| AdminHistory | Poplar Methodist Church opened as the 'New Model Chapel' in 1848.
In 1772 John Wesley consecrated a preaching house in Hale Street, Poplar. By the mid 1800s the population of the area had greatly explanded and the Wesleyans decided to build a new chapel in Poplar to accommodate them. This new church, designed by Mr James Wilson of Bath, became known as the 'New Model Chapel' because the design was to to serve as a model for similar structures in the British Isles. It was opened on 29 June 1848 in premises on East India Dock Road, Poplar. The foundation stone was laid by the shipowner and shipbuilder George Green who contributed 500 guineas towards the eventual total cost of £7,350. The former chapel in Hale Street closed and subsequently became the Hale Street School.
A key figure in the church's history is the Methodist minister William Henry Lax (1868-1937), often referred to simply as 'Lax' and 'Lax of Poplar'. Reverend Lax accepted an appointment to the Poplar and Bow Mission in 1902, by which stage the once thriving Poplar Methodist Church was in decline, due mainly to the migration of the middle and artisan classes to the suburbs. He inherited a Gothic Chapel with a small congregation and office-holders resistant to change but over the next thirty-five years he turned the church around and made it famous world-wide. A great orator and writer, he worked with passion and dedication to inspire his local community and expand his congregation and in return he was loved, respected and revered. His innovations included open-air preaching (outside the East India Docks) in addition to house visits and he was instrumental in developing the church in many ways. For instance, he oversaw the creation of new structures, such as, a Sisterhood, Sunday School and a network of other clubs, activities and organisations, in addition to facilities such as a free medical centre and a 'foot clinic'. As part of these developments Poplar Methodist Church converted a redundant chapel in East India Dock Road (the former United Methodist Free Church), into King George's Hall and Institute, which was opened by the Duke of York on 15 November 1920. King George's Hall was an important venue for groups to meet and socialise and included a cinema. In 1927 Poplar Methodist Church purchased 'Cliff Edge', a convalescent holiday home for children and older people, located at Minster-on-Sea (Isle of Sheppey, Kent) and the early 1930s saw the major reconstruction of the Poplar Methodist Church building. Annual festival bazaars were organised by the Church and helped to provide necessary funds to support its many activities and premises-related work.
Reverend Lax wrote a number of best-selling books which were autobiographical and anecdotal and he also had a starring role in the Religious Film Society's 'The Mastership of Christ' in 1934 [the title was later shortened to 'Mastership']. Lax was also a Liberal politician and actively participated in local government. He was co-opted onto Poplar Borough Council as an alderman in 1906 (and served until 1923), was chairman of the Food Control Committee during the First World War and Mayor of Poplar in 1918-1919. He enjoyed what can only be described as a kind of celebrity status, with fans worldwide. His ubiquity was reinforced by the unusual decision by the Methodist Church to keep him in the same post for an almost unprecedented length of time. His fame and renown was reflected in the manner in which the news of his death on 6 February 1937 was received. Lax's death was widely mourned, with George Lansbury [the well known local politician and former Leader of the Labour Party, 1932-1935] broadcasting a tribute to his old friend, thousands filing past the coffin (as it lay in state at the mission) and crowds lining the streets for his funeral.
During the Second World War and until the early 1950s, Reverend Irvonwy Morgan was the minister in charge of Poplar Methodist Church, supported in his work for 6 years by Minnie Lax, wife of the late Reverand Lax. Minnie, sometimes referred to as 'Mother of Poplar' died in February 1943. This was a difficult time for the Church and its congregation, with substantial war damage to some of the Church's key buildings. One of the most significant events occurred on 9 September 1940 when a landmine fell between the Church and King George's Hall. Sadly the Hall, which had been such a core part of the church's social events and activities, was devastated and never used again, it was demolished in the early 1960s.
During the 1950s and 1960s ministers such as Reverend T. Sutcliffe and Reverend William Wallace Mason carried on the work of Poplar Methodist Church. Work to support the vulnerable and most deprived in the local community continued with a range of activities including the creation of a Disabled Club which was opened by Reverend Sutcliffe in 1953. Members from all backgrounds were accepted, (including those who did not attend Poplar Methodist Church) and Mr. Sutcliffe transported members unable to travel by public transport, often using his own car. Other initiatives to support the local community continued, including the ongoing annual scheme to provide a 'toy for every child at Christmas'. Poplar Methodist Church also began the tradition of opening its doors on Christmas day and providing a meal for those with nowhere else to go at that time of year.
Reverend Douglas Wollen succeeded Reverend Wallace Mason in 1973. He oversaw an important point in the history of Poplar Methodist Church, its relocation. In June 1976 the Church moved premises to occupy the nearby Trinity Church, East India Dock Road, Poplar. The move was necessary as its own premises (the original building which housed Poplar Methodists for 128 years), were to be demolished.
Trinity Church was built as Trinity Chapel in 1841, later to become Trinity Congregational Church and then Trinity United Reformed Church (following the creation of the United Reformed Church in 1971 which merged the Congregationalists and the Presbyterians). It was bombed during the Second World War and later rebuilt as part of the Exhibition of Live Architecture for the Festival of Britain, 1951, at the Lansbury Estate development. Records of the Trinity United Reformed Church are also held in Tower Hamlets Local History Library and Archives [W/TUC] and a more extensive description of the history of Trinity Church can be found within the administrative history for that collection. When Trinity United Reformed Church vacated the premises of Trinity Church, the building remained in the ownership of the United Reformed Church and the latter leased out the building to the Methodists for the use of Poplar Methodist Church from June 1976- 2006. Subsequently the United Reformed Church sold the building to the Calvary Charismatic Baptist Church.
During its time at Trinity Church the Poplar Methodist Church was somtimes referred to as the Poplar Methodist Mission at Trinity Church and latterly, Trinity Methodist Church. Understandably the name 'Trinity' was dropped from the title completely when the congregation left the Trinity Church premises in 2006 and the church became known as Poplar Methodist Church.
At the time of cataloguing these records (2012-2013), Poplar Methodist Church is still active. Although no longer based at Trinity Church, its congregation retains its strong connection to Poplar and meets at The Emery Hall (part of The Queen Victoria Seamen's Rest, Annabel Close), a short distance from its former premises at Trinity Church and East India Dock Road. |