MUSWELL HILL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
87 Muswell Hill Broadway
Postcode : N10 3HA
Location : TQ 28658 89556
Currently (December 2020) occupied by a restaurant, the former Muswell Hill Presbyterian Church was built in 1902 to a design by architects by George and Reginald Palmer Baines. It is a Grade II listed building
Postcode : N10 3HA
Location : TQ 28658 89556
Currently (December 2020) occupied by a restaurant, the former Muswell Hill Presbyterian Church was built in 1902 to a design by architects by George and Reginald Palmer Baines. It is a Grade II listed building
Description of the building
"The new church will be situate at the corner of Princes-avenue, and the Grand-parade, and promises to be a structure alike handsome and commodious. It is designed in the perpendicular period of Gothic architecture, and is freely treated. Externally the building will be faced with whole white flints, the dressings being of red terracotta work. A bold square tower, terminating in a quaint spirelet, is to form a prominent feature at the angle of the block, which will show to advantage owing to its position at the corner of two roads. In front there are to be three bold and richly-moulded doorways, flanked by buttresses, and a handsome sevenlight traceried window iu the central gable, the apex of which will be set off with traceried work. In form the plan approximates to a Greek cross. The ceiling internally is vaulted, the large central vault being carried up higher than the others upon clustered granite columns, with moulded stone vases and carved stone capitals. These are to support four main moulded arches and other smaller ones spanning to the walls. All the windows are to be filled in with ornamental lead lights. An electrical installation and aparatus for heating the building also form part of the scheme. As to accommodation. it is estimated that the ground floor will seat 615 adults. the choir 31, and the gallery 81, making a total of 780. The architects, whose designs were accepted in a recent competition, are Messrs. George Baines, F.R.1.B.A., and R. Palmer Baines, 5, Clement's-inn, Strand, whilst the. building contract is entrusted to Messrs. Johnson and Co., Belle Vue-road, Wandsworth-common." - Islington Gazette and North London Tribune, 26 May 1902, p. 5.
The ceremony
" On Saturday afternoon the memorial stone of a new Presbyterian Church at Muswell-hill was laid, the ceremony being attended by a large and representative gathering of North London Presbyterians. ... Mr. Henry Robson, who is becoming a veteran in the cause of religious progress, and an adept in the work of memorial stone laying by reason of his oft-repeated performance of that function, was present, and duly officiated at this all-important part of the ceremony ... A hymn, " This stone to thee in faith we lay,"' formed the opening item of the ceremony. This was followed with prayer by the Rev. Duncan Macrae. The Rev. S. Stuart Starritt (minister of Muswell-hill Presbyterian Church), in calling upon Mr. Robson to lay the stone, said they were happy in having secured the services of one who had placed the Presbyterian Church of England under such a debt of gratitude. Apart from his many generous benefactions Mr. Robson was a loyal son of the church, and a staunch upholder of Presbyterian principles. He had proved himself thoroughly entitled to the great confidence he enjoyed in the church and to the high places he had occupied in her council. After referring to the many similar enterprises in which Mr. Robson had been engaged, the speaker said it was their earnest hope that the record of this church at Muswell-hill would be of such a character that in his old age Mr. Robson might look back with the fullest satisfaction on that day, and also look up with gratification to God. The stone, which bore the inscription "To the glory of God, this stone was laid by Henry Robson, Esq., 24th May, 1902," was then lowered into position, and declared to be well and truly laid by Mr. Robson, to whom the Rev. Stuart Starritt had previously made the presentation of a handsome trowel. After a divine blessing had been asked upon the new building, and upon all who would be engaged in its erection, an adjournment was made to the Presbyterian-hall adjoining, which had served as a house of worship since its erection in 1898. Here the service was resumed with the hymn, "The Church's one foundation." Mr. Robson, in the course of an address, said it was sometimes stated that Presbyterianism was purely Scotch. As a Scotchman, he would not, object to that, because he would like to claim all the good things possible for Scotland, but people who thought that Presbyterianism was purely a Scotch thing were certainly not acquainted with history. Presbyterianism flourished elsewhere—on the Continent, the colonies, America, and even in China, they found it, and so it could not be put down as a purely Scotch thing. They were also told that Presbyterianism would not flourish in England, but no one looking round that assembly could say it would not flourish at Muswell-hill, or at High
gate, Crouch-end, Crouch-hill, and other places in the neighbourhood, and he was sure it would flourish more and more. There at Muswell-hill they had a connection with Scotland of which perhaps they were unaware. The name came from Mouse Well, and tradition said that in ancient days there was a certain king of Scots to whom it was revealed in a dream that he would be cured of a malady if he drank the water of a well called Mouse Well. So he came there and drank the water, and was cured. As a result of that a chapel was erected to the Lady of Mouse Well, and that was under the jurisdiction of the Priory of Clerkenwell. Many pilgrims came to drink of that water, but in course of time its healing power seemed to have disappeared, and the chapel fell into disuse, and it was said to be in a state of ruin at the time of Elizabeth. But that afternoon they were assisting in digging a well which would go down to the living rock from which the waters of eternal life would ever spring and whose healing powers would never fail. The Rev. Mr. Ramsay followed with an address . He expressed his pleasure at that new sign of Presbyterian progress, and sincerely trusted that their highest hopes would be abundantly crowned with realisation. The Rev. J. B. Meharry congratulated the congregation of Muswell-hill and its minister upon having taken the second step of the journey that he hoped would lead to a congregational glory. But their gain was his (the speaker's) loss. As he looked over the assembly and recognised so many faces that used to adorn his church at Crouch-hill, he began to think that they had sunk to such a stage of moral corruption that robbery was one of their best virtues. (Laughter.) He felt he was in deplorable straits, but the only consolation he could find lay in the fact that several of his brother ministers whom he saw near him were no better off than he was. He thought Dr. Thornton and. himself might well take up the little song which said, "The barque is still there, but the waters are gone." (Laughter.) But after all, if they had given Muswell-hill a band of faithful Christian men and women, he thanked God that such were to be found, and they thanked God for the opportunity which was given them in Muswell-hill for displaying their thankfulness to God and zeal towards His kingdom. There was a spirit of great generosity dominating the life of Christianity to-day. They were giving up their hearts and minds to a higher work—a profound humanitarian interest in those who lived round about their churches. They were all beginning to realise that they were joint contributors to the glory of God and to the spiritual benefit of mankind, and he thanked God for that omen of future peace and contentment. He thought it was sheer impudence on the part of any man to presume to tolerate another. So long as churches and assemblies had within them the forces of heavenly light, purity, and goodness, so long had they a right to say to their neighbour, " Who art thou who wouldst tolerate me and my goods?" Therefore, in pushing out further they the Presbyterians made no apology to their brothers and sisters of other churches, because they (the Presbyterians) were simply participators and co-workers with them, as they, in turn, were co-workers with God and Jesus Christ. Mr. Shaw, as building fund treasurer, gave a brief statement-, which showed that the total cost of site, and of building and furnishing the hall, with other expenses, amounted to £3,893. The amount contributed by the congregation up to date was £l518, whilst £349 had been received from friends outside, and £250 as the first instalment of a grant from the Synod, making a total of £2,117. For building the new church the amount of the contract was £7,500, and the speaker hoped that the appeal for substantial help towards raising the necessary funds would meet with a generous response. A collection was taken on behalf of the Building Fund, after which addresses were given by the Rev. Geo Hanson, D.D., Rev. Percy Martin, B.A., Rev. R. M. Thornton, D.D., and Mr. R. Whyte, the proceedings terminating with the Doxology and the Benediction.
gate, Crouch-end, Crouch-hill, and other places in the neighbourhood, and he was sure it would flourish more and more. There at Muswell-hill they had a connection with Scotland of which perhaps they were unaware. The name came from Mouse Well, and tradition said that in ancient days there was a certain king of Scots to whom it was revealed in a dream that he would be cured of a malady if he drank the water of a well called Mouse Well. So he came there and drank the water, and was cured. As a result of that a chapel was erected to the Lady of Mouse Well, and that was under the jurisdiction of the Priory of Clerkenwell. Many pilgrims came to drink of that water, but in course of time its healing power seemed to have disappeared, and the chapel fell into disuse, and it was said to be in a state of ruin at the time of Elizabeth. But that afternoon they were assisting in digging a well which would go down to the living rock from which the waters of eternal life would ever spring and whose healing powers would never fail. The Rev. Mr. Ramsay followed with an address . He expressed his pleasure at that new sign of Presbyterian progress, and sincerely trusted that their highest hopes would be abundantly crowned with realisation. The Rev. J. B. Meharry congratulated the congregation of Muswell-hill and its minister upon having taken the second step of the journey that he hoped would lead to a congregational glory. But their gain was his (the speaker's) loss. As he looked over the assembly and recognised so many faces that used to adorn his church at Crouch-hill, he began to think that they had sunk to such a stage of moral corruption that robbery was one of their best virtues. (Laughter.) He felt he was in deplorable straits, but the only consolation he could find lay in the fact that several of his brother ministers whom he saw near him were no better off than he was. He thought Dr. Thornton and. himself might well take up the little song which said, "The barque is still there, but the waters are gone." (Laughter.) But after all, if they had given Muswell-hill a band of faithful Christian men and women, he thanked God that such were to be found, and they thanked God for the opportunity which was given them in Muswell-hill for displaying their thankfulness to God and zeal towards His kingdom. There was a spirit of great generosity dominating the life of Christianity to-day. They were giving up their hearts and minds to a higher work—a profound humanitarian interest in those who lived round about their churches. They were all beginning to realise that they were joint contributors to the glory of God and to the spiritual benefit of mankind, and he thanked God for that omen of future peace and contentment. He thought it was sheer impudence on the part of any man to presume to tolerate another. So long as churches and assemblies had within them the forces of heavenly light, purity, and goodness, so long had they a right to say to their neighbour, " Who art thou who wouldst tolerate me and my goods?" Therefore, in pushing out further they the Presbyterians made no apology to their brothers and sisters of other churches, because they (the Presbyterians) were simply participators and co-workers with them, as they, in turn, were co-workers with God and Jesus Christ. Mr. Shaw, as building fund treasurer, gave a brief statement-, which showed that the total cost of site, and of building and furnishing the hall, with other expenses, amounted to £3,893. The amount contributed by the congregation up to date was £l518, whilst £349 had been received from friends outside, and £250 as the first instalment of a grant from the Synod, making a total of £2,117. For building the new church the amount of the contract was £7,500, and the speaker hoped that the appeal for substantial help towards raising the necessary funds would meet with a generous response. A collection was taken on behalf of the Building Fund, after which addresses were given by the Rev. Geo Hanson, D.D., Rev. Percy Martin, B.A., Rev. R. M. Thornton, D.D., and Mr. R. Whyte, the proceedings terminating with the Doxology and the Benediction.
The name on the stone
As the newspaper report suggests Sir Henry Robson (1848-1911) was often called upon to officiate at Presbyterian church laying ceremonies, for example, in Clifton, Dartford, Gosforth, Huddersfield and Sunderland. Originally from Glasgow he came to London in 1869 to enter the business world. He lived in the Kensington area, becoming Mayor of that borough on two occasions, 1905-1906 and 1906-1907. He was knighted in 1907. He was joint convener of the Home Mission Committee of the Presbyterian Church of England.
The architects
The practice of George Baines was responsible for over 90 church, mission and Sunday schools. In the London Borough of Haringey Baines churches include:
Braemar Avenue Baptist Church
Muswell Hill Baptist Church
Braemar Avenue Baptist Church
Muswell Hill Baptist Church