ROMAN CATHOLICISM.
There was one
absentee from church in 1626. (fn. 15) In 1640 the
parish officials could find no recusants (fn. 16) and in
1706 the wife of Mr. John Keys, of Acton wells,
and Catherine Acton, widow, who was living at
the Old King's Head, were the only papists. (fn. 17)
Catherine Acton was reported again in 1708, at
the Crown alehouse, with George Hill, gentleman, and John Hyndham. (fn. 18) In 1767 a summary
of papists in the diocese of London gave only one
for Acton, (fn. 19) while none was found in 1790. (fn. 20)
Nicholas Selby housed 'Nuns of the Visitation'
from more than one French convent in 1805, (fn. 21)
probably represented by the nunnery from
Rouen reported as in Acton in 1810, together
with two families of papists. (fn. 22) The families were
those of Selby, who had built Derwentwater
House, and Peter Kelly, to whom Selby leased
the new house, himself moving to Acton House
next door. They were said to have maintained a
priest between them and fitted out a chapel in the
basement of Acton House. When Acton House
was let in the summer, services took place in a
wooden building in King Street, next to which
lived the chaplain. Besides the two families and
their servants, the congregation consisted of Irish
workers from the market gardens at Turnham
Green. (fn. 23)
In 1835 the Revd. Thomas Heptonstall,
Selby's chaplain, was still holding services at a
chapel in Acton, whose location is unknown.
They continued in 1851, from which date Acton
chapel was served from Turnham Green, but had
apparently ceased by 1856. (fn. 24) It was not until 1880
that services were held again in Acton, preceding
the opening of the church of Our Lady of
Lourdes. That church and other Roman Catholic
places of worship are described below.
St. Aidan's church founded 1922, using
breeze-block hall in Old Oak Common Lane, E.
Acton. New building 1961 by John Newton, seating
500: (fn. 25) brick and concrete, with open bell tower;
nine bells by Whitechapel foundry; statue of St.
Aidan by Kathleen Parbury on front of tower;
altarpiece by Graham Sutherland; triptychs by
Roy de Maistre; stained glass windows by Pierre
Fourmaintraux; stations of the cross in concrete
by Arthur Fleischmann; ceramic wall to baptistery with design by Adam Kossowski. (fn. 26)
Church of the Holy Family, Hanger Vale
Lane, built 1967, to serve W. side of Acton. (fn. 27)
Our Lady of Lourdes, High St., originated in
services from 1880 at no. 2 Gloucester Villas,
Shakespeare Rd. Replaced by temp. church of
Our Lady, Strafford Rd., S. Acton, 1882. (fn. 28)
Closed 1902 when permanent church of Our
Lady of Lourdes opened on land bought 1892. (fn. 29)
Attendance 1903: 427 a.m. and p.m. (fn. 30) Yellow
brick building with pale red tiled roof in
Romanesque style by Goldie of Kensington,
seating 400. (fn. 31)
Sisters of Charity under Protection of St.
Vincent de Paul had convent by 1902 at nos. 45
and 47 Avenue Rd., where they ran day school. (fn. 32)
Moved to no. 9 Rosemont Rd. 1930. Chapel at
no. 1 Pierrepoint Rd., adjoining convent,
registered 1959, and chapel at no. 14 Rosemont
Rd. 1964. (fn. 33) Also ran old people's home 1979 at
Magnolia Court, no. 4 Pierrepoint Rd.
Sisters of Society of Sacred Heart from France
formed first convent in England 1842 at Berrymead Priory, where they ran boarding and day
schools. Moved to Roehampton (Surr.) 1850. (fn. 34)
Chapel and sacristy in Acacia House, Central
Ave., registered 1960, cancelled 1964. (fn. 35)
Apostolic Exarchate for Ukrainians in Gt.
Britain had chapel 1979 in St. Olga's House, no.
14 Newburgh Rd., residence of Titular Bishop
and Apostolic Exarch. (fn. 36)