PROTESTANT NONCONFORMITY. (fn. 93)
During the second decade of the 19th century
Protestant dissenters began meeting in private
houses in Willesden Green. (fn. 94) One of the houses
belonged to the mother of Oliver Nodes who
visited her each Sunday and read from the
sermons of the Evangelist George Burder. They
were joined by neighbours, forming the congregation which in 1820 founded Willesden Green
Independent (Congregational) chapel. (fn. 95) Houses
were registered for worship by dissenters in the
1830s at Fortune Gate, Harlesden, Willesden
Green, and Kensal Green. (fn. 96) A Wesleyan chapel
opened in Harlesden c. 1847, a Baptist chapel in
West Kilburn in 1865, and a Presbyterian church
at Fortune Gate in 1875.
The great expansion of nonconformity from
the late 1870s until the First World War mirrored
the growth of building in Willesden, chapels and
mission halls opening in the rapidly developing
districts of Kilburn, Harlesden, and Willesden,
especially during the 1880s and 1890s. The
parish, increasingly working-class with poor
church attendance, was compared in 1903 with
Stepney or St. Pancras. Most of those attending
places of worship were Protestant nonconformists. (fn. 97) In areas like Kilburn the division was
less between Church and Dissent than between
High and Low Church. The Irish Roman
Catholics and ritualist High Anglicans were
vehemently opposed by the Low Church
Anglicans and nonconformists; people moved
frequently from one nonconformist sect to
another. (fn. 98)
By 1903 there were 45 Protestant nonconformist places of worship, attended on one
Sunday by 4,111 people in the morning and 7,512
in the evening, nearly three fifths of those
worshipping in Willesden on that day. The
Methodists, with 2,982 attendances at 10 chapels,
formed the largest denomination, followed by the
Presbyterians (1,748 attendances at 6 chapels),
Baptists (1,738 at 5 chapels), and Congregationalists (1,411 at 4 chapels). Of the 45 chapels
and halls, Kilburn and Willesden Green each had
10, Harlesden 8, Kensal Green and the area
stretching from Stonebridge to Church End
5 each, Neasden 4, Brondesbury 2, and Cricklewood 1. (fn. 99)
Between 1903 and 1914 the Baptists opened
five chapels or halls and built a larger chapel at
Willesden Green, and there was limited expansion by the other established sects. Several
mission halls closed, and after the First World
War closures were more frequent than openings
in spite of the spread of building to Neasden and
Cricklewood in the 1930s. There were 41 chapels
and halls by 1933 and 27 by 1963. (fn. 1) Since then 13
have closed and 8 opened. As the established
sects have contracted, newer sects, often Pentecostalist, have expanded, often using old chapels,
especially in areas like Harlesden where membership is largely West Indian. (fn. 2)
Congregationalists.
Congregation of
'Protestant Dissenters' met in house of Kelita
Kilby at Willesden Green 1815. Independents
met at house of Oliver Nodes 1817. (fn. 3) Small, plain
chapel with pedimented front and round-headed
windows built 1820 at junction of High Rd. and
Dudden Hill Lane. (fn. 4) Attendance 1851: 20 a.m.;
30 p.m. (fn. 5) Larger chapel built 1878 to west, at
junction of High Rd. and Pound Lane. (fn. 6) Attendance 1903: 108 a.m.; 131 p.m. Original bldg.
used for Sunday sch. until closed 1907. (fn. 7)
St. James's iron Cong. chapel opened in
Cambridge Rd., Kilburn, by 1872 and closed by
1903. (fn. 8)
Independent mission chapel opened in Carlton
Rd. (later Vale) by 1890 and closed 1913. (fn. 9)
Attendance 1903: 49 a.m.; 98 p.m.
Iron mission chapel in Cricklewood Lane
(Hendon) opened by Lyndhurst Rd. (Hampstead) church 1885. (fn. 10) Congregation moved to
brick bldg., Lown memorial hall in Howard Rd.,
Cricklewood 1893. New chapel in Gothic style
with tower opened 1902 in Chichele Rd. (fn. 11)
Attendance 1903: 187 a.m.; 402 p.m. Had 21
members 1978. (fn. 12) Closed and reopened as mosque
by 1980. (fn. 13)
Congregation met in constitutional hall in St.
Mary's Rd., Harlesden before foundation stone
of chapel laid at corner of Church and West Ella
roads 1899. (fn. 14) Red brick bldg. with stone dressings
in Gothic style with asymmetrical SW. tower,
designed by Spalding and Spalding for 800.
Chapel and adjoining lecture hall reg. 1901. (fn. 15)
Attendance 1903: 153 a.m.; 283 p.m. Declining
numbers led to leasing of chapel to film company
c. 1962, congregation thereafter using hall.
Membership 1963-4: 71; 1978: 30. (fn. 16)
Chapel opened at Craven Hill (Bayswater)
1846. Congregation moved 1912 to new chapel in
Wrentham Ave., Brondesbury Park. Had 79
members 1963-6. Closed by 1972 and bldg. used
for youth and community service 1978. (fn. 17)
Hamilton hall, 375-7 High Rd., Willesden
Green, licensed for worship by Cong. 1914-25. (fn. 18)
Methodists.
Wes. chapel built c. 1847 on
north side of Harrow Rd. (High St., Harlesden)
and closed c. 1856. (fn. 19) Replaced by Willesden
(Junction) Wes. chapel, accommodating 300, on
eastern side of Harrow Rd., opposite Crown inn
1869-81. (fn. 20) Bldg. used as Sunday sch., then shop
after new chapel accommodating 1,030, of red
brick with stone dressings in early Gothic style
with tower and spire by Charles Bell, opened
1882 on adjacent site (25 High St.). (fn. 21) Attendance
1903: 240 a.m.; 435 p.m. Opened Tavistock hall,
seating 500, 1906. Chapel damaged 1940 and
demol. 1941. New brick chapel, seating 250, built
1956 in plain, modern style by A. MacDonald.
Hall used as youth and community centre 1978. (fn. 22)
Chapel of stock bricks with slate roof built
1878 at junction of Cambridge and Malvern
Rds., Kilburn Park for Free (later United) Meths.
Attendance 1903: 35 a.m.; 104 p.m. Closed
1934. (fn. 23)
Peel Rd. chapel in Percy Rd. Kilburn Park reg.
for Bible Christians 1880. Attendance 1903: 81
a.m.; 166 p.m. Recertificated for Bible Christian
United Meths. 1907 and closed 1948. Used as
Roman Catholic church of Immaculate Heart of
Mary (q.v.). (fn. 24)
Wes. Meths. met 1886 in ho. in College Rd.,
Kensal Rise. Tin chapel opened 1887 in Hiley
Rd. Brick chapel with stone dressings in Gothic
style with tower and spire opened 1900 at corner
of Chamberlayne Wood Rd. and Ladysmith Rd.
(later Wrentham Ave.). Attendance 1903: 330
a.m.; 568 p.m. Chapel sold to Roman Catholics (q.v.) 1977 and Meths. met in adjacent
hall. (fn. 25)
Wes. services held in cottage in Quainton St.,
Neasden 1880s and shop in Kingsbury Rd. leased
rent-free from Metropolitan Rly. Co. 1896.
Attendance 1903: 37 a.m.; 13 p.m. Iron chapel
accommodating 300 built 1905 at corner of
Neasden Lane and Verney St. on railway land
and supported by Rly. Mission Co. Iron chapel
moved 1928 to new site at junction of Neasden
Lane and North Circular. Replaced 1937 by
brown-brick chapel accommodating 400 on new
site in Neasden Lane, north of North Circular
Road. Damaged 1945 and reopened after repairs
1947. (fn. 26) Closed 1980 and services held in hall.
Free (later United) Meth. chapel seating 250
built 1888 in Tubbs Rd., Harlesden. New chapel
for 450 built 1901. Attendance 1903: 96 a.m.; 134
p.m. Closed 1963. (fn. 27)
Hamilton hall, High Rd. Willesden Green reg.
for Wes. Meths. 1889-1902. (fn. 28)
Primitive Meth. chapel opened in High Rd.,
Willesden Green by 1897. Attendance 1903: 96
a.m.; 144 p.m. Rebuilt 1904. Closed 1963. (fn. 29)
Primitive Meth. chapel built 1897 at corner of
Harrow Rd. and Victor Rd., College Pk. Attendance 1903: 80 a.m.; 130 p.m. Closed 1958. (fn. 30)
Trinity Wes. chapel built 1899 at corner of
Walm Lane and Dartmouth Rd., Cricklewood.
Large brick and stone bldg. by W. D. Church &
Son with tower and steeple. Attendance 1903:
125 a.m.; 256 p.m. Closed 1948. (fn. 31)
Metropolitan Rly. Mission hall opened in
Neasden Lane by Wes. by 1890. Attendance
1903: 40 a.m.; 73 p.m. Closed by 1933.
Primitive Meth. Metropolitan Rly. Mission
hall opened in Dog Lane, Neasden by 1903 when
attendance 25 a.m.; 31 p.m. Closed by 1933. (fn. 32)
United Meths. reg. rooms at 7 Stafford Rd.,
Kilburn, 1929-35. (fn. 33)
For Welsh Calvinistic Meth. chapel in Willesden Lane, see below, Presbyterians.
Stock brick chapel with stone
dressings in classical style with pedimented front
and round-headed windows built 1865 for 550 in
Canterbury Rd., West Kilburn. Attendance
1903: 47 a.m.; 140 p.m. Had 68 members
1977-8. (fn. 35)
Congregation, formed at Willesden Green
after open-air mission by Spurgeon's students
1881, met in cottage, stable, and shop until
chapel built 1884 at corner of High Rd. and
Huddlestone Rd. Membership 1889: 120.
Chapel enlarged 1892 to seat 300. Attendance
1903: 235 a.m.; 223 p.m. Old chapel, named
Huddlestone hall, used for Sunday sch. after new
red-brick chapel with stone dressings in Gothic
style with spire, built 1907 by Messrs. J. Wills
& Sons to seat 800. Membership 1924: 450.
Doctrinal controversy led to split and formation
of Willesden Christian Fellowship (see below).
Membership 1977-8: 151. (fn. 36)
Particular Bapt. chapel in red brick and stone,
consisting of baptistery, nave, aisles, short
transept, tower, and spire, built 1890 for 860 in
Acton Lane, Harlesden. (fn. 37) Attendance 1903: 133
a.m.; 321 p.m. Membership 1977-8: 81.
Kensal Rise tabernacle opened for 900
in Chamberlayne Wood Rd. by 1894. (fn. 38) Attendance 1903: 184 a.m.; 422 p.m. Membership
1977-8: 74.
Bapt. mission room opened 1899 in Chaplin
Rd., Willesden Green. Attendance 1903: 15 a.m.;
18 p.m. Closed by 1926. (fn. 39)
Old Bapt. Union opened hall 1899 at the
Green, Willesden. Closed and members transferred to other chapels 1901. (fn. 40)
Harlesden Evangelical mission hall seating 300
opened 1905 in Leghorn Rd. by Acton Lane
chapel. Recertificated as Bapt. chapel 1933.
Membership 1977-8: 31. (fn. 41)
Strict Bapts. met at 18 Manor Terrace, Harrow
Rd., Kensal Green by 1908. (fn. 42)
Bapt. mission room in Disraeli Rd., Lower
Place opened by 1908. Closed after 1933. (fn. 43)
Red-brick and stone chapel with tower accommodating 450 built 1908 by Arthur Keen to
seat 450 in Anson Rd., Cricklewood. Dalsey hall
built next to it 1930. (fn. 44) Membership 1977-8: 57.
Bapts. from Marylebone opened Streatley hall
1908 in Streatley Rd., Brondesbury. United with
Kilburn Vale, Hampstead chapel after 1925. (fn. 45)
Steele Rd., Lower Place mission room used by
Bapt. by 1917-18. (fn. 46) Closed c. 1971. (fn. 47)
Presbyterians.
Willesden Presb. church
opened 1875 in hall seating 150 at Fortune Gate,
Harlesden. St. Margaret's, a cruciform chapel in
Gothic style built 1876 at junction of Nicoll Rd.
and Craven Park Rd. and enlarged 1884 to seat
645. Galleries added 1894. Attendance 1903: 294
a.m.; 378 p.m. Name changed to St. Margaret
United Reformed church 1959 and St. Margaret
and St. George United Reformed and Moravian
church 1974. Membership 1963-4: 90. (fn. 48)
St. George's church, consisting of chancel,
nave, aisles, and transepts built 1888 in Early
English style to seat 550 in Willesden Lane,
Brondesbury. Attendance 1903: 140 a.m.;
190 p.m. Closed 1973 and congregation united
with that of St. Margaret's (above). (fn. 49) Bldg. used
for Hindu temple.
St. John's Wood Presb. church opened
Pembroke mission hall c. 1880 in Granville
(formerly Pembroke) Rd., Kilburn. Attendance
1903: 33 a.m.; 170 p.m. Closed by 1959. (fn. 50)
St. Margaret's built mission hall 1888 in Oak
Rd., Harlesden. Enlarged 1894. Attendance
1903: 84 a.m.; 150 p.m. Closed by 1954. (fn. 51)
St. Andrew's church, Salusbury Rd., West
Kilburn, built 1896 to seat 300. Attendance 1903:
59 a.m.; 128 p.m. Used as hall when new redbrick and stone chapel built in Gothic style next
to it 1911. (fn. 52) Membership 1963-4: 142. (fn. 53)
Chapel at no. 265 Willesden Lane, called
Welsh Meth. or Presb. Church of Wales, reg.
1900 for worship to Welsh Calvinistic Meths. (fn. 54)
Attendance 1903: 32 a.m.; 71 p.m.
St. George's opened mission hall by 1902 at
no. 247 High Rd., Willesden Green. (fn. 55) Attendance
1903: 9 a.m.; 111 p.m. Closed by 1947. (fn. 56)
Mission room opened by 1894 in Strode Rd.,
Willesden Green. Closed by 1933. (fn. 57)
Salvation Army.
Barracks opened in Percy
Rd., Kilburn 1889. Attendance 1903: 81 a.m.;
283 p.m. Closed by 1971. (fn. 58)
Wendover hall in Wendover Rd., Harlesden
reg. 1893. Attendance 1903: 57 a.m.; 184 p.m.
Closed 1903 and citadel opened 1904 in Manor
Park Rd. (fn. 59)
Barracks reg. 1901 at Hiley Rd., Kensal Rise.
Attendance 1903: 35 a.m.; 62 p.m. Moved 1908
to Alexandra hall, Doyle Gdns. Closed 1913. (fn. 60)
Citadel opened in High Rd., Willesden Green,
by 1902. (fn. 61) Attendance 1903: 93 a.m.; 239 p.m.
Goodwill Centre reg. 1971 in Chichester Rd.,
Kilburn. (fn. 62)
Evangelical.
Kilburn hall opened for
Evangelical Mission by 1880 in High Rd.,
Kilburn, near Willesden border. Closed 1913. (fn. 63)
Evangelical Mission opened Willesden hall
1893 for 500 at junction of Aldershot Rd. and
Willesden Lane, Kilburn. Attendance 1903:
50 a.m.; 186 p.m. Bombed 1944 and prefabricated
bldg. seating 150 erected 1947. Name changed to
Kilburn Evangelical Free church 1954. New
bldg. seating 200 opened 1962. (fn. 64)
Willesden Evangelical church opened 1896 in
iron bldg. in Church Rd. Attendance 1903: 133
a.m.; 177 p.m. Closed by 1978. (fn. 65)
Kilburn Protestant and Evangelical sch. and
mission opened by 1885 and reg. at nos. 78-86
Kilburn Park Rd. 1900. Attendance 1903: 45 p.m.
Closed 1913. (fn. 66) City Mission hall opened in
Kilburn Park Rd. by 1890. (fn. 67)
Mission hall at Lower Place by 1899. (fn. 68) Reg.
1909 as mission hall for Evangelical Christians at
Steele Rd., Lower Place. (fn. 69) Bapt. mission by 1918
(q.v.).
London City Mission in Stonebridge Park by
1903 when attendance 5 a.m.; 27 p.m. Evangelical
mission hall at no. 9 Melville Rd. by 1908.
Mission hall built at junction of Melville and
Harrow roads 1913. Replaced 1972 by new
chapel seating 120 in Hillside. (fn. 70)
Brethren.
Plymouth Brethren ran a small sch.
in Kilburn 1881. (fn. 71) Opened Cambridge hall in
Cambridge Ave. by 1896. Attendance 1903: 135
a.m.; 203 p.m. Closed by 1954. (fn. 72)
Shrewsbury gospel hall opened in Shrewsbury
Rd., Stonebridge by 1901. Attendance 1903:
112 a.m.; 142 p.m. Replaced 1971 by hall in
Winchelsea Rd., Harlesden. (fn. 73)
Hamilton hall, Willesden Green, attendance
1903: 26 a.m.; 53 p.m. (fn. 74)
Open Brethren reg. Kings hall, Harlesden Rd.,
1907-54. (fn. 75)
Mission room opened at no. 10A Rucklidge
Ave., Harlesden by 1915. Closed and new meeting room opened 1937 at no. 28A Fortune Gate
Rd., Craven Park. Closed 1977. (fn. 76)
Plymouth Brethren reg. Belton hall, Willesden
Green, 1925-32. (fn. 77)
Other Denominations And Unspecified
Missions.
The Reformed Episcopal Church
erected Christ Church 1884, an iron bldg. seating
200, in St. Albans Rd., Harlesden. Used as
Sunday sch. and hall when red-brick church
seating 650 built beside it 1893-4. (fn. 78) Attendance
1903: 152 a.m.; 221 p.m.
The Swedenborgian Church of the New
Jerusalem built 1889 to seat 120 in High Rd.,
Willesden Green. Attendance 1903: 43 a.m.;
43 p.m. Replaced by small brick chapel 1910. (fn. 79)
A Friends meeting ho. opened 1900 in Harlesden Rd. Attendance 1903: 43 a.m.; 45 p.m.
Enlarged 1910. Closed 1953. (fn. 80)
Seventh Day Adventists opened mission room
by 1909 in no. 38A Harley Rd., Harlesden.
Closed and replaced 1917 by hall in Wendover
Rd. Closed 1925. (fn. 81)
Willesden Christian Fellowship, house in
Donnington hall, Donnington Rd., founded as
breakaway from Willesden Green Bapt. chapel
(q.v.) before 1932.
The People's Own Mission opened by 1933 in
iron tabernacle in Church Path, Harlesden. Reg.
by Brotherhood Movement 1953. (fn. 82)
Christian Spiritualists met by 1934 in room in
Hassop Rd., Cricklewood. Housed by 1963 in
Ashford hall, Ashford Rd. (fn. 83)
Christian Scientists met 1936-54 in rooms at
no. 92 Walm Lane, Cricklewood. (fn. 84)
'Free Christians' reg. the Fifth church of the
Good Shepherd 1951 at no. 5, Bramshill Rd.,
Harlesden. Recertificated 1954 as church of St.
John the Divine for the New Catholic and Free
Church. Closed by 1964. (fn. 85)
The New Testament Church of God opened
1964 in former Meth. chapel at no. 179 High Rd.,
Willesden Green. (fn. 86)
The Apostolic Church of God opened Beulah
church by 1964 in Denton Rd., Stonebridge Pk.
Closed 1978. (fn. 87)
The Jehovah's Witnesses opened a Kingdom hall by 1967 at nos. 192-212 High Rd.,
Willesden. (fn. 88)
The Church of the God of Prophecy opened in
former Meth. (q.v.) chapel 1967 in Tubbs Rd.,
Harlesden. (fn. 89)
The Associated Gospel Assembly opened 1971
in former Roundwood mission in Longstone
Ave., Harlesden. (fn. 90)
The Medical mission hall opened for undenominational worship by 1897 in Heron Rd.,
Church End. Attendance 1903: 82 a.m.; 68 p.m.
Closed by 1926. (fn. 91)
Oxford mission hall, Oxford Rd., Kilburn,
opened for undenominational worship by 1903
when attendance 2 a.m.; 100 p.m. Closed by
1917. (fn. 92)
The United Christian Society opened by 1916
Providence hall, Hampton Rd., Kilburn Park.
Closed by 1942. (fn. 93)
Willesden Revival centre opened 1964 in no.
334 High Rd., Willesden. Changed name to
Willesden Deeper Life Christian centre 1973. (fn. 94)
Railway mission by 1902 at no. 152 High St.,
Harlesden. Attendance 1903: 64 a.m.; 83 p.m.
Closed by 1908. (fn. 95)
Willesden Junction Railway mission opened
by 1903 in Harrow Rd., next to Scrubbs Lane,
when attendance 51 a.m.; 39 p.m. Closed by
1926. (fn. 96)
Other undenominational missions were St.
James, Manor Park Rd., Harlesden, open by
1890 and closed by 1903; (fn. 97) Croft at the Croft,
Harlesden, open by 1908, closed by 1933;
Claremont Rd. hall at Midland Brent Terrace,
Queen's Park, flourished 1917-18; (fn. 98) Harley Rd.,
Harlesden, flourished in former Seventh Day
Adventist hall (q.v.) 1926 and reg. 1943; (fn. 99)
Roundwood at Longstone Ave., Harlesden,
1930-71. (fn. 1)