All Places

A Pilgrim’s Coffer: Joseph Passmore was the grandson of Mary Rippon, sister of Rev. John Rippon—who opened and presided over the congregation at New Park Street Chapel several decades before C.H. Spurgeon arrived. Shortly after Spurgeon’s arrival, he and Passmore struck up a friendship and, in January of 1855, Passmore & Alabaster began printing every original sermon and direct work Read more...

A Sunday School is still operated by Metropolitan Tabernacle in the neighborhood. Wikipedia: The famous Baptist preacher Charles Spurgeon held religious services at the Music Hall in weekends because the New Park Street Chapel could not contain his audiences. The first service was held on the evening of Sunday 19 October 1856, with an audience of 10,000 inside and as many outside unable to enter. Read more...

A Pilgrims Coffer: In 1857, Charles and Susannah left New Kent Road and moved down to 99 Nightingale Lane, in the Clapham area, West of Brixton. The house they moved into afforded for much more room than they previously had in Newington, while also offering the rural feel and slower pace they desired. Autobiography This illustration represents the pulpit stairs Read more...

Wikipedia: In 1868, the world’s first aeronautical exhibition was held in the Crystal Palace. In 1871, the world’s first cat show, organised by Harrison Weir, was held there. Other shows, such as dog shows, pigeon shows, honey shows and flower shows, as well as the first national motor show were also held at the Palace.[44] The match which later has been dubbed the world’s first bandy match was Read more...

Wikipedia: Spurgeons was founded in 1867 by Charles Haddon Spurgeon.[3] as Stockwell Orphanage – due to its location. The inspiration for starting an orphanage came from a visit with George Muller.[4][5][6] and then spurred on by a donation of £20,000 by Anne Hillyard.[7][8][9] However, it wasn’t this £20,000 that was used to fund the beginning of the orphanage. Spurgeon records in the 1876 publicationThe Metropolitan Tabernacle. Read more...

Way of Life: Samuel Medley (1738-1799) was a Baptist pastor and author of 230 hymns. In his wayward youth, he was seriously wounded in the British navy at the Battle of Lagos. The surgeon told him that amputation was the only thing that would save his life and that a decision would have to be made the next day. Though Medley Read more...

From Wikipedia: The Lewes Martyrs were 17 Protestants who were burned at the stake in Lewes, Sussex, England, between 1555 and 1557. These executions were part of the Marian persecutions of Protestants during the reign of Mary I. On 6 June 1556, Thomas Harland of Woodmancote, near Henfield, Sussex, carpenter, John Oswald (or Oseward) of Woodmancote, husbandman, Thomas Reed of Ardingly, Sussex, and Thomas Avington (or Euington) of Ardingly, Sussex, turner, were burnt. [1][2][3] Richard Woodman and Read more...

The Windsor Martyrs represent a lesser-known but deeply significant episode in the turbulent years of the English Reformation. Taking place during the reign of Henry VIII, the executions at Windsor in 1543 reveal the complex and often contradictory religious climate of the period—when reformist ideas were spreading, yet severe punishment still awaited those who moved too far beyond official boundaries. Read more...

The Protestant Martyrs’ Prison stands as a solemn reminder of religious conflict and steadfast faith during one of the most turbulent periods in European history. Located in the medieval citadel of Sighișoara, this small but historically significant site is traditionally associated with the imprisonment of Protestant believers during times of persecution, particularly in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Sighișoara itself Read more...

Hymn History: Nearer, My God, to Thee Author: Sarah Fuller Flower Adams   “All who knew Mrs. Adams personally speak of her with enthusiasm; she is described as a woman of singular beauty and attractiveness, delicate and truly feminine, high-minded, and in her days of health playful and high-spirited.” (Richard Garnett)   The Origin of the Hymn “Nearer, My God, Read more...

John Newton was the pastor here from 1780-1807. William Wilberforce was part of the congregation during that time. Even though he was originally buried here, around 1900 the City & South London Railroad was going to demolish the church for an Underground (subway) stop. The church remained due to public outcry, but the vault/crypt/cemetery was removed, and Newton’s body was Read more...

From Wikipedia: The Cowper and Newton Museum is a museum in Olney, north Buckinghamshire, England, around 8 miles (13 km) north-east of Central Milton Keynes. Celebrating the work and lives of two famous local residents: William Cowper (1731–1800), a celebrated 18th-century poet; and John Newton (1725–1807), a slave trader and subsequently a prominent abolitionist, who was curate in the local church.[1] Together, Cowper and Newton wrote the Olney Hymns, including one of the world’s Read more...

The memorial sculpture at the Mersey Ferry Terminal Pier Head stands as a thoughtful and reflective tribute inspired by the life of John Newton. Positioned along Liverpool’s historic waterfront, the work connects the city’s maritime heritage with a deeper moral narrative—one that acknowledges both the darkness of the past and the possibility of transformation. John Newton (1725–1807) is a figure Read more...

Hymn History: The Doxology Author: Thomas Ken   “He came as near to the ideal of Christian perfection as human weakness permits.” (Stephen C. Weber) The Origin of the Hymn “Doxology” The hymn “Doxology” — most commonly known by its opening line, “Praise God, from whom all blessings flow” — is one of the most widely recognized and enduring expressions Read more...

Hymn History: Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne Author: Emily Elizabeth Steele Elliott   Thou didst leave Thy throne and Thy kingly crown, When Thou camest to earth for me; But in Bethlehem’s home was there found no room For Thy holy nativity. (Emily Elizabeth Steele Elliott)   The Origin of the Hymn “Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne” The hymn “Thou Read more...

A past vicar, Rev. E.B. Elliott, was the father of Emily Elizabeth Steele Elliott. Emily wrote the popular Christmas hymn “Thou didst leave Thy throne” for the use of the church. Wikipedia: Among Christmas hymns designed for children, two popular ones were written by Elliott. One begins with the line, “There came a little child to earth,” which was popular Read more...

From Wikipedia: Watts was born in Southampton, Hampshire, England, in 1674 and was brought up in the home of a committed religious nonconformist; his father, also Isaac Watts, had been incarcerated twice for his views. Watts had a classical education at King Edward VI School, Southampton, learning Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. BBC: A statue has been given new fingers to mark the 350th birthday of one of Read more...

The Isaac Watts Statue Abney Park stands as a lasting tribute to Isaac Watts, one of the most influential figures in the history of English hymnody. Located within Abney Park Cemetery in London, the statue commemorates a man whose writings have shaped Christian worship for over three centuries. Isaac Watts spent the latter part of his life in the home Read more...

The Southampton Civic Centre stands as one of the most prominent architectural and cultural landmarks in Southampton. Serving as a hub for municipal administration, education, and the arts, the Civic Centre reflects the city’s growth in the twentieth century and its commitment to public life. The origins of the Civic Centre date to the interwar period, when Southampton sought to Read more...

Isaac Watts (1674–1748) is widely regarded as one of the most influential hymn writers in the English-speaking world. Often called the “Father of English Hymnody,” Watts transformed congregational singing and left a lasting legacy through his poetry, theology, and educational writings. Born in Southampton, Watts grew up in a devout Nonconformist family at a time when those outside the established Read more...