O ne of the prettiest was th at existing until a decade or so
ago in the Bank o f E ngland, w hich had grown up around it. T h ere
was a fountain, a fine plane tree and rhododendrons well cared for
and very pleasant.
T h e churchyard from three united parishes
form s a little oasis in A ldersgate Street; here again is a fountain.
A little w ooden cloister com m em orates the brave deeds o f ordinary
people, m ainly o f those who have sacrificed their lives in saving
others.
Several churchyards contain fragm ents o f the ancient city
wall, the finest being the corner bastion at St. G iles’s, C ripplegate.
(T h e pleasant strip rem aining, com plete w ith seat, beneath the
shelter o f the wall on the site of St. A lphege, L ondon W all, provides
special interest from the crenel lations and diaper patterning of
the late mediaeval brickw ork o f the wall as well as from two
contiguous boundary m arks of adjacent parishes. E d .)
A century ago there was a rookery at St. D u n sta n ’s-in-the-E ast
and a house opposite the church was charged “ a yearly rent o f
£ 3 for the purpose o f furnishing the rooks w ith osier twigs to
enable them to build th eir nests w ithout trouble, and for other
sustenance. ” T o -day we have h u n dreds of pigeons, fed by the
citizens, and nesting in the foliage of W re n ’s corinthian capitals,
not w ithout dam age to the m asonry.
Flocks o f starlings chatter
and bestir them selves as they prepare, in their forgathering, to
set out for w arm er climes. F o r m any a year they have provided
a fam iliar touch for the L ondon nature-lover.
(Reprinted from the “ M onthly R ecord” o f the South Place Ethical Society)
ON BELLS AND BELL-RINGERS
ON CHURCHYARDS
H E R E are several peals o f eight or twelve bells w ithin the
C ity o f L ondon, b ut they are not now all rung. T h e m ost
fam oys are those o f St. M ary-le-B ow , rung cerem onially on
L ord M ayor’s D ay, and St. B ride’s, F leet Street, w here a peal of
twelve bells was com pleted in 1724, th e first in th e City*. T h a t was
the tim e w hen bell-ringing was very fashionable and some o f the
ringers retu rn ed to the W est E nd in th eir carriages. A year later
there is an en try in the churchw ardens’ accounts at St. G iles’s
C ripplegate : “ Paid for a leg o f m u tto n for ye ringers on A scension
D ay— 2s. l d . ” . . . A t a tim e w hen the houses w ere m ostly of
wood the curfew was an im portant m atter, b u t old custom retained
the curfew long after the need to extinguish fires had passed, even
into th e last century.
T
N R om an tim es no citizen was allowed to be buried w ithin
th e walls, b u t in th e M iddle Ages nearly every citizen was buried
in his ow n parish. T h erefore in walled cities there m ust have been
great difficulty in finding room for th e dead. In L ondon this
was partly overcom e by clearing portions o f the churchyards from
tim e to tim e and placing the bones in a charnel house, or if such
did not exist, in th e great charnel house near St. Paul's. In a few
instances crypts rem ain under the churches, and these were probably
used for th e purpose. T h e one opened not long ago at St. O lave’s,
H a rt Street, rath er surprisingly contains a well. It is significant
th a t th e only opening in th e wall o f this crypt is on the south, the
side o f th e churchyard, so t l r t it w ould have been possible to
transfer bones directly from th e yard to th e crypt. T h is would
doubtless have been m ore convenient and m ore seemly than
carrying them dow n a steep and narrow stair.
* Both these peals were silenced by enemy action through fire : the bells
fell and were considerably damaged, also some o f them suffered by the intense
heat.— A.R .H .
256
257
I
A
�T h e great bell at St. Sepulchre’s was rung at the execution of
crim inals at N ew gate. In th e aisle o f th e ch urch is, or was, a small
hand-bell w hich was ru n g outside th e condem ned cell the night
before th e execution, th e ringer chanting m eanw hile an exhortation
to repentance.
Six or seven churches possessed bells w hich date from before
th e G reat Fire (1666) b u t none so fam ous as some of those w hich
were m elted in its heat. I am thinking o f those of Bow C hurch
whose message alm ost m iraculously w afted to H ighgate, rang
" T u rn again W h ittin g to n , L ord M ayor o f L o n d o n .”
CITY SWORD-RESTS
E A R L Y all th e C ity churches provided a corporation pew
and a sw ord-rest or stand. T h e nu m ber o f the rests now
rem aining in L ondon is seventy, several churches having
two or three. T h is is som etim es accounted for by the transference
o f th e sw ord-rest from a dem olished church to the church of united
parishes. T h e only ch u rch I can call to m ind w ithout one is St. M ary
A lderm anbury, w hich was alm ost cleared o f its original fittings
about sixty years ago. I believe th at th e unnam ed exam ple at the
V ictoria and A lb ert M useum came from th at church. A friend
and I are tracing these relics as far as we can, and as the result of
an interesting investigation I th in k th at we have established this
fact. N early all the sw ord-rests are w rought iron, although there
are w ooden exam ples. T h e rests usually bear th e arm s of G reat
B ritain, th e C ity o f L ondon and th e livery com pany to w hich the
L ord M ayor belonged in w hose honour they were erected. I am
not sure at whose expense they were p u t up, w hether the livery
com pany or th e parish. I should be inclined to think th at w hen
a livery com pany attended an annual service in th e church of the
parish in w hich its hall was situated, and the sw ord-rest bears the
arm s o f th a t com pany, they were th e donors. L ord M ayors in the
past frequently attended C ity churches in state, accom panied by the
sheriffs. Living in th e C ity as a boy, I can vividly recall th e clanking
o f m any horses’ hoofs in the sabbath-silent streets, w hich indicated
to us th at th e picturesque procession was approaching, headed
by the C ity M arshal on horseback.
N
pow erful persons by his outspokenness and also dispelled m any
cherished traditions. If in his search am ong old docum ents he
discovered th at individuals, or even corporations, had been faithless
to th eir trusteeship, he did not fail to denounce them .
He
mercilessly exposed fashionable quack physicians and other
im postors. H e railed against the M arquis of W inchester for his
destruction of th e steeple of the A ugustinian church. “ L ondon
had lost a goodly m onum ent for one m an ’s com m odity. T im e
hereafter m ight talk of it.” H e poured scorn on some other w riters
on A ntiquities w hom he styled plagiarists, and proved th at they
quoted statem ents w ithout verification. H e refuted the tradition
th at the dagger in the C ity's arm s had anything to do w ith the
stabbing of W a t T yler, b u t show ed th at it was the sw ord of
St. Paul and had been in use before the reign of R ichard the Second.
M en in our tim e have asserted th a t D ick W h ittin g to n never ow ned
a cat nor King A rth u r a R ound T able, b u t their discoveries are not
popular. How ever, old Stow m ust have won the esteem o f his
fellow citizens at last, if we can judge by the fine alabaster m onum ent,
erected not long after his death in the church of St. A ndrew U n d ershaft. W h en we pay our respects we should rem em ber th at he
was th e friend of C am den, th at our society was first launched under
th e nam e of the C am bridge C am den Society, and only changed
the title after the original m em bers had left C am bridge.
INIGO JONES
R IT E R S on Stow generally express surprise th a t so fam ous
a m an should have received so little encouragem ent, and
have becom e so poor th a t in th e eightieth year of his age
collections were m ade on his b ehalf by special licence from the
king. I th in k th at th e explanation is th at he offended m any
N E w onders w hether W re n had to fight for the designs of
his parish churches as he had to do for the cathedral plans.
Presum ably in each case he w ould have to satisfy the
incum bents and the leading parishioners. Before the G reat Fire
all the churches in L ondon were o f G othic character w ith one
exception— th a t of Inigo Jones’s church of St. P au l’s, C ovent
G arden. Inigo Jones was an innovator, b u t th e n he had a duke
for his client, and not a very ecclesiastically m inded duke either.
Know ing th at his tenant leaseholders w ould require a conveniently
situated place of w orship, he asked th e C ourt architect to design
" som ething b etter th an a b a rn .” F or a generation or two St. P au l’s,
C ovent G arden, m ust have been one o f the m ost fashionably
attended places of w orship in the capital and no d o u b t its com plete
abandonm ent of m ediaeval tradition helped W re n to im pose his
classic taste upon the citizens, although we know th at in a few
instances he had to adopt the G othic style.
L et us im agine ourselves about three hun d red years ago, after
crossing the bridge over the Fleet River and before beginning the
steep and narrow ascent of L udgate H ill, gazing at the ships
discharging fish and sea-coal A b o u t half-way up the hill stands
L udgate, used as a prison for debtors and ornam ented w ith the
statue of Q ueen Elizabeth w hich is now over th e porch of
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JOHN STOW
T A IL O R A N D C H R O N IC L E R
W
O
�St. D u n sta n ’s, Fleet Street. W e push our way through the
thronged and narrow arch. T h e vista o f the thoroughfare is
com pletely blocked by the scaffolding w hich encloses the great
portico arising in front o f St. P au l’s cathedral. T h e like of this portico,
from th e design o f Inigo Jones, has never before been seen in
England. T h a t portico, in th e heart o f th e city, paved the way
for W re n in th e m inds o f th e leading citizens.
[T here is a m em orial to Inigo Jones in the church of St. Benet,
P au l’s W h arf, now used by th e W elsh.]
W REN’S CITY CHURCHES
R E A T changes came over E nglish architecture d uring the
sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, betw een the
R eform ation and th e C om m onw ealth. Foreign artists were
invited to E ngland or fled here from th e C ontinent. T h ere was
the Italian T orrigiano, th e F ren ch L e Soeur, the G erm an H olbein,
and, later, th e D u tch Van Dyck. T hese, and m any other artists
and craftsm en, helped to change com pletely the fashion o f all
th e arts. N oblem en and others travelled to foreign cities, and some
retu rn ed w ith scupltures and m arbles to adorn their tow n palaces
or country m ansions. Sir C h risto p h er W ren him self w ent to
Paris in 1665, the year o f th e plague; he visited buildings in
course o f erection such as the L ouvre, and doubtless m ade note
o f th e recently com pleted dom ed church o f Val de Grace, w here
o u r K ing C harles th e F irs t’s Q u een had been buried.
G
O nly one parish ch u rch had been b uilt in the C ity o f L ondon
d u rin g the period w hich we are considering— St. K atharine Cree,
in L eadenhall Street. T h a t was erected as late as th e reign o f
Charles th e F irst, yet, apart from the Renaissance details of the
arcades w hich separate nave from aisles, the general effect is largely
G othic because o f th e traceried w indow s and the p attern of the
ribs on th e plaster vault. Inigo Jones had b uilt St. Paul's, C ovent
G arden, in a purely Italian style, b u t th at was a private chapel-ofease for th e convenience o f residents on th e D uke o f B edford’s
estate th en in course o f developm ent.
to stand or kneel.
A fter the G reat Fire m any parishes were
am algam ated on grounds o f econom y and this m ade it im perative
th a t the new churches should be as com m odious as possible. T h e
necessary extra accom m odation caused W re n to resort to galleries
in m any instances and these required spacious staircases and lofty
pulpits. M otives of econom y m ade it desirable to use existing
foundations w here feasible and old m asonry and other m aterials.
In a few cases portions o f walls could be em bodied in the new
stru ctu res; especially was this the case w ith the lower portions
o f towers.
W re n seems, w ith his usual com m onsense, to have accepted
all these factors willingly, for the only instances in w hich he
appears to be clinging to th e out-m oded “ G othick ” were those
w here the wishes o f a donor or of the parishioners had to be m et
(St. M ary A lderm ary and St. M ichael, C ornhill, are cases in point).
H is m athem atical m ind played upon various plan-shapes— square
and oblong w ith one aisle, w ith two aisles or aisleless; w ith ceilings
flat, coved, groined or barrel-shaped; also w ith dom es on walls
only, on barrel vaults, on four or eight colum ns, and a ten-sided
ch urch w ith six colum ns carrying the dom e.
T h e cost of the fabrics only was m et by a duty of one shilling
on every ton o f coal entering the m etropolis; th e parishioners
subscribed the m oney for the furnishings and fittings. In spite
o f W re n ’s longevity and industry he cannot have designed all
th e details of the fittings, for besides th e fifty churches and the
cathedral he was em ployed upon G reenw ich and Chelsea H ospitals,
palaces at H am pton, W inchester and K ensington, several C ity
livery com panies’ halls, the M onum ent, T em ple Bar and college
w ork at O xford, C am bridge, E ton and W inchester. W e know
th at the F rench sm ith T ijou designed his w rought iron screens,
grilles and gates, although W ren doubtless gave him ideas as to
size and character. T h e nam e of G rinling G ibbons is associated
w ith m ost o f the carved woodwork in the churches, b u t here
again it w ould have been physically im possible for one m an to
have executed all this work, especially w hen accounts prove that
he was engaged at the cathedral and various palaces at the
same tim e.
T h is is, briefly, th e setting o f the stage on w hich W re n was
asked to perform . B ut he had to consider other factors. T h e
im pulse w hich A rchbishop L aud had given in favour o f a
cerem onial liturgy had died dow n d u rin g the reign o f Puritanism
at the tim e o f the C om m onw ealth. L ong serm ons had become
the chief feature o f the Sunday services and the com m union table
was overshadow ed by th e pulpit. Even th e w ord “ altar ” had
alm ost fallen into disuse. C hoirs only existed in cathedrals, royal
chapels and a few o ther churches. T h e increase of population
resulted in m any churches being overcrow ded, especially as all
w orshippers expected to be seated and were no longer content
W re n was pre-em inent as an astronom er and a leader in the
realm s o f physics, m echanics, m eteorology and chem istry. M y
old m aster and principal had this in m ind w hen he paid trib u te
to W re n on the occasion of the celebration o f his bi-centenary.
As President o f the R .I.B .A . it fell to M r. W aterhouse to lay the
cerem onial w reath on W re n ’s tom b in St. P au l’s.
A t the
com m em oration banquet the same evening he concluded his
speech w ith th e following w ords : " W e to-day pay reverent
hom age to a m an so dow ered w ith the gifts of genius and w ith the
spirit o f industry th at his leadership in the fields of natural science
found no equal save in his suprem acy as an architect : one,
m oreover, whose culture in classic literature was gracefully balanced
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261
�by a character so gentle and alluring as to w in this o u tb u rst from a
contem porary :
It is doubtful w hether he was m ost to be
com m ended for the divine felicity o f his genius or for th e sweet
hum anity o f his disposition.' ”
NOTES ON BOMBED CHURCHES IN LONDON
O R two h u n d re d and fifty years L ondon afforded such a
panoram a o f dom es, tow ers and spires as was equalled by
no city in E urope. C ontinental cities usually had, and have,
several large parish churches. In E ngland, on the other hand,
cities o f ancient foundation, such as L ondon, Bristol, Exeter, York
and N orw ich, contained m any sm all ones.
F
W ith in th e area o f th e C ity o f L o n d on— one square m ile—
th ere have been one h u n d red and fifteen separate parishes, each w ith
its own church, besides th e cathedral, priories and nunneries.
Several o f these disappeared in th e spiritual flames o f R eform ation
and m any m ore in th e m aterial flames o f 1666, so th a t at the end
o f th e seventeenth centu ry m any parishes had been am algam ated
and th ere w ere only seventy-tw o churches in the C ity itself. T h is
practice o f uniting parishes dates from th e reign o f H en ry th e F irst
and, finally, prior to 1939, there were forty-eight churches intact,
including those w ithin th e extension o f th e city boundary to the
west and north.
O f th e forty-eight churches eight w ere m ediaeval, thirty-tw o
by W re n , and eight o f subsequent date. W h a t has been the fate
o f W re n ’s churches ? H e designed churches adapted to fam ily
w orship and th e hearing o f long serm ons. C onsequently, there
were spacious pews and im posing pulpits, generally centrally
placed, and, to some extent, hiding th e com m union tables.
Populous parishes required galleries; th ere w ere no structural
sanctuaries, nor choir stalls. T h e re were, however, handsom e
reredoses inscribed w ith th e C om m andm ents, the C reed, the
L o rd ’s Prayer and, usually, w ith paintings of M oses and A aron.
T h e organs were m ostly added later, b u t often in W re n ’s lifetim e;
they invariably occupied th e west galleries.
St. Sw ithin’s, C annon Street and St. M ary A lderm ary bastard platetracery was introduced into the windows. Sir G ilbert Scott added
G othic porches to A Il-H allow s-by-the-T ow er and St. M ichael’s,
C ornhill, a m iddle pointed G othic apse to St. A lb an ’s, W ood Street.
Some of these were good in them selves b u t were seldom in harm ony
w ith the spirit of W ren. Perhaps the m ost extraordinary evidence
o f change of taste was that Street, the architect o f th e L aw C ourts,
was em ployed to make a design for the re-building of St. D ionis
B ackchurch in red-brick G othic. T h is was in 1860 and I surm ise
th at it did not m aterialise because the C orporation required the site
for the w idening o f F en ch u rch Street. O nly a narrow strip o f
garden recalls the position o f W re n ’s fine church.*
You may w onder w hy I refer to some of these m atters, b u t
they are relevant to the future of these churches. T h ere are other
points to be taken into consideration. T h e fabrics of W re n ’s
churches were, w ith one exception, built at the cost of all the citizens
o f L ondon and its su burbs by m eans of a tax on coal : the fittings
only were paid for by parishioners. Again the population o f the city
has declined d uring the last hun d red years. T h e congregations
o f the destroyed churches were m ostly very small and the incum bents
and choir usually lived at a distance from the parish. W e should
rem em ber, too, th at the D u tch congregation at A ustin F riars once
received an offer of a m illion pounds for the site of their church
and two or three houses adjoining. T h e C ity and South L ondon
Railway C om pany offered three quarters of a m illion pounds for
the site of St. M ary W oolnoth. B oth of these tem pting offers were
honourably declined. W h a t of the fu tu re ?
First, there are the “ clean sweepers ” w ho consider th a t the
rem aining churches suffice for the whole area of the city, th at the
ruined churches stand in the way o f proper reconstruction of roads
and buildings, that if the sites w ere disposed of m any new churches
could be built and endow ed in the suburbs.
Secondly, there are those w ho advocate the rem oval o f the ruins
leaving only the tow ers and spires, w ith small gardens attached.
Some o f the m em orials could doubtless be recovered and placed
in th e towers.
Thirdly, others w ould reconstruct the churches them selves in
the suburbs.
Lastly, there is the proposal advocated in th e Times to restore
th e fabrics w here practicable and to postpone the m atter of fittings
indefinitely.
T h e O xford M ovem ent altered a great deal of this d u ring the
nineteen th century. Pulpits w ere shifted to afford a b etter view of
the altars. C hoir stalls were provided and organs m oved to the east
end w here they often destroyed the sym m etry o f the aisles and
exposed aw kw ard looking flanks. Pews were lowered and rearranged
to suit th e altered conditions. Stone-flagged floors were relaid w ith
red and black encaustic tiles. Stained glass was introduced into the
window s and obscured th e light, already m uch reduced by the
increased height o f neighbouring buildings. T h e influence o f the
G othic Revival did not stop th ere for in St. M ichael’s, C ornhill,
* The panelled Vestry Hall also served to retain the name of the parish
and was used for elections and other local matters.— A .R.H .
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263
T h e re is m uch to be said for the policy of retaining the tow ers
and spires and I expect th at in m any cases it will be carried out.
It w ould give little satisfaction to the shade o f Sir C h ristopher
for he had designed his churches as a w onderful group, balanced as
�to m ass and contrasted in outline. T o see a few isolated specim ens
overtopped by tall buildings w ould fill him w ith dism ay. H e was
som etim es able to incorporate portions o f mediaeval tow ers as at
St. L aw rence Jew ry, w here th ere is one angle acute, b u t not noticeable
while th e body o f th e church stood. T h e destroyed lantern was
m ade square and not parallel w ith th e oblique parapets. A gain
th e lower parts o f tow ers w ere very often plain, being little
seen in narrow courts and streets until they rose clear above the
adjoining roofs.
W h e n we come to th e proposal to rem ove the churches to the
su b u rb s and reconstruct th em th ere as far as possible stone by stone
let us reflect on the case o f St. A ndrew 's, W ell Street, w hich was
so re-erected at K ingsbury. T h e cost was about £50,000 and the
late Bishop o f L on d o n said " N ever again." W re n ’s designs
were for particular sites, often so hem m ed in th at th e side elevations
were negligible or alm ost non-existent. M any o f his best churches
had galleries and these were an integral part o f the design and built
w ith th e high pulpits. T h e congregations in these galleries w ould
h ardly be able to see the altar unless seated in the front, hence m uch
space w ould be wasted.
As regards the last proposition, to rebuild or restore the fabric
in situ and leave the fittings to the future, we know nothing of the
new tow n plan for th e C ity b u t we m ay be quite sure th at the
narrow streets and alleys th a t W re n w ished unavailingly to suppress
will not survive. W re n ’s churches w ere adapted to th e lines of these
frontages and only in a few instances were suited to stand free like
St. C lem ent D anes or St. Jam es';’, Piccadilly.
Is it likely th at th e ch u rch authorities will forgo all these
site values and rebuild churches w hich they regard as red u n d an t and
m aintain th em w hen they w ould be practically useless for services ?
It is not possible to lay dow n general rules applicable to all
the destroyed churches. Each m ust be considered on its m erits—
its artistic value, its condition and how it fits into the new tow nplan for th e City. I w ould suggest th a t St. B ride’s C hurch, whose
walls are fairly intact, be used as a W re n M useum . T h ere will
be m any pieces o f finely carved oakwork, ironw ork and m asonry
w hich cannot be re-used. T h ese could be collected and arranged
on th e floor space. In reconstructed l'evel galleries, draw ings,
plans, photographs and paintings o f all W re n ’s works could be
displayed. O nly by such m eans can the genius o f W re n be
preserved and appreciated. St. N icholas Cole A bbey w ould make
a fine concert and lecture hall, its low flat ceiling and unobstructed
interior being particularly good for sound. T h e east wall of
St. Law rence Jew ry should be preserved even if the whole o f this
m ost elaborate o f W re n ’s churches be not restored as the
“ C orporation C h u rc h ."
B ut m uch will depend upon w hether we get Peace w ith
Security or only Peace w ith A nxiety.
THOUGHTS ON NINETEENTH CENTURY
ARCHITECTURE
(From Lectures to Students)
O B E R T A D A M ’S visit to Italy had notable effects on English
architecture.
C ontinental travel becam e fashionable and
a club was form ed in L ondon for m em bership o f w hich
only those were eligible w ho had visited lands, at first five hun d red
b ut, later, one thousand miles away. Explorations in G reece and
th e arrival in L ondon o f the m arbles from the P arthenon directed
cultivated taste to H ellenic art. T h e struggle for G reek in d ep en d
ence (and the death of Byron) helped to sustain the interest. H ence
the desire to create buildings of G reek design in a m ovem ent w hich
becam e know n as
the G reek Revival.M T h ere were, at least,
th ree clubs form ed as a result of this or influenced by it, the
A theneum , the P arthenon and the E rectheum . T h e first o f these
has becom e one of the prem ier clubs o f the w orld and still occupies
the building, o f date 1830, ornam ented w ith a reproduction of the
parthenaic frieze. T h e D oric gateway to E uston Station is an exam ple
of this phase as is also St. Pancras C hurch nearby. T h e exterior
of this church is based on the tem ple at A thens know n as the
E rectheum and in order to satisfy th e dem and for a steeple, a
com position based on a m ixture o f m otifs and details from the
T em ple o f the W in d s and o f the C horagic m onum ent to Lysicrates
rises from behind the portico. T h e climax of the m ovem ent m ay
be said to be the unfinished reproduction o f p art o f the P arthenon
w hich adorns the C alton H ill at E dinburgh.
R
Archaeological research was not confined to th e antiquities o f
G reece and Rom e for the em bers of G othic w ere still sm ouldering
in the closing years of the eighteenth century, b ursting into flames
at Straw berry H ill and F onthill A bbey, fanned by those rom antics,
H orace W alpole and W illiam Beckford. In the early years o f
the nineteenth century there was a literary m ovem ent led by Sir
W alter Scott and the poet W o rdsw orth w hich tu rn ed m en ’s thoughts
to the ancient m onum ents of our own country. “ R uins ’’ becam e
fashionable and " G othic ’’ ceased to be a w ord o f reproach
and even am ateurs becom e experts in distinctions of style.
T h e n the O xford M ovem ent took place in the C hurch, and
gradually the ritual of the services in m any o f the churches reverted
m ore and m ore to th e cerem onial o f the M iddle Ages. T h e literary
and ecclesiastical m ovem ents, com bined w ith th e w ork o f artists
hke C arter, B ritton and C otm an, com bined to produce the G othic
Revival w hich perm eated not only building, b ut all the kindred
crafts. A great num ber of new churches was required to m eet the
rapidly grow ing population of the industrial tow ns. T hese were
alm ost invariably built in a G othic style, m ost of th e schools and
the vicarages following suit. M unicipal buildings, law courts,
m useum s and even railway stations m ade a brave show of buttresses,
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�cathedral at W estm inster. T h e inspiration for his design is to be
sought in R avenna and Byzantium . T h e reverberation o f his
triu m p h is still felt in ecclesiastical circles for reasons not entirely
aesthetic. Brick as a m aterial is cheaper th an stone nearly every
where, and a good deal of ornam ental effect can be obtained by
laying bricks in herring-bone or vertical panels, and by a discreet
use o f various kinds o f courses. All these effects can be obtained
w ithout any fu rth er work upon the m aterial itself. A little added
expense produces bricks o f special shapes. All o f these expedients
Bentley em ployed w ith skill upon the exterior o f his great work.
A m asonry church equally ornam ented w ould have been vastly
m ore expensive.
You m ay not be so fam iliar w ith exam ples o f broken rules
or conventions. Belcher designed a fine building near M oorgate
for the In stitu te o f C hartered A ccountants. T h e crow ning feature
is an enriched architrave and cornice supported upon Ionic colum ns.
T h e re is no frieze betw een the architrave and the co rn ice; th u s the
entablature (if one may still so term it) lacks one of its three orthodox
m em bers. T h ere is, however, a band of fine sculpture below the
u pper w indow s. It is as if the frieze had been divorced from its
usual place for this purpose. A t N ew Scotland Yard, N orm an Shaw
built his red brick su p erstru ctu re upon a lofty grey granite p lin th
w ithout the intervention of the usual stringcourse to m ark the
junction. A nd, finally, we have M r. W a d e ’s School of N eedlew ork
at South K ensington, w ith its th re e-q u arter engaged colum ns on
the u pper part, supported upon corbels only. It was a healthy
sign of public interest that questions on these last instances were
asked and replied to in the H ouse of Com m ons. Scotland Y ard
was com pared to a jam or pickle factory, w hich probably was a
delicate com plim ent to a building belonging to M essrs. Crosse and
Blackwell, not long since dem olished.
W e m ay sum up the conclusions of the nineteenth century in
the following generalisations. T h e century opens w ith a fashionable
G reek Revival, and G othic struggling to find expression. T h e n the
G reek enthusiasm is exhausted and a G othic Revival is in full
sw ing; b u t its suprem acy is always challenged by the classic school
w hich is in m ost favour for civic and com m ercial buildings. Finally,'
G othic influence fades although still felt in m atters ecclesiastical.
A rchitects w ork m ostly in a m ore or less free classic. A few like
Shaw, M acintosh and Voysey strike out in new directions, b u t m ost
do w hat they think will appear right in other people’s eyes.
pinnacles and pointed arches, culm inating in Sir G ilb ert Scott’s
pile at St. Pancras. Revivalists began by picking up the dropped
threads o f the G othic garm ent in its latest style and “ Perpendicular ”
becam e fashionable. T h e n it was discovered th at th e fo uiteenth
centu ry had seen th e sum m it o f G othic art, and “ D ecorated ” was the
only wear. T h e backw ard tren d soon reached the th irte en th century
and tw o o f th e leading church architects, Pearson and Brooks,
soon w orked alm ost exclusively in the Early Pointed style. I do
not say “ Early E nglish,” for b o th m en w ere influenced by the
churches o f N o rth ern France, as was Street by the brick and m arble
churches o f N o rth Italy. T irin g o f native G othic, some dom estic
architects found inspiration in Flanders, H olland and the chateaux
o f th e Loire.
Yet all th e tim e o th er influences were m aintained. T h e Prince
C onsort show ed th e b read th o f his taste by sponsoring an Italian
villa at O sborne, a tow er o f G erm an outline to W hippingham
C h u rch , a Scottish baronial castle at Balmoral and a vast stru ctu re of
iron and glass in H yde Park. H e reposes in an Italo-B yzantine
m ausoleum at Frogm ore. G othic m ade little headw ay in the
C ity.
W e never had a G othic Coal Exchange or Stock
Exchange and people shook th eir heads w hen B aring’s chose
th e Q ueen A n n e period for th eir new head office. T h ey came
to grief and bankers have never since d eparted even thus far from
th e Classic.
Sedding followed on w ith H oly T rin ity , Sloane Street, w here
his P erpendicular G othic church contains a p u lp it and a baldachino
as Italian as they make them .
Finally tow ards th e end o f th e century, chaos was reached
w hen architects took to m ixing th e styles, using old m aterials
in new ways, in troducing new m aterials like steel and terra-cotta,
ornam enting private buildings w ith dom es and tow ers and ignoring
w hat had hith erto been considered rules o f architecture.
As regards th e m ixture o f styles, N orm an Shaw^ intrigued
th e architectural w orld w ith his G o th ic-Q ueen A nne church at
B edford Park. C ollcutt, in the Im perial In stitu te used free classic
details on a stru ctu re w hich is G othic in outline and w ith steep
roofs and lofty elaborated dorm ers. T h e re is even a faint suggestion
o f India in th e tow ers and finials. T h e same building illustrates
a novel use o f red brick for ornam ental bands betw een courses o f
stone.
V aulting in G othic churches had hitherto been o f stone or
plastered laths in im itation o f m asonry. It was left to Pearson to
v ault an E nglish ch u rch th ro u g h o u t in brickw ork. H e even used
com m on yellow stock bricks for this purpose in th e church of
St. John, R ed L ion Square. T erra-co tta was re-introduced, and
W aterh o u se was the first to em ploy it for th e entire external facing
o f an im portant building, nam ely th e N atural H istory M useum .
I t m ade q u ite an im pression, and I have traced its echoes as far
as M ilan. Bentley was equally bold in em ploying brick for his
W h at attitude should one take in criticising m odern buildings
designed in th e fashion o f past centuries and of other climes ? W e
m ust surely feel th at the principle of appropriateness is doubly
violated. But the point is not always so sim ply dealt w ith. Supposing
th at an architect is m aking an addition to an old building, or erecting
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As a result, L ondon affords the greatest variety o f architectural
designs, for nine-tenths o f it dates from the nineteenth century.
Rom e and Paris are m onotonous in com parison.
�a new one in close proxim ity to an ancient m onum ent, w hat attitude
should he adopt w ith regard to his design ? It was curious, and
alm ost am using, th at while Sir H orace Jones was dressing up the
steel fram e o f th e T o w er Bridge in p seudo-G othic m asonry to
harm onise w ith th e T ow er, w ithin the T ow er itself a red brick
G u ard H ouse was b uilt w ithout any G othic features other th an a
gabled roof, and a few m ullioned windows. T h e T ow er Bridge
was at first rapturously received and becam e very popular. T h e
popularity was m ainly due to the fact th at, although only a privileged
few could see th e wheels go round, all could see the bascules move
u p and dow n. T h e G u ard H ouse was stigm atised in the H ouse o f
C om m ons, b u t is now quietly accepted or ignored. M ost architects,
I think, agree w ith th e policy o f th e Society for the Protection of
A ncient Buildings, w hich, while striving to preserve as conserv
atively as is practicable, genuine w ork o f interest, deprecates any
deceptive copying o f bygone form s and details. W e see how Sir
A ston W e b b tackled th e jo b at St. B artholom ew the G reat.
A n o th er exam ple is P en n eth o rn e’s addition to Som erset H ouse,
th e portion facing W ellington Street. T h is was considered to be
such a successful attem p t to be harm onious, w ithout exact copying
o f th e original work, th a t a public din n er was given to P ennethorne
b y his b ro th er architects.
In designing the n o rth front of the
B ritish M useum , Sir John B urnet is generally th o ught to have been
successful. H ow it will link up w ith the front w hen th e wings
are com pleted I do not know, b u t doubtless th at has been considered.
Supposing it was decided to enlarge th e H ouses of Parliam ent by
enclosing N ew Palace Y ard w ith buildings. W ell, we have B arry’s
draw ings for this very thing, w ith a fine gateway tow er at the corner
tow ards Parliam ent Street. O n ly I w ould suggest th at the elaborate
detail o f th e present building should not be reproduced to th at
extent or q uite in th e sam e from . T h e re m ight be ju st enough
m odification to denote the different periods of erection, and to
express th e strin g en t tim es in w hich we are living.
L et us re tu rn to th e appraisem ent o f buildings of Revival
m ovem ents. H aving ad m itted the inappropriateness of past styles
to o u r own age, let us not be blind to qualities o f good proportion,
good com position o f mass and parts and good planning, all of
w hich are practically independent o f style. T h e n there are such
points to be borne in m ind as th e use o f good m aterials in the best
way; consistent scale; dignity and repose, w hich are nearly identical,
and effects o f colour and light and shade, w hich are nearly as closely
connected. T h u s, if we consider a D oric propyleum or gateway
to be an inappropriate entrance to a railway station, we can still
adm ire th e m agnificent m asonry, w ith single blocks (at Euston)
w eighing th irteen tons. If we th in k th at groups o f R om anesque
tow ers are uncalled for in a m useum , and even if we do not care
for terra-cotta, we can adm ire th e planning of the N atural H istory
M useum and th e excellently m odelled and appropriate ornam ent.
I am not thinking o f the N o rm an chevrons, b u t those delightful
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m onkeys th at are for ever clim bing up the piers of the great hall,
and m any other cleverly conventionalised birds, anim als and reptiles.
If the nineteenth century was characterised as a century of
Revivals, th ere were certain sociological developm ents w hich had
m ore perm anent effect on the appearance o f our towns. U ntil the
construction o f canals, buildings were usually erected o f local
m aterials. T h e exceptions were churches, castles and m ansions,
w hich were often built o f stone even if it had to be brought by sea or
river from a distance. In the beginning of the last century L ondon
was still m ainly a brick-built city roofed w ith tiles. Tw o o f W re n ’s
churches had red-tiled roofs. W h en slates could be brought cheaply
from W ales, they becam e the chief roofing m aterial. U n d er the
R egency it becam e usual to hide brickw ork beneath stucco. L ater in
the century m arbles and tim bers were im ported from all parts of
th e w orld in ever-increasing variety. Cast iron came to the front
in P addington Station w here Brunel allowed D igby W y att to devise
some original b u t not very successful ornam ental details. T h e
C rystal Palace carried th at kind o f developm ent a stage fu rth er and
steel was em ployed at St. Pancras and O lym pia.
T h e extended and cheapened facilities for travel enabled
architects and draughtsm en to fill th eir sketchbooks w ith features
noted abroad especially in France, Italy, H olland, G erm any and
Belgium. In the latter part o f the century buildings frequently
em bodied picturesque bits from these sources and occasionally
w ere m odelled entirely on foreign exam ples. F o r th e first tim e
E ngland felt the influence o f A m erica, not by copying any aesthetic
elem ent, b u t by the adoption o f the elevator or lift. Buildings had
been restricted as to the num ber of their floors by th e ordinary
lim its o f hum an endurance. A fter th e introduction o f the lift,
th e lim it only depended on the thickness of th e walls necessary to
carry the increased floor loads and to resist the force o f gales.
T hick walls are not only expensive to build, b u t occupy m ore space
and restrict the outlook from the room s. Q ueen A nn e's M ansions,
W estm in ster was the first L o ndon block to exploit the new conditions
and the ow ner did this so brutally, and w ith so little regard to the
am enities of his neighbours, th at new clauses o f the B uilding A ct
were form ulated to prevent anyone else following suit to the same
extent. T hese clauses, w hich are still in force, restrict the height
to 80 ft. b u t perm it tw o storeys in the roof in addition.
TW EN TIETH CENTURY ARCHITECTURE
(From Lectures to Students)
N attem pting to judge or describe architecture of the tw entieth
century we are beset w ith difficulties, for w ithin only one-third
of the century there were m ore conflicting aims and new
problem s th an in any w hich preceded it.
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�O n th e one hand we see builders nailing deal boards to the
fronts o f brick or concrete houses th at they may label them
“ T u d o r,” while excellent architects restrict them selves to the
traditional m aterials o f a locality and produce beautiful houses
harm onious w ith th eir surroundings and w ith th e texture of
antiquity, beloved o f th eir clients. W e see one of our leading
architects, designing headquarters for the Y .W .C .A ., using the
m anner o f th e early G eorges, so well suited to the period of
crinolines and pow dered wigs, b u t scarcely appropriate to the
young w om en o f today, w ho have discarded the wigs b u t not
th e pow der. W e see buildings w hich are outw ardly clothed w ith
brick or stone b u t are really constructed of steel. A t Selfridge’s,
stone colum ns are b uilt up around steel stanchions because otherw ise
th e su p erstru ctu re could not be sustained.
Some architects have struggled w ith the proper uses of
concrete w hen em ployed instead o f brick or stone. T h ere are
instances w here th e concrete has been freed from the surface
cem ent so as to expose th e aggregate of w hich the mass is com posed.
In other instances the concrete has been covered w ith large,
th in slabs o f m arble or granite frankly treated as veneer, w ith
m etal rivets show ing at th e corners o f th e slabs. A t the D orchester
H ouse H otel th e outer walls are faced w ith precast concrete blocks,
th e o u ter skin o f w hich is com posed of m arble; th e blocks being
so shaped and disposed th a t no one should be deceived into thinking
th a t the walls are stru ctu ral in the old sense of supporting floors
and roof. Floors and roof, and th e loads w hich come upon them ,
are carried by th e steel fram ew ork, w hich has to be concealed
to com ply w ith the B uilding A ct and restrictions against fire.
T h e n we have experim ents in reinforced concrete— a m aterial
w hich not only opens out new possibilities o f construction, b u t is
alm ost im perishable and requires practically no upkeep. T h is
m aterial is revolutionising th e shapes of openings and all our
traditional ideas o f proportion. D evelopm ents in electric lighting
are beginning to affect th e design o f buildings. C entral heating
has given an im petus to th e use o f ply and lam inated woods to
resist th e otherw ise certain w arping and shrinkage. T h e invention
o f plyw ood as now developed enables us to use slabs of wood in
one piece up to about 40 ft. super, m aking the m ethod o f fram ed
panelling unnecessary, and enabling woods of the finest grain and
quality to be used w ithout extravagance.
transform ed by the skilful use of glass for lam ps and canopies.
T h e Daily Express building is an instance of a different sort. H ere
the walling betw een th e continuous w indows of each storey is
faced w ith black glass. A squad of w indow cleaners will be able
to m aintain the elevations fresh in all their hard and rem orseless
efficiency.
R ubber has becom e a recognised m aterial for flooring. T h e
beautiful W a r M em orial Chapel at St. M ichael’s C h urch, C hester
Square, designed by Sir Giles Scott, is paved w ith black and w hite
rubber. It does not offer th e clear surface of m arble, b u t the
squares will wear level, and the distracting noise of scraping chair
legs is avoided; besides, ru b b er is w arm er than m arble to the
feet and knees. A sphalt properly laid provides a w ater-resisting
surface th at makes a sloping roof unnecessary. C an we doubt
b u t th at m ost self-respecting blocks of flats will provide a flat roof
for the landing o f aeroplanes in the near future? T h ere is already a
m otor track on the roof of a factory in T u rin for testing the running
o f m otor cars. T h e o u tp u t of synthetic m aterials is enorm ous
and increasing, and m any o f them can be obtained in a variety
o f colours. A nd as if all these novelties were not sufficient for
architects to assimilate, we have such revolutionary ideas as those
p u t forw ard by the F rench architects, C orbusier and A ugust
Perret.
W e are still confronted w ith the problem s involved in the
clash of ideals, the variety of new m aterials at hand, and the fresh
purposes for w hich buildings have already been required in this
century. Cinem as, film studios, crem atoria, aerodrom es, b ro ad
casting stations, electric transform ing stations, bathing pools and
pavilions are becom ing frequent m anifestations of our civilisation.
W e have to prepare ourselves to do w hat we can to resolve these
conflicts, to preserve some scale and harm ony w ith w hat has gone
before and still persists. W e may dislike the tren d of m odern
architecture, b u t on reflection we m ust adm it th at th e L am p of
T ru th often burns m ost brightly in the M odernist cam p. O r,
on the other hand, we m ay adm ire the clean, polished elevations
o f the Ideal R adiator building in G reat M arlborough Street, or
D rage’s in O xford Street, b u t should we erect sim ilar buildings
facing W estm in ster A bbey or St. P aul’s ? T hese are some of the
difficulties to be faced up to. I have explained som ething of past
tradition. I cannot sufficiently em phasise th at all good building
should continue to be expressive o f its own period, th at revival
and copying are mistakes. T h e appropriate and artistic use of
new m aterials requires m uch thought. T h ere is th e old saying
th a t ‘‘A rt is long, life is short ” ! T h e architectural art was never
longer th a n now, if by length we m ean the variety of its phases
and the com plexity of its form s, b u t, fortunately, life is longer, too,
and the end is not yet.
N o t only wood b u t m etals can now be planed by m achinery.
R ustless m etal can be ex truded from a m achine in a variety of
form s and be m o unted on hardw ood to make doors and shopfronts,
or even a housefront if desired. T h e bronze-faced doors of
Im perial C hem ical H ouse, M illbank, are 20 ft. high, b u t owing
to m odern m ethods o f construction can be operated by one m an.
G lass is now used for a variety o f purposes, b o th on the exterior
a n d in the interior o f buildings. F rascati’s R estaurant in O xford
S treet is an exam ple o f an elevation w hich has been successfully
M ost of you students will enjoy five years m ore of life
th an your grandparents. Spend some of this extra tim e in
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�preparation and absorb all you can contrive of the beauty of the
old E ngland w hich is passing. It will help to inspire you to the
creation o f new structures, different in form , b u t not necessarily
less beautiful in th e eyes o f succeeding generations.
PRE-WREN CHURCHES
St .
B a r th o lo m e w
th e
G r e a t, S m it h fie ld
R O M th e tw elfth to the fifteenth centuries w ork was
constantly going on w ith the building or rebuilding o f the
Sm ithfield priory. I f we try to visualise the church about
th e year 1550, we m ust im agine th a t not only the windows b u t
th e walls w ere full o f colour, th e voussoirs o f the arches were
painted red, black and yellow in alternation, and other parts were
diapered, checkered or gilded. A cross the first bay o f the nave,
im m ediately west o f th e crossing, was the pulpitum , a stone screen
bearing th e Rood, w ith th e atten d an t figures and candles; possibly
also a sm all organ. T h e H igh A ltar stood at a higher level than
at p resent, for th e sanctuary had been raised w hen the N orm an
apse was altered. T h e dim , flickering light .of candles b urning
on th e side altars w ould be discernible th ro u g h som e o f th e arches.
Successive acquisitions o f pro p erty in th e last h a lf century
have enabled m uch to be done. In designing the w ork of restoration
Sir A ston W e b b took as his guiding principle to preserve and re-use
all th e old m aterial th at he possibly could, and to carry on the
m ain lines o f existing work. W h ere nothing rem ained, he so
designed th e new th a t no stu d en t in th e future could be deceived.
H ence th e use o f a grey stone internally and the extensive use o f
flints for th e new facings o f th e w est end o f the nave, transepts
and L ady C hapel. M any o f his details and m ouldings have an
individual character not purely m ediaeval.
F
St. O
lave,
H
approxim ately square bays vaulted in chalk upon ribs o f hard
freestone, th o ught to be C hilm ark stone. W h y such a stone
should be brought from the inland county of W iltshire in the
th irteen th century I do not know. T h e walls are of chalk. T h ere
is a well, said to be Rom an. T h e position of the crypt raises two
questions. D oes the crypt represent the length o f th e earlier
church ? If so, it was very small and probably aisleless. If the
crypt was u nder the chancel o f the earlier church, m ust we assum e
the whole church was rebuilt fu rth er east ?
art
S treet
St .
H e le n ,
B is h o p s g a te
O riginally there were two churches, parochial and conventual,
separated by a wall. T w enty-one m ediaeval churches in the C ity
survived the G reat F ire and of these five rem ain. In not one
instance is there an arch separating the nave from the choir. W h e n
a chancel was roofed at a lower level than the nave, an arch was
necessary to support the gable wall, b u t even w hen the roofs were
at the same level a dividing arch was desirable, for usually the
rector was liable for the upkeep of the chancel and parishioners
for the nave. If no structural division were obvious the ap p o r
tionm ent o f ro o f repairs w ould prove difficult. How can we account
for the absence of chancel arches in this C ity of L ondon and in
St. H elen’s in particular ? It seems to have been the custom in
the old C ity for the parishioners to be responsible for the
whole fabric.
A bout two decades ago, w hen a house to th e n orth o f the
church was dem olished, the foundations o f an ancient apse were
discovered, and this led to the surm ise th at the original church
o f St. H elen did not stand on the present site. W h y was it
m oved ? I will hazard a conjecture. It is th at w hen the convent
was founded in 1212 th e boundaries of th e estate w hich it desired
to possess m ade it necessary th at the parish church be rem oved,
as otherw ise the church w ould be encircled by the conventual
buildings, clearly an im possibility.
P erhaps the church had
becom e too small for the parishioners and th e convent offered
to build a finer and larger church alongside th eir ow n on the
boundary of the estate.
A nyw ay, the present building has
evidences o f th irtee n th -c en tu ry construction.
T h e roofs are
know n to have been o f about the year 1430. T h ey are o f straig h t
forw ard carpentry, w ith no ceiling boards or false ribs. In 1888
M r. John Pearson was called in to advise and the present aspect
of th e interior is largely due to th at distinguished architect.
T h is is a typical tow n ch u rch o f the fifteenth century, o f
irregular plan, m ade to utilise every available space. T h e piers
are o f P urbeck m arble, w hich m ay have been selected to enable
th e size to be reduced to a m inim um . C uriously, the bases of
those on th e n o rth are nearly a foot lower th an those on th e south.
A n o th er rem arkable fact is th a t th e w indows o f the south aisle
are set out w ithout any relation to th e piers and arches. T h e door
to th e vestry m ust have led to a form er sacristy. H ad it been
m erely a p riest's door to th e churchyard, w ith no roof beyond,
there seems to be no reason w hy th e w indow in th e aisle should
not have been set out in its norm al relation to the arch opposite.
T h e oldest p art o f the church, only recently discovered (and
now all th a t is left intact), is th e th irteen th -cen tu ry crypt o f two
Very little can be said about the form er church on this site.
It dated from th e fourteenth century, the tim e w hen the parishioners
ceased to w orship in the great church of H oly T rin ity Priory
nearby. T h e church consisted o f a nave and two aisles. T h e
272
273
S t . K a t h a r in e C
ree,
L
eadenhall
Street
�tow er was not b u ilt until about 1500. T h ere is a fragm ent of one
o f th e nave piers considerably bu ried (for the ground in L ondon
is said to have risen, on th e average, a foot in a century). O n the
n o rth side o f th e old church was a narrow cloister overlooking the
churchyard. T h is was possibly connected w ith the perform ance
o f m orality and m iracle plays. T h e erection of the cloister m ay
have been a consequence and not a cause. W e do not know w hether
it was o f stone, brick or wood : only th at it was 7 ft. wide. T h ere
is an en try am ong th e parish records of the receipt of 27s. 8d.
for a licence to perform .
T h e shapes o f th e w indow s are unusual. T h e east window
presents th e form o f a rose w ithin a square. T h e only other
instances o f this design occurring in L o ndon are, I think, the
tran sep t w indow s o f W estm in ster A bbey, b u t w hen this church
was b u ilt th e old C athedral possessed an east window of this
form . T h e rem ainder o f th e w indow s have each three lights w ith
cusped, pointed heads; although th e centre lights are carried up
higher, all have flat heads. T h e vaulted ceiling is rem iniscent of
G othic design, b u t o f a flatness only possible in plaster. T h e
two easternm ost bays display m ore ribs th an th e others, and
equal about tw o-fifths o f th e length o f the ch u rch ; surely a
sym ptom o f th e high -ch u rch revival u n d er L aud, w ho was bishop
o f L ondon at the tim e o f building this church. T h e colum ns
and arches have a purely classical character. T h e two eastern
colum ns were painted blue w ith veins o f gold to represent lapis
lazuli, q u ite in th e Italian fashion. T h e arches of the w estern
bay are narrow er th a n th e others, and are m uch stilted so that
th eir sum m its m ay reach the sam e height. As the west end of
th e ch u rch was b u ilt rig h t up to the street pavem ent, it was not
practicable to have external buttresses. C onsequently the device
o f th e narrow arches reduced th e th ru st o f the arcades w here those
th ru sts reached th e o uter wall, and this narrow bay w orked in
conveniently w ith th e narrow m ediaeval tow er w hich was retained.
It has often been stated th a t Inigo Jones was the architect of
this church. As th ere were very few architects th en and Inigo
Jones was far and away th e m ost im p o rtant, it seems quite probable
th a t th e tradition is correct, although there appears to be no
foundation for th is ap art from tradition and the ch u rch ’s
resem blance to some o f his know n work.
painted rood screen right across th e church. In 1723 the church
was w ainscoted and pe wed in oak, a reredos erected w ith painted
figures o f M oses and A aron, also altar rails enclosing m arble
pavem ent, and an organ gallery was form ed at the west end. It
has been stated th at the paintings in the spandrels of the arches
and those o f the A postles w hich form erly existed betw een the
clerestory window s were executed in 1726. T hey are not in full
colour b u t chiaroscuro.
R estorers have wisely left them as
representing the survival in the eighteenth century of a m ediaeval
tradition.
F or a century the stru ctu re of the interior was left in peace.
W e can imagine ourselves entering from the noisy, m uddy street,
passing u nder the house w hich th en stood in front of the tow er
and porch, and finding ourselves in a capacious lobby beneath.
Passing through one of the pair of swing doors, we enter the
passage aisle betw een the tall, straight oak pews, m ostly furnished
w ith cushions, hassocks and carpets. T h e p u lp it stands on a
w ooden base, probably higher th an the present one, and behind
it the reredos w ith th e com m andm ents in gold on black, M oses
and A aron painted, and, above, carved cherubim and the old
stained window.
In 1875 the church caught the full blast o f the G othic Revival.
U n d er th e supervision o f Ewan C hristian and A rth u r Blomfield
the gallery was rem oved, th e organ installed in its present position
and the G eorgian pews gave place to the present benches.
W REN CHURCHES
T h e depressed arches o f th e w indows and arcades w ould
suggest th at this ch u rch was th e latest to be b u ilt in the City
before th e R eform ation, even later th an St. Giles, C ripplegate.
T h e plan consists o f a clerestoried nave, w ith w ide aisles and no
stru ctu ral chancel, the tow er being at th e south-w est corner. O n
th e n o rth wall th ere exists a rood stair tu rre t w hich originally also
gave access to th e roof o f th e aisle. T h e re was probably a richly
O S T o f th e old C ity churches w ere small, and as the
tradesm en and m erchants were responsible for the
attendance o f their apprentices and household at th e
parish church (and there were no nonconform ist chapels) we can
realise how fam iliar m ost m em bers o f a congregation m ust have
been w ith each other. T h e parish church had, therefore, som ething
of the character of a social m eeting-place. It m ust have been
this aspect of affairs th at accounts for as m any as fifty-one churches
being rebuilt after the G reat Fire. It w ould have been cheaper
and m ore expeditious to have built a sm aller n um ber of larger
churches. T h e econom ic loss was trem endous for th a t age, and
the strain was so great th at som e churches were not rebuilt for
twenty-five years.
W re n was designing for a generation w hich had outgrow n
mediaeval sim plicity, a generation of w hich the leaders, at least,
had becom e sophisticated (liking long serm ons if they could listen
in com fort) and wished to build in the latest fashion of w estern
Europe. W re n ’s generation was m ore concerned w ith obtaining
sufficient seating accom m odation for a growing population th an
any elaboration of cerem onial.
274
275
St . A
ndrew
U
ndersh aft,
L
eadenhall
Street
M
�(a) G O T H IC
St .
M a r y A ld e r m a r y
T h is ch u rch had been extensively repaired, redecorated and
fitted for th e revived cerem onial in th e tim e w hen L aud was
Bishop o f L ondon. A lm ost all th e body o f th e church and the
u p p er p art o f th e tow er disappeared in th e flames o f 1666. Traces
o f th e form er west door and o f th e south aisle windows seem to
have rem ained to give th e keynote for W re n ’s design. H e was
lim ited here by th e term s o f a bequest. N ow here else did he plan
a com pletely G othic church. In all probability he adopted the old
foundations. T h e outlines are balanced and rectangular except
for the oblique east wall. T h e tow er is nearly isolated w ith its
sixteenth-century arch on the n o rth side. H e used the bases of
th e m ediaeval piers and the arches seem to be reproductions o f the
earlier ones. T h e plaster enrichm ents o f th e spandrels w ith th eir
renaissance scrolls and cartouches are d ue to him . T o W re n m ust
be given the credit, or otherw ise, o f th e plaster fan vault w ith its
unduly em phasised circles and ovals enriched by ornam ent w hich
seems alm ost to belong to th e realm o f th e confectioner. W h e th er
the form er church had a fan vault o f m asonry we do not know,
b u t as it w ould have been contem porary w ith H en ry V II’s chapel
it is not unlikely, especially bearing in m ind th e Rogers bequest
u n d er w hich W re n worked. T h e furnishings were in W re n ’s
usual style, probably because they were paid for by the
parishioners and not u n d er the will.
(b) H Y B R ID
St .
M ic h a e l,
C o r n h ill
Sir G ilbert Scott undertook work here early in th e last century,
and in 1859 a house at the north-w est corner was dem olished, a
portion o f its site paved and the rest occupied by the florid halfF rench, half-Italian porch, which, ju d g ed apart from its
surroundings, is a fine thing. In M aitland’s “ L o n d o n ,’’ published
about 1750, there is a folio illustration of the west end showing
b o th aisles carried right th ro u g h to St. M ichael’s A lley and n orth
and south porches w ith room s over each. M r. Birch, a form er
m em ber of our Society, and au thor of w hat is still the finest
illustrated work on W re n ’s churches, drew attention to this fact,
and rem arked th a t no inform ation as to either the erection or
dem olition of these porches was forthcom ing.
T hos. Stow, grandfather, and T hos. Stow, father, of the
antiquary, were both buried in the churchyard. T h e will of the
form er is w orth noting as it throw s light on the furnishing of the
church before the R eform ation and the custom s of the age.
(c) E A R L Y C O N T R A S T S
St .
B e n e t , P a u l ’s W h a r f , a n d
St .
L aw ren ce Jew ry
St. B enet’s is unique in its arrangem ent and alm ost unique
in respect o f th e slight alterations w hich it has undergone. T h e
sounding board from th e p u lp it now form s the ceiling o f the
p o rch; otherw ise, apart from m onum ents, glass and some
ornam ents, the general aspect is th at o f the seventeenth century.
Externally the steep roofs covered w ith tiles give th e church a very
special aspect, m ore suited to a country tow n. T h e red brick walls,
lofty windows w ith carved stone swags, recall W re n ’s w ork at
W inchester College. W h en Q ueen Street was m ade the surrounding
levels w ere altered and the little churchyard was absorbed in the
sloping approach to the new thoroughfare.
St. M ichael had m ore honour in this city th an any other
saint except the V irgin. Six churches dedicated to him w ithin
the one square m ile have been destroyed for various reasons.
T h is church, w hen I was a boy, was regarded as m ost sum ptuous
in fu rn itu re and decoration; m any thousands o f pounds had been
spent upon it. W ith its situation, its m usical services, its tow er
and its bells, it enjoyed a prestige not excelled by any other
city church.
W e know little o f th e form er church. T h ere was a cloister
on the south side w ith room s over to house the choristers who
sang mass daily. W re n ’s walls seem to rest upon the older
foundations, as they are not parallel. T h e church is one of his
earliest, dedicated in 1672. T h e old tower was patched up and
served for another half century. T h e present tow er was executed
w hen W re n was in his ninetieth year and is his latest w ork in the
city. C uriously h ybrid in detail, b u t m ost successful in outline
and proportions, this ch u rch becom es less visible every year on
account o f higher buildings going up round it, w hich is m uch
to be regretted.
T h e church was com pleted in 1683 and presents interesting
com parison w ith St. Law rence Jew ry, by th e G uildhall (1677).
In both these churches W re n seems to have been som ew hat
ham pered by the lie o f the old foundations, w ith the result that
o f three sim ilar parts divided by pilasters the central one is the
sm allest (as seen on the east walls). T h e position o f the tow er
in each case has seem ingly influenced this point. In W re n ’s tim e
w ith a central pulpit this w ould scarcely be noticeable.
St. Law rence Jew ry illustrates very well the fundam ental
difference betw een G othic and Renaissance architecture. T h e
difference lies not m erely in the form s of arches and m ouldings
and the ornam ents, b ut in the structural veracity of the form er, a
truthfulness w hich is often lacking in the later style. Strip the
pilasters from these walls and m ere disfigurem ent w ould result,
b u t the piers of a G othic building are real. Hack away the plaster
from this ceiling and a roof of totally different character is disclosed,
one in w hich the vaults are suspended from above by ribs and coves.
A fter a first im pression o f richness and spaciousness there may
276
277
�succeed a feeling th a t th e building is not very m uch like a church.
It m ust have been even less so w hen new, lacking the stained glass
and th e m onum ents. T h e decorative treatm en t of walls and
ceiling m ight seem alm ost suitable for a banking hall or a palace
in th e absence o f stru ctu ral chancel and w ith its flat ceiling. W re n
sacrificed internal for external effect. T h e exterior east end is a
charm ing com position in itself b u t w ith little relation to the interior.
In planning this ch u rch W re n show ed great skill in disguising the
obliquity o f th e site. T h e length on th e south wall is 10 ft. greater
th a n along the colonnades. T h e thickness of the walls varies
also. M y old friend, M r. T . Francis B um pus, who was so well
know n in th e Society, has w ritten a good deal about the large and
very fine organ in the first volum e o f his " L ondon C h u rch es.”
O n th e dem olition o f the G uildhall chapel in 1822 St. Law rence
becam e th e C orporation C h u rch . T h e seating was altered w hen
the ch u rch was restored u n d er Sir A rth u r Blomfield in 1866/7,
probably to give greater dignity to th e altar.
( These two churches illustrate the wide range o f W ren’s
work : English brick and stone ornamentation on one hand
and the very different Italianate stone and plaster building,
4 richly g ilt,” on the other.— A .R .H .)
4
(d)
St .
M a r y -a t-H ill,
DOM ES
B illin g s g a te ,
1672-77
In m ediaeval tim es th e church was referred to as Santa M aria
ad M ontem , a description w hich tran sp o rts us m om entarily beyond
th e A lps. T h e hill is less obvious now, for after the G reat Fire
T ham es Street was relaid upon a foundation of debris four feet
above its form er level, w hich was itself six feet above the original
R om an level. Parts o f th e older ch u rch are em bedded in the wall
o f th e p resent one. W e know little o f the earlier church w hich had
seven altars, one o f w hich stood betw een the statues of St. Nicholas
and St. T hom as a Becket : St. N icholas, as patron saint of sailors,
for the fisherm en’s quay was n earb y ; St. T hom as a Becket because
as a young m an he had been attached to the church as a priest
(probably while his father, th e Portreeve, was living in T h e Poultry).
T h e N orm an church, fam iliar to Becket, was rebuilt tow ards the
close o f the fifteenth century and extensively repaired in 1616.
T h e tow er and walls w ere not so badly dam aged by fire b u t
th a t W re n was able to patch th em up. T h is he did betw een 1672
and 1677. W h e n he had finished, th e parishioners had a very
hybrid stru ctu re, for while th e exterior, apart from the east wall,
appeared mediaeval, the interior, except for the aisle windows,
was o f purely classical design.
T h e m oderate dim ensions and lack of funds precluded any
am bitious design, b u t W re n contrived a dignified interior based on
his conception o f the ceiling, th e th en novel idea o f a dom e rising
from the intersection o f four barrel vaults. T h is schem e dictated
the need of four colum ns or piers.
W re n ’s com m onsense chose
the form er as being less obstructive. T h e dom e is small and has no
external expression w hatever as com pared w ith St. S tephen’s,
W albrook, probably the first tru ly dom ed building in England.
T h e tow er was rebuilt in 1780 w hen the west wall was shifted
to make way for vestries. D espite this, the whole fabric proved
inadequate u nder the leadership o f P rebendary Carlile and the work
o f the C h urch A rm y. T h e optical lantern for prayers and hym ns,
stringed and brass instrum ents as an adjunct to the choir, and the
display o f fish at harvest festival, w ere novel and attracted large
congregations.
St.
S te p h e n , W a lb r o o k ,
1672
T h is church has received greater approbation than any other
of W re n ’s parish churches.
Bearing in m ind the rubble m asonry
of the exterior T . F. B um pus w rote : " N ever was so sweet a kernel
in so rough a shell.” T h e success o f this first dom ed building
in the country so early in W re n ’s career no d o u b t accounts for the
latitude he was allowed in building St. P au l’s. H e expanded the
central area o f the cruciform plan, em ployed eight colum ns to support
the dom e. Portions o f the ceiling are flat, others barrel-vaulted,
groined and ungroined.
W h en the tall pews w ere rem oved
architectural gram m ar dem anded the orthodox square pedestals
in place o f the inconspicuous and non-obstructing small octagonal
bases planned by W ren .
St . M
il d r e d ,
B read Str eet,
1683
T his is one o f the thirty-seven oblong churches W re n designed
for the city. It has a dom e supported directly from the walls
w ith transverse barrel vaults. A lthough the church has th e sim ple
outline of an oblong room , it is by W re n ’s genius rendered wellproportioned, dignified and unique. T h e position o f the tow er
at the south-east is unusual and the lowest storey form s th e vestry.
It is possible W re n built on foundations of th e m ediaeval tow er
for econom y or perhaps he felt it w ould darken th e church m ore
if placed over the entrance.
W e know th a t the cost o f this church was £ 3,705 12s. 6£d.
T h is w ould be for the carcase only as the com m issioners left the
parishioners to find the m oney for th e fittings. D etails are given of
the plasterw ork and for the w indows w hich were provided by
Elizabeth Pewrie, glazier, for £28 odd. She could hardly have m ade
the glass, w hich probably came from the factory at W hitefriars.
M ost likely she was the widow o f a m aster glazier and em ployed
m en to cut and fix the glass. In the accounts, torches w ere charged
for at 3d. per night and candles at 4 |d . per lb. T hese were for
overtim e to hasten com pletion.
279
�T h e plaster enrichm ents o f the ceiling are very fine. F o u r
figures o f cherubim at th e centre o f th e dom e w ere rem oved la te r;
b u t th e cherubs supporting th e p en d en t brass candelabra rem ained.
O ne m ust rem em ber th at th e casting o f plaster in m oulds was not
practised in th e seventeenth century and th at all the u n d ercutting
was done by hand.
St .
M ary A bch u rch ,
1686
T h is building is 60 ft. w ide and ju s t a little longer. By placing
th e tow er at one corner and th e gallery in a recess behind a single
colum n W re n reduced his plan to an apparent square. Seven
corbels ranging w ith his single capital enabled him to form eight
ap parently equal arches to su p p o rt an alm ost circular ring cornice.
U p o n this he raised a dom e, th e springing point of w hich is level
not w ith th e cornice b u t w ith the corbels on the walls. T h e
pendentives really form part o f th e hem ispherical dom e, although
th e interception o f th e cornice disguises this fact.
T h e slight
lack o f parallelism o f th e n o rth and south walls m ust have caused
m uch difficulty in setting out th e ceiling and we m ust conclude that
W re n utilised th e foundations o f the mediaeval church. T h e
dom e is painted by Sir Jam es T h o rn h ill who caught the prevailing
fashion of his day. Instead o f being content to treat the whole
surface as th e firm am ent he introduced architectural features round
the w indow s and a circular cornice above them , all cleverly shaded
to give th e im pression of m odelled reality.
(e) T O W E R S A N D SPIRES
St .
M a r tin ,
L u d g a te ,
T h is seems unlikely since the nearest corner to N ew gate was th e
north-w est and not the south-w est. It does seem likely th at there
was a connection betw een the church and the d eb to rs’ prison
over L udgate, w hich adjoined the church at the south-w est and
rem ained until the first year of G eorge III. Even if the prisoners
did not enter the church the Rector may have visited his prisonparishioners over the gate by m eans of this door.
1684
O n this site w edged in betw een the garden o f the B ishop’s
Palace and th e C ity wall stood th e m ediaeval ch u rch of St. M artin
w ith a tow er and two porches adjoining the street. T h e fact th at
th e present chu rch is am ong W re n ’s finest works is due to its
rath er late erection. T h is is particularly the case in regard to the
steeple. U sually W re n m ade the transition from the square tow er
to the octagonal spire by the aid o f urns, pinnacles, pineapples or
th e like ornam ent. H ere it is difficult to separate the tow er from the
spire and to decide w hich is th e point o f junction. W e m ay place
it at th e stone cornice th at surm ounts the square portion or at a
few feet above, w here the m asonry gives place to the lead-covered
tim b er stru ctu re. T h e elegant little balcony is unique as are the
tw o large scrolls w hich link th e steeple to the m ain wall o f the church.
St .
M a r g a r e t P a tte n s,
E a stc h e a p ,
1687
T h e south wall is partly built of rubble m asonry from th e
older church and faced w ith red brick. O nly the west end facing
Rood Lane is o f P ortland stone. T h e brickw ork was subsequently
stuccoed and both elevations painted. T h e parish is one of the
sm allest in England, being only 100 yards long and 70 yards wide.
T h e church is of m odest dim ensions from w hich W re n has skilfully
contrived an im pression o f space and dignity. T h e height o f the
steeple is only surpassed in the C ity by those o f St. B ride’s and St.
M ary-le-Bow . It is probable th at the mediaeval church had a lofty
spire and that the parishioners desired that its m em ory should be
preserved. W h e th er this was so or not, the church possesses a
spire m ore nearly approaching the mediaeval type th an any other
designed by W ren. It is octagonal, o f tim ber covered w ith lead.
O nly in the details of the spire lights does any Renaissance feeling
show itself. T h e height o f the spire in relation to the tow er is
unusually great and I have noticed th at artists who have depicted
it have rarely left enough space to render it accurately. T h e west
face is quite flush w ith the wall, b u t this artistic defect is little
apparent owing to the narrow ness of Rood Lane. T h ere is a slight
pilaster-like thickening at all the angles— a m ere projection of about
one and a half inches sufficient to give a subtle interest to the
elevations and leading the eye up to the angle pinnacles w hich
skilfully harm onise w ith the steep sides of the spire and form a
satisfactory ju nction betw een the square and the octagonal form.
W re n while living in Love Lane regularly occupied the canopied
pew at the south-w est end of the nave and his m onogram is inlaid
on the underside of the canopy to record the fact.
St .
D u n s ta n -in -th e -E a s t,
1671-1699
T h e re is a blocked doorw ay at the south-w est to w hich the
sextoness drew m y attention. She says th at C anon G ilbertson, a
form er P resident o f our Society, spoke of a tradition th at condem ned
prisoners were b ro u g h t into th e church th ro u g h this doorw ay on
th e night before th eir execution by way o f an underground passage.
W re n was able at St. D u n sta n ’s to retain m uch o f the o u ter
walls b u t introduced T uscan arcades rather like the effect at
St. Sepulchre’s. T h e walls of the tow er were evidently dem olished
and the W ren tow er and spire were not com pleted till 1699.
T hese are of daring construction, inspired, possibly, by sim ilar
tow ers in the n o rth of England and Scotland. T h e hollow spire
is raised on two intersecting arches, the outw ard th ru st of w hich is
counteracted by lofty pinnacles at their bases on the angles of the
280
281
�tow er. T h e w eight o f the spire is fu rth er reduced by openings
in four o f its eight sides. In 1810 th e body of the church had becom e
unsafe and D avid Laing, architect o f the neighbouring C ustom
H ouse, was com m issioned. A ssisted by W illiam T ite, of Royal
Exchange note, he produced a rath er hard b u t w ell-proportioned
and dignified version o f a late m ediaeval church befitting the G othic
natu re o f th e spire.
S t.
B r id e ,
F le e t
S tr e e t,
1680-1700
T h is parish is one o f th e largest in the city and it is natural
th a t th e church should rank am ong W re n 's m ost im portant works.
T h e steeple was not erected until 1700 and therefore em bodied
not only W re n 's genius in design b u t his experience in construction.
N one o f the stone m ediaeval spires contained stairs, b u t here there
are stone stairs, colonnades and entablatures w ith lesser features,
as urns and obelisks, poised at a great height and all calculated to
sway w ith a peal o f bells. T h is is th e highest of W re n ’s steeples,
being 234 ft. as first constructed, and 226 ft. as reconstructed after
being struck by lightning. T h e re is less variety in this spire than
in th a t o f St. M ary-le-B ow , b u t m ore rhythm . T h e transition
from th e tow er to th e spire is perfect from all points of view.
T h e tow er was th e first to have a clock-face illum inated at night in
th e days w hen w atches w ere not com m on. Also it was the first
to hold a com plete peal o f twelve bells, w hich was possible on account
o f th e ancient E truscan principle of construction used to elim inate
o utw ard th ru st.
( /) LA T E CO N TRA STS
St .
M a r g a r e t,
L o th b u r y ,
1690
T h is church consists o f an unobtrusive oblong body w ith the
add itio n o f a south aisle, the tow er being at the south-w est corner.
A t th e south-east is a vestry w ith a library over. If W re n could
re-visit th e ch u rch to-day he w ould be greatly puzzled. A p art
from th e possible presence o f a gallery there are m any changes,
th ree w indow s blocked, the altar raised, a ritual choir, a side chapel
besides m any item s o f fu rn itu re w hich w ould seem strangely
fam iliar. Such item s came from other churches whose parishes
are now included w ith St M arg aret’s. T h e screen is of special
interest, com ing from th e church o f A ll-H allow s the G reat in w hich
th e H anseatic M erchants o f the Steelyard had a side chapel. W h en
C an n o n Street Station was b u ilt and the church there destroyed,
th e screen was saved and finally used in St. M arg aret’s w ith little
alteration.
St . A
ndrew
by
the
W
ardrobe,
1692
T h e design o f this church represents the m aturity of W re n ’s
genius. T h e environm ent of the church was very different then.
A n inlet of the T ham es called P uddle D ock barred the passage of
T ham es Street w est-w ard. T h e River Fleet occupied the site of
N ew Bridge Street and was bordered by wharves w here the coal o f
the m etropolis was landed. Before Q ueen V ictoria Street was
constructed the church was only visible from the narrow lanes and
alleys surrounding the churchyard, the southern edge of w hich
m ust have been held up by a retaining wall like a portion o f St.
B ride’s churchyard to-day.
In this church W re n m ade one of his m ost successful attem pts
to incorporate the gallery in his design. T h e galleries are supported
by piers encased in wood to harm onise w ith th e gallery fronts.
T h e piers supporting the vault have their bases level w ith the gallery
floor and th e vaults spring directly from their sum m its. T h e arches,
therefore, are curved on plan as well as in elevation. T hey are not
so m uch arches as the accidental intersections of th e vaults, w hich
are of plaster on wood laths. A bove is the stru ctu ral roof of great
tim bers, a scientific piece o f carpentry. H ad W re n built a stone
church o f this form the cost w ould have been doubled and the
acoustics ruined.
C O N C L U D IN G N O T E
A t th e tim e w hen the Society changed its title to " T h e St.
P au l’s Ecclesiological Society ” over half a century ago, the city
churches possessed a different aspect and atm osphere. G enerally
speaking they were m uch lighter, as the surrounding buildings
w ere lower and there was m uch less stained glass. T h e y were
furnished w ith high pews, well cushioned and hassocked, the passage
ways betw een being covered w ith coco-nut m atting. T h ey were
w arm ed w ith huge cast iron stoves and lighted w ith gas. T h ere
were, as far back as my recollection goes, no side altars in any of th e
churches, and only in a few cases did com m union tables bear any
ornam ents. T h e com m andm ents were always prom inent above
and were often flanked by paintings of M oses and A aron.
M odern w ork in this church carried out by Bodley, G arner
a n d others has produced an interior of beauty and interest.
Some years later the C ity Parochial C harities C om m issioners
absorbed m ost o f the parochial funds, b u t in order to gild the
pill, the churches were first p u t into structural repair. Electric
light was installed, m arble m osaic pavem ents laid down, seating
re-arranged and walls and ceilings decorated. A t this tim e the
m ost frequented churches were St. E dm und th e King and M artyr
(where C anon Benham drew a " high ” congregation), St. M argaret
Pattens (where Rev. J. L. Fish held services of Jacobite flavour), and
St. N icholas Cole A bbey (where C anon S huttlew orth had crow ded
congregations for his “ high ” services and “ broad serm ons and
le c tu re s” ). Shuttlew orth was the first clergym an, I think, to
282
283
�introduce a grand piano into his church. It occupied a prom inent
position u p o n a fine T u rk ey carpet. F ro m this tim e onw ards
churches were opened m ore frequently during the week, a state of
affairs w hich has continued ever since.
ary
W
oolnoth,
L
om bard
Street,
EARLY SUBURBAN
H E church is fam ous by reason of the three stained-glass
w indow s at the e a tt end, the glass o f w hich originally form ed a
single w indow in a convent chapel at M alines. It was b ought for
this church at the instigation of W illem ent in 1841. H e arranged
the glass for the three w indows here, supplying from his own
design the borders to the gallery windows. N o other o f his work
is of such a distinctly Renaissance character as this sixteenthcentury T ree of Jesse. T h e design and the colours are seen best
in th e m orning.
U nfortunately, the figures of A aron and Esaias
at th e bottom left-hand corner had to be slightly curtailed and
also the other unknow n figures at th e right-hand corner. T h e
brow n stain outlining the stem s, leaves and individual grapes has
faded, leaving the purple pot-m etal bunches unduly em phasised.
T
POSTSCRIPT TO W REN
St . M
ST. GEORGE’S CHURCH, HANOVER SQUARE
1720
H E R E w ere few churches in th e area devastated by the
G reat Fire w hich w ere capable o f being repaired. St. M ary
W o o ln o th was one. W re n repaired the body o f the church
a n d th e steeple, b u t found it advisable to rebuild the n o rth wall,
w hich he designed “ in the T u scan m an n er.” T h is hybrid edifice,
partly in th e T u scan style and partly “ G o thick,” only lasted
fifty years. It is quite likely th at W re n had w arned the parishioners
and it m ust have been gratifying th a t the w ork o f rebuilding was
e n tru ste d to his old pupil and assistant, N icholas Hawksm oor.
Probably it was com pleted before W re n died. I like to th in k of
him on one o f his annual visits to his cathedral from his hom e of
retirem en t at H am pton C o u rt, prolonging his route to see his
favourite p u p il’s work. W e can p icture the old m an being helped
u p th e steps, assisted by N icholas, both o f them a little excited.
It w ould be interesting to know th e reactions o f contem porary
critics. P robably Jam es G ibbs th o u g h t the church rather coarse,
lacking th e refined, alm ost fem inine, grace of w hich he was an
exponent. V anbrugh m ust have adm ired the heavily rusticated
m asonry rising course u pon course to bear the som ew hat uncouth
tow ers. A little later H orace W alpole, playing w ith his cem ent
pinnacles and cusps at Straw berry H ill, m ust have th o ught the
stru ctu re hideous.
T
T u rn in g to th e ch urch itself, we are m et by the accom plishm ent
o f a rather inexperienced architect. John Jam es was a pupil of
G ibbs d uring the early years o f the reign o f G eorge I. Jam es
was w orking in a particular variety o f Renaissance w hich derived
from W re n and was fashionable at the tim e. I think th a t the
result com pares favourably w ith m ost other contem poraneous
churches. H is C orinthian portico has six colum ns in front like
those at S . M a rtin ’s-in-the-F ields and St. G eorge's, Bloom sbury.
It is not so deep as either, nor has it the dignity afforded by a flight
o f steps. H e seems to have had some prescience o f the m arriages
to be celebrated here, for not only does the portico span the street
pavem ent, b u t the central inter-colum niation is nearly a yard
w ider than those o f the side colum ns, thus facilitating th e erection
o f tem porary awnings. It is a pity th a t the w estern portion of
M addox Street was not a few yards fu rth er south so th at this portico
could have been well seen from Bond Street. (It is curious th at
we had to wait another h u n d red years before we had a church
w ith a portico term inating a street vista. St. M arylebone was
built w ith its axis n o rth and south in order th a t the portico should
face Y ork G ate. U ntil th e form ation o f T rafalgar Square the
portico o f St. M a rtin ’s could only be seen, foreshortened, in a
narrow lane.)
It is curious th at H aw ksm oor m ade such an im posing west
fro n t w hen one rem em bers th a t in his tim e, and for a century
later, the ch u rch only faced a narrow lane. T h e British M useum
has about tw enty original plans, sections and elevations, all of w hich
th ey attrib u te to H aw ksm oor. T hese show how m uch trouble he
took and how m uch th e executed w ork surpassed the earliest
conception. T h e n o rth front shows one of the finest com positions
o f its kind, a w indow less wall full o f interest and strong yet refined
beauty, a little soot-laden and shut off from the direct sunlight
w hich w ould make its deep recesses and rusticated joints very
effective. Butterfield undertook w ork there in 1875 b u t showed
m ore respect for H aw ksm oor’s w ork than m ight have been
expected from a G othic architect. I recollect th at the walls were
once decorated w ith the double lines o f red ochre used to represent
m asonry join ts th a t he em ployed at St. Cross, W inchester. It is
probable, therefore, th a t some of B utterfield’s w ork has been undone.
T h e steeple o f St. G eorge’s is rath er original and is said to
have been the first to rise from behind a portico. It rises visibly
from a su b stru ctu re of stone form ed by carrying u p the walls
containing the gallery staircases above th e m ain roof. T h e west
wall contains three window s and six em pty niches. Possibly
Jam es never expected them to be filled, for they are shallow and
six was an awkward num ber in those u ltra-P rotestant tim es, w hen
the twelve apostles and the four evangelists provided alm ost the
only selection. T h ere is a flat block at th e sum m it of the pedim ent
w hich it is th o ught was intended for a statue of the king, G eorge I.
284
285
�C om ing to th e interior, we find the difficult m atter of side
galleries has been successfully surm ounted, b u t Jam es and his
contem poraries had all W re n ’s exam ples before their eyes. T h e
fact th a t th e rem oval o f th e galleries w ould spell artistic disaster
is p ro o f th at they are an integral p a rt o f the whole design. T h e
fittings are harm onious, dignified and even sum ptuous. T h e altar
piece o f th e L ast Supper, by Sir Jam es T h o rn h ill, has lost some
o f its original brilliance. T h e present arrangem ent of stalls and
screens is th e w ork o f Sir Reginald Blomfield, who is also responsible
for the designs o f the L ady C hapel and B aptistery. T h e stained
glass in th e w indow o f the L ady C hapel is rem arkable.
T h e first burial ground belonging to this parish was that
w hich now form s th e pleasant recreation ground behind M ount
Street. L ater, a large area o f ground at T y b u rn , ju st n orth of the
O xford road, was acquired and attached to the parish. A nyone
w ho has not visited it should do so. N ot only are there m any
fam ous graves, b u t the chapel has been beautifully fitted up and
is decorated w ith w all-paintings by F rederic Shields, w hich
occupied a large p a rt o f his life.
THE PARISH CHURCH OF ST. JOHN,
HAMPSTEAD
RURAL AND
L A T E R SUBURBAN
E F O R E th e m iddle o f th e eighteenth century th e m ediaeval
ch u rch had becom e a rath er shapeless agglom eration, m uch out
of repair, and was considered u nw orthy o f a village w hich was
th e n quite a fashionable resort. In 1745 the parochial services
were tem porarily transferred to the C hapel of Ease at D ow nshire
H ill and th e old church was com pletely dem olished.
F litcroft, the architect o f St. G iles-in-the-F ields, is said to
have been th e architect o f the H am pstead church, of w hich the
present nave co nstituted th e w hole building. M r. B arrett (author
of th e “ A nnals o f H a m p s te a d ” ) considered this to be an error
and stated th a t a com petition was organised, the w inner being a
local m an nam ed H orns. A t th a t tim e F litcroft was a resident of
H am pstead and was invited to com pete b u t declined. H is interest
as a w orshipper here m ay have induced him to collaborate w ith
H orns to some extent, however.
It is alm ost incredible th a t a
practically unknow n m an could be responsible for this fine interior.
T h e colum ns rise from near th e floor to the ceiling, the gallery
fronts being broken in short lengths by them , and help to su p p o rt
th e galleries b u t take no visible cognisance of th e fact. A nother
illogicality, copied from b o th W re n and G ibbs, is the broken
entablature introduced betw een th e capitals of the colum ns and
th e springing o f the vault.
T h is feature is unnecessary structurally,
is expensive and affords an unapproachable lodgm ent for dust.
T h e ceiling need have been no lower had the entablature been
B
286
om itted, for the colum ns would have been slightly increased in
height and proportionate diam eter. T h e original gallery-fronts
show ed solid wood panels and stood slightly m ore forw ard, as
m ay be seen in a picture by H ogarth.
T h e present chancel and transepts, like the gallery fronts,
date from 1878. T h ere was no central door to the tow er, b u t only
a w indow lighting the vestry, w hich was behind the reredos.
W h e n the enlargem ent o f the ch u rch and th e reversal of its
orientation w ere contem plated, it was intended to dem olish the tower
and build a new one at the west end, b u t a num ber of residents,
strengthened by m any artists, strongly protested. W illiam M orris
was am ong those w ho preferred the som ew hat ungainly tower,
w ith its rather absurd battlem ents, to any new design. T h a t
M orris was a " G othic m an ” makes his plea for th e o th er the
m ore interesting. T h e green copper spire of H am pstead had been
for several generations alm ost as conspicuous as th at of H arrow
and form ed a picturesque term ination to the vista of C h u rch Row.
T h e authorities bow ed to the protest and the arrangem ent of the
ch u rch as to orientation and plan is alm ost unique in London.*
T h e re was probably another controversy before the new designs
were settled. W h en th e church was rebuilt in th e seventeenth
century a part o f the funds was raised by the sale o f sittings in
p erp etu ity at £50 each. T h e new pews faced the other way
round, so th a t the first becam e last and th e last first. T h e num ber
o f sittings was increased by the addition of galleried transepts
and, doubtless, this helped tow ards a solution. T h e design o f
th e new w ork was entru sted to F rederick Cockerell, an architect
w ho was willing and able to w ork in harm ony w ith the older
edifice. W ar-tim e conditions obscured one of th e m ost attractive
features o f his w ork; the M orning C hapel as seen th ro u g h the
transeptal arch in com parative shade, for the circular ceiling light
o f the chapel was, of course, covered.
Externally, Cockerell accepted th e m ain lines of the nave,
b u t used dressings of P o rtland stone m ore freely, and em phasised
the sanctuary by a balustraded parapet o f rather unusual design,
in place o f th e plain brick parapet of the nave. T h e natural fall
o f the ground outside and the raised floor of the chancel w ithin,
enabled him to form a sort o f open crypt to enclose th e coffins and
graves displaced or built over. T h e additional height of wall makes
th e west end very effective and dignified, and I particularly adm ire
the elevation of the south tran sep t w ith its well proportioned
doorw ay approached by a flight o f sem i-circular steps and th e
reticent treatm en t of th e wall surface and the lunette.
Shortly after the com pletion o f these works M r. A lfred Bell,
a parishioner, o f th e firm of C layton and Bell, designed th e rich
* T he altar o f St. Thom as’s Church, Camden Town, is in an apse at the
west end; the tower is central. Towers at St. Botolph, Aldgate, and at Bishopsgate
are at the east ends, but the altar o f the former church has always been at the north.
287
�decorations o f th e nave. T hese consist chiefly o f cherubs' heads
and texts in a setting o f Renaissance ornam ent. T h e pendentives
o f the crossing represent th e four archangels, w hile above are
angels and a text. T h e effect was very rich, b u t our L ondon
atm osphere has m arred it considerably. M r. Bell’s firm executed
all th e stained window s except a small one inserted in the n orth
transept.
T h e w indow s are brilliant in design and form an
harm onious series, th e th ird from th e west on the n o rth gallery
being a personal m em orial to Sir G ilbert Scott, w ho at one tim e
lived in Frognal and was M r. Bell's old m aster.
Prof. Ellis W ooldridge decorated th e chancel and the M orning
C hapel. T h e stalls, w ith th eir rich intarsia work, w ere designed
by Sir T hom as Jackson. I know nothing of their kind finer in
L ondon. Jackson was also responsible for the organ case and the
new font. T h e reredos in th e chancel resem bles th a t form erly
at th e east end. I surm ise th a t it is partly of the old oak, worked up.
In 1911 T em p le M oore, th en living in W ell W alk, designed
the spacious vestries and arranged the M orning Chapel. A fter
his d eath th e w ork was com pleted by M r. Leslie M oore. T h e
reredos fram es a fine replica o f a p ainting by F ra L ippo Lippi.
T h e C arolean oak balusters in and about the chapel are probably
relics o f the form er church.
SUMMARY OF REPORTS
FO R T H E YEARS
1943
TO
1946
T h e following L ectures were given and Visits made.
1943.
L ectu res
A t 6 Queen Square, Holborn.
Jan.
9.
Feb. 13.
English Colleges o f C h antry Priests, by Prof. A. H am ilton
T hom pson.
C hurch B uilding in A frica, by the Rev. R. Park.
M iss D . Tickell also spoke on D ornakal C athedral.
M ar. 13.
T h e Earliest C hristian C hurches in Rom e and Italy,
by C. A . R. R adford, Esq.
A pr. 10. English C hurches o f the V ictorian Era, by B. A. P.
W in to n Lewis, Esq.
Ju n e 26.
C ongregational C hurches o f the L ondon D istrict, by
E. W . T alb o t, Esq.
July 24.
A nim al C arvings in B ritish C hurches, by M iss M . D .
A nderson.
A t S t. M artin s School o f A rt, Charing Cross Road.
O ct.
“ I f any who peruse these published reminiscences shall derive
from them hints and information worth remembering, or i f they shall
gain fo r me one good, m an’s favourable opinion or confirm one
estimable frien d ’s or acquaintance’s regard, I shall not have journeyed
or written in vain.”
— T. Francis Bumpus, '‘ Cathedrals and Churches of the Rhine.”
2.
N ov. 6.
D ec.
C h u rch B uilding from the Cape to Cairo, by Sir H erb ert
Baker.
St. Sophia, Istanbul, by C lifton Kelway, Esq.
4. R avenna and its M osaics, by D . C hisholm Simpson, Esq.
Visits
A ug. 14. St. M ary-le-B one C hurch and O ld St. M arylebone
Chapel, by John Sum m erson, Esq.
A ug. 28. St. M ary, P addington G reen, th e C atholic A postolic
C hurch, M aida H ill, and St. M ary M agdalen,
Paddington, by B. A. P. W in to n Lewis, Esq.
Sept. 18. St. L eo n ard ’s, St. C h a d ’s and St. C olum ba’s C hurches,
Shoreditch, by F . H . M ansford, Esq.
238
289
�1944.
1945. Visits
Ju n e 30. Southw ark C athedral, by the Rev. C anon T . P. Stevens.
L ectu res
A t St. M a rtin ’s School o f A rt.
Jan.
8.
G uildford C athedral, b y E dw ard M aufe, Esq.
July 28.
K ingston-upon-T ham es (Parish C hurch, C oronation
Stone, etc.), by D r. W . E. St. Law rence Finny.
Jan. 15.
Ely C athedral, by A. J. M ason, Esq.
F eb.
F o n t Covers, by A . G . R. Buck, Esq.
A ug. 11.
St. M ary ’s C hurch, and the C h u rch of the Sacred H eart,
W im bledon, by the Rev. H . M attinson.
Feb. 19.
T h e E ast E nds o f E nglish C hurches. D iscussion opened
by F. H . M ansford, Esq.
Sept. 8.
St. G eorge’s C hapel, W in d so r, by W . A. F orsyth, Esq.
M ar. 4.
Surrey C hurches, by th e Rev. C. K. F. Brown.
Sept. 29.
Some of the Bom bed C hurches of the C ity of L ondon,
by T h e F riends of the C ity C hurches.
A p r.
1.
R ecollections o f W . Butterfield and H . W oodyer, by
H arry R edfern, Esq.
O ct. 27.
T h e H ouses o f Parliam ent, by the Rt. H on. L o rd N athan.
M ay
6.
N ew m an as an E ducationalist, by J. L. M ay, Esq.
N ov. 10.
Jam es Brooks’s C hurches in N o rth -E ast L ondon, by
W . W . Begley, Esq.
T h e Surroundings o f St. P au l’s C athedral— A N ational
W a r M em orial, by W . H . A nsell, Esq.
1946.
5.
Ju n e 17.
Visits
A p r. 29, C hurches o f th e A nnunciation, Bryanston
and St. Peter, V ere Street, by B.
W in to n Lew is, Esq.
Square
A.
P.
Jan.
L ectu res
* A t St. M a rtin ’s School o f A rt.
12. L ancing College C hapel, by B. W . T . H andford, Esq.
M ar. 6.
T h e C hurches o f V ictorian London, by J.S um m erson, Esq.
M ay 11.
T h e M usician and the A rchitect, by Sir S. H . N icholson.
Sept. 21.
A t Archbishop Davidson Institute, Lambeth.
T h e A nthem — its history and justification, by the Rev.
T . H . Croxall.
O ct.
C hristian Rom e, by D . C hisholm Sim pson, Esq.
June 10. A ll Hallows, T w ickenham , by F . R. T aylor, Esq.
July 15.
H am p to n C o u rt Palace, by E dw ard Yates, Esq.
Sept. 16.
St. N icholas, Chiswick, by F. R. T aylor, Esq.
1945.
L ectu res
O ct. 19.
3.
M ar. 24.
C rypts, by D . C hisholm Sim pson, Esq.
Jo h n M ason N eale— an E nglish W o rth y , by D .
M urray, Esq.
T h e Face of C hrist in A rt, by M rs. A. R. H atley.
N ov. 6.
A t S t. M a rtin ’s School o f A rt.
M ar.
2.
T h e A daptation of Parish C hurches as C athedrals, by
Sir C. A . N icholson.
N ov. 23.
F rench R om anesque Sculpture, by A. G ardner, Esq.
St. D avid’s C athedral, by F. D arw in Fox, Esq.
L.
A p r. 28.
L incoln C athedral, by A . J. M ason, Esq.
D ec.
Ju n e 23.
T h e F u tu re o f the E nglish Bible, by T . F . F ord, Esq.
D ec. 21.
July 14.
T h e C raftsm an and th e F o n t, by
H . L. M ann, Esq.
Southwell M inster, by H . L. M ann, Esq.
Visits
5. W esley’s Chapel and H ouse, C ity Road, E .C ., by the
Rev. G . A. V ernon.
Sept. 22.
In and about th e Village C hurch,
O ct. 20.
J. F . R edfern— Sculptor (1838-76), by Prof. C . C. J.
W eb b .
Jan. 26.
T h e H ouses o f Parliam ent, by John R. Battley, Esq., M .P .
N ov. 17.
Salisbury C athedral, by W . A. Forsyth, Esq.
F eb.
2.
St.
D ec.
T h e N ative E lem ent in C h u rch B uilding w ithin the
fields o f th e L on d o n M issionary Society, by
M rs. A. R. H atley.
M ar.
2.
St. A ndrew ’s, Plaistow, by F . H enley, Esq., and W est
H am Parish C hurch, by R. S. M orris, Esq.
W ells C athedral, by A. J. M ason, Esq.
A p r.
6.
St. M a ry ’s C hurch and All Hallows C hurch, T w ickenham .
8.
D ec. 22.
290
by T . A . Coysh, Esq.
Jan.
4.
Paul’s C ovent G arden, and St. M ary-le-Strand,
by the Rev. V. Howson.
291
�1946.
Visits (cont.)
M ay 25.
T h e In d ep en d en t M eeting H ouse, M arsh Street C ongre
gational C hurch, and St. M ary 's Parish C hurch,
W altham stow , by M rs. A . R. Hatley.
A ug. 17.
Kew Parish C h u rch and Kew G reen, by M iss M . S.
Johnson.
Also, St. M ichael, Chisw ick (the
Rev. T . H . Croxall).
Sept.
7.
St. A ugustine, K ilburn Park Road, by W . W . Begley, Esq.
O ct.
5.
Parish C h u rch , Chigw ell School, and “ K ing’s H ead ”
Inn, Chigw ell, by A. Fellows, Esq.
N ov. 2.
St. P au l’s C h u rch and St. N icholas C hurch, D eptford,
by T . F. F o rd , E sq., and B. R. Leftw ich, Esq.
Dec.
T h e L ondon M osque, Southfields, by the Im am o f the
M osque.
7.
T h e A n n u a l C o m m e m o r a tio n S erv ice, w ith a special rem em
brance o f past m em bers, was held each year. In 1943, in the C hurch
o f AU Saints, M argaret Street, th e Serm on was preached by the
D ean o f St. P au l’s (P resident o f th e Society) and after the Service
M r. J. N . C om per gave a description o f the C h u rch and its history.
In 1944 the Rev. E. T . T h o rn to n preached in the C h u rch of St. George,
Bloom sbury, an account o f w hich was given by J.N . Sum m erson, Esq.
N ex t year, St. Bartholom ew the G reat, Sm ithfield, was the scene,
w hen th e L o rd Bishop o f K ensington preached the Serm on and
D r. Rose G raham described the C hu rch . In 1946 the Service, at
th e C h u rch o f St. M ary th e V irgin, L am beth, was conducted by
th e R ector, th e Rev. H . H edley, and th e Serm on was preached by
D r. D . H . S. C ranage. F ro m 1944 onw ards th e Service was
sung by th e augm ented choir o f St. A lban, G olders G reen,
u n d er the direction o f E. B. G lanfield, Esq.
T ransaction s.
as follows :—
R ep resen tation . In 1944, the Royal Society of A rts set up a
W a r M em orials A dvisory Council, the Ecclesiological Society being
one o f th e constituent bodies, w ith M r. J. D . D aym ond as its
representative. In the following year the Society accepted rep re
sentation on th e L ondon Regional C om m ittee o f the B ritish Council
for A rchaeology and has three representatives, also a seat on the
N ational C om m ittee.
T h e Society is represented on the Councils o f th e L ondon
Society, the Friends o f the C ity C hurches, and the L ondon and
M iddlesex Archaeological Society.
M e m b e r sh ip figures in these years are not very reliable owing
to w ar conditions. A t the end of 1943 the total stood at 225,
increasing to 275 by the end of 1946.
T h e L aw s of the Society were revised at the A nnual G eneral
M eeting in 1944.
T h e C ouncil has for som e tim e felt that the present rates of
subscription are inadequate, having regard to the increased cost o f
printing and postage. It also considers th a t the entrance fee should
be raised. R ecom m endations on these subjects will accordingly
be subm itted to an A nnual G eneral M eeting.
T h e Council regrets th at after acting for m ore th an tw enty
years as H onorary T reasu rer to the Society, M r. E d w a r d Y a t e s
has found it necessary to relinquish th at office. His services will
be greatly missed.
T h e C ouncil is sure th at m em bers will wish
to record their great appreciation of his work.
Parts o f Vol. 1 (N ew Series) have been issued
P art II.
“ E nglish Colleges o f C h an try P riests," by Prof. A.
H am ilton T h o m p so n , in 1943.
P art III.
“ T h e C ontin u ity o f th e English T ow n ” in 1944 (the
L ectures given in th e course of an Exhibition of
th at nam e in 1943).
P art IV.
“ St. N icholas, D e p tfo rd ," in 1946.
292
293
�B A T T L E Y BRO TH ERS L IM IT E D
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Architecture and Place
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Humanist Library and Archives
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2016
Description
An account of the resource
A collection of digitised items from the Humanist Library and Archives telling the story of buildings and spaces occupied by the Conway Hall Ethical Society (formerly the South Place Ethical Society). Also includes several born digital items.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Conway Hall Ethical Society
Subject
The topic of the resource
Architecture
Conway Hall (London, England)
South Place Chapel, Finsbury
Mansford, Frederick Herbert (1871-1946)
Language
A language of the resource
English
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
Book
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Frederick Herbert Mansford; citizen and architect of London: selection from his papers
Description
An account of the resource
The Ecclesiological Society Transactions, vol. 1 (new series), part 5.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Mansford, Frederick Herbert (1871-1946)
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Begley, W. W.
Landau, Dorothy
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
The Ecclesiological Society
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1947
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
© J. Sally Spencer and the Dyer family. Digitised with their kind permission.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
G1052
920 MAN
Subject
The topic of the resource
Architecture
Churches
Format
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application/pdf
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Language
A language of the resource
English
London
Mansford, Frederick Herbert (1871-1946)