Chapel Next the Green (the history of Twickenham Congregational Church) index page
Over a year was to pass before the vacancy was filled, A much-liked candidate had to be passed over because the Church could not guarantee a higher stipend than £200. However in May 1908 Rev Jenkyn James, standing in for a friend, preached to such a favourable reception that he was requested to preach ‘with a view‘ at the earliest possible opportunity.
When the Committee learned this could not be before July, Mr Clifford Paterson and Mr John Lewis, newly appointed as Secretary and Treasurer respectively, were deputed to visit Mr James’ church at Griffithstown, Monmouthshire and report back. Their reports were favourable and after he had preached again in July he was invited to accept the pastorate.
Mr James took up the post in October 1908, moving into a house in Strawberry Hill. At 42 he was somewhat older than his immediate predecessors but quickly gained the love and respect of the membership.
In early 1909 a Church Manual was published (printed by the Richmond firm of J.H.Broad, one of the Committee) and a surviving copy gives a comprehensive picture of Church life at the time. Among the activities listed were the week-night service, always a prominent feature of church life at this time, the Choir (18 members – choirmaster W.E.Gould), the Sunday School (383 children, 17 teachers, Superintendents J .Stirling and C.C.Paterson), the Mothers Meeting and Maternity Committee, the Boys Brigade, the Fellowship Guild (Secs: Dr and Mrs Harker; “this had been a blessing to many homes where distress and poverty threatened”) and the Strawberry Hill Lawn Tennis Club (“This Club is composed chiefly of members of the Church and Congregation by whom it is carried on ….play may be had on any weekday during the months May to September”). During his pastorate Mr Simmonds had been a keen member of the last-mentioned whose links with the Church were “close but unofficial”. ’
In April 1909 the Diaconate was reconstituted, only men being eligible; of the eleven deacons, seven had joined during Mr Simmonds’ ministry. Two, John Gould and his son William had been present at the 1882 re-formation and were possibly connected long before this.
At their second meeting the deacons considered the acquisition of a house in Spencer Road for use as a Manse. This was not proceeded with, partly because of the cost (£450) but also because “… the question was raised of the advisability of purchasing a manse at the present juncture, since if the Church grew (as there was a prospect of it doing in the near future) a new church building scheme might be initiated and the position of the proposed manse might be too remote from the proposed site“.
Fifteen additional sittings were being let each year, and “Mr Deayton estimated that the Church will be practically full in three years”. Sadly this rate of growth was not maintained and no more was heard of this building scheme.
Despite this growth the Church finances were in their usual weak state. When, in August 1910, the Deacons were told that “the whole of the tiling might slip off at any moment, as there is virtually nothing to hold it up” they could only afford to spend £20 on slating half the church roof, and so for many years the roof was half slated and half tiled!
By the end of that year, in an effort to improve the finances, the adoption of a Freewill Offering system was proposed sill was adopted the following March. Pew rents, which did not always reflect members ability to give, were replaced with envelope giving, much as today, though some members were still insisting on paying pew rent ten years later.
A Town Hall Bazaar in 1911 raised £197 out of which the organ was cleaned. For the following three years deficits necessitated gift days in the late autumn. Mr James had been guaranteed a stipend of £200 and whilst this was honoured, giving never allowed this figure to be increased and with wartime inflation its real value decreased.
The First World War
The minutes suggest that the war had few effects on church life at first, though in September 1914 “it was felt that decorations should not be purchased for the Harvest Festival”. In 1916 Air Raid insurance was taken out, but was not renewed as the risk did not seem to justify it.
With so many being called up and the demands of war work it became harder to fill church offices; in 1915 Mr Purchase came out of retirement to serve as Financial Secretary. In October 1917 he added the post of Treasurer when Willian Gould resigned due to business pressures.
In April 1916 Mr Paterson resigned as Secretary; as his subsequent career shows he was a man of outstanding ability . At the next meeting Mr Purchase was asked to pen a testimonial to him at the end of the previous minutes and added “…it was felt the loss would be difficult to make good, especially under the present circumstances”.
At the same meeting Mr James tendered his resignation, having accepted a call to the church at Hounslow. At the Annual Meeting it was resolved that “the Church and congregation desire to put on record its profound thanks to Mr James for his helpful and devoted ministry during eight years of peaceful and harmonious church life … They desire further to put on record their affectionate regard for Mrs James who has supported the church in a like spirit….”
Mr James moved to Hounslow in September 1916 where he ministered until his untimely death in 1924 at the early age of 58.
← Frederick Simmonds, 1899-1907 – – – Harold Bickley, 1917-1922 →