The Gravel Pit Chapel was established in 1715–1716 (308 years ago) ( 1716 ) in Hackney, then just outside London, for a Nonconformist congregation, which by the early 19th century began to identify itself as Unitarian . In 1809 the congregation moved to the New Gravel Pit Chapel nearby, while its old premises were taken over by Congregationalists. The New Gravel Pit Chapel was closed and demolished in1969 (55 years ago) ( 1969 ) .
22-627: The Gravel Pit Chapel was established in 1715–1716 in Hackney , then a village north-east of London, for a Presbyterian congregation seceding from that of John Barker , after the death of Matthew Henry . It took its name from the gravel pit near the bowling green in Mare Street . In 1809 the congregation moved to new premises in Paradise Place in 1809, and began to identify itself as Unitarian. The original building, from then on known as
44-670: A town hall at Hammersmith Broadway. In 1889 , the Local Government Act replaced the Metropolitan Board of Works with the London County Council , and the area of the board became the County of London . From that date, the various parishes were separated from Middlesex, Kent and Surrey and placed for all purposes in the new county, while the vestries and district boards continued to function under
66-507: The 1851 census . The second tier of local government was to be based on the existing vestries of civil parishes in an area comprising parts of the counties of Middlesex , Kent and Surrey . Section 42 of the Act dealt with the incorporation of vestries and district boards. Where single parishes became a local authority they were to have the title: "The Vestry of the Parish of _______ in
88-548: The Diocese of London . From 1825, building and the population of Hackney increased rapidly and new parishes were formed, a few of which have since been dissolved: Periphal parts of the ancient parish contributed to three other new parishes as follows: 51°32′51.98″N 00°03′17.08″W / 51.5477722°N 0.0547444°W / 51.5477722; -0.0547444 Metropolis Management Act 1855 The Metropolis Management Act 1855 ( 18 & 19 Vict. c. 120)
110-490: The "Old Gravel Pit Chapel", was taken over by Congregationalists . The site of the Old Gravel Pit Chapel on Chatham Place still exists; in 2004 the site was in use as a shoe factory, and by 2013 was a branch of Aquascutum . The New Gravel Pit Chapel was described in 1908 as being at the west end of Retreat Place, a row of almshouses . It was rebuilt in a Gothic style in 1857, and remained in use until it
132-548: The City of London considered the case for creation of an authority for the whole of London. Its report recommended the creation of a limited-function Metropolitan Board of Works and seven municipal corporations based on existing parliamentary representation. The act constituted the Metropolitan Board of Works and provided that its members should be chosen by the parish vestries and district boards also constituted by
154-601: The County of ________" Where parishes were grouped the resulting authority took the title: "The Board of Works for the _________ District" 5a Kensal Green ; 15a Penge Hamlet; 34a St Anne ; 35a detached portion of Streatham parish; 36a Kensington Gardens Not shown is Clerkenwell Detached , an exclave of that parish within Hornsey , Middlesex. Electing authority Number of members elected to MBW Administrative headquarters A number of extra-parochial places lay within
176-551: The Hackney District Boards of Works was divided into seven wards (electing vestrymen ): No. 1 or Stamford Hill (15), No. 2 or West (18), No. 3 or De Beauvoir Town (18), No. 4 or Dalston (18), No. 5 or Hackney (18), No. 6 or Homerton (15) and No. 7 or South (18). In 1894, the district and board were dissolved, with the Hackney vestry taking on its duties within the parish. In 1894 as its population had increased
198-629: The Metropolitan Board of Works' area but were not included in any district: On 25 March 1986 , following the passing of the Metropolis Management Amendment Act 1885 , the Fulham District Board of Works was dissolved and vestries of Hammersmith and Fulham were incorporated, with elections to the Metropolitan Board of Works to be held on that date. Fulham Vestry continued to use the existing town hall at Walham Green , while Hammersmith Vestry built
220-652: The Parish of Hackney in the County of Middlesex by section 42 of the Metropolis Management Act . With Stoke Newington it formed part of the Hackney District, governed by the Hackney District Board of Works, within the area of the Metropolitan Board of Works . Under the Metropolis Management Act 1855 any parish that exceeded 2,000 ratepayers was to be divided into wards; as such the parish of St John at Hackney within
242-662: The act. The first election of members was to take place on 12 December 1855. From 1857, one third of the board was to go out of office on the third Wednesday of June every year. The board was to take over the powers, duties and liabilities of the Metropolitan Commission of Sewers and the Metropolitan Buildings Office on 1 January 1856. Its area of responsibility was to be that designated by the Registrar General as London in
SECTION 10
#1732780329587264-513: The aegis of the new county council. In 1894 , the Hackney District Board of Works was dissolved, with the vestries of Hackney and Stoke Newington assuming the powers of the district board. Stoke Newington Vestry built a town hall at 126 Church Street. At the same time, the Vestry of the Parish of Plumstead became a separate authority, with the remaining four parishes of Plumstead District being reconstituted as Lee District Board of Works. In 1896 ,
286-675: The borough became part of the London Borough of Hackney in 1965. The boundaries of the civil parish were identical to the ancient parish, and it covered 3,289 acres (13.3 km ). The populations recorded in National Censuses were: Hackney St John's Vestry 1801–1899 The ancient parish, was originally dedicated to St Augustine . By c. 1660 it was rededicated to St John the Baptist and usually referred to as St John at Hackney . It and its successors are in
308-587: The chapel was rebuilt in a Dissenting Gothic style, to the designs of Arthur Ashpitel . In 1810 a congregationalist group, who had seceded from the Ram's Chapel in Homerton after the death of John Eyre , leased the old Gravel Pit Chapel, then in Morning Lane, Hackney. They had gathered from 1804 at Homerton College . The last service in the Old Gravel Pit Chapel was held in 1871. The congregation moved to
330-474: The incorporated vestry was re-divided into eight wards (electing vestrymen ): Stamford Hill (15), West (18), Kingsland (12), Hackney (12), Mare Street (15), South (15), Clapton (12) and Homerton (21). In 1889 Hackney was included in the new County of London , and in 1900 the vestry was dissolved with the parish becoming the Metropolitan Borough of Hackney . The civil parish was abolished when
352-481: The nearby former 16th-century parish church dedicated to St Augustine (pulled down in 1798). The original tower of that church was retained to hold the bells until the new church could be strengthened; the bells were finally removed to the new St John's in 1854. See details of other, more modern, churches within the original parish boundaries below. The vestry of the parish, in common with all parishes in England,
374-541: The new Round Chapel, on the Clapton Park Estate, in Upper Clapton . From 1874 there was an Old Gravel Pit mission in the building. 51°32′48″N 0°03′03″W / 51.5468°N 0.0507°W / 51.5468; -0.0507 Hackney (parish) Hackney was a parish in the historic county of Middlesex . The parish church of St John-at-Hackney was built in 1792, replacing
396-492: The parishes of Southwark St Olave and St Thomas were combined as a civil parish. In 1900 , metropolitan boroughs created by the London Government Act replaced the vestries and district boards. As of October 2012 , the majority of the Act has been repealed with only sections 239 and 240 remaining in force. Section 239 deals with the maintenance of enclosed gardens and section 240 relates to obligations under
418-591: The site and demolished the Chapel in 1969, in order to build flats. The burial ground survives and includes historical references to some of the people buried in the grounds. The Mare Lane congregation went back to William Bates (1668). The Unitarian New Gravel Pit congregation first met on 4 November 1810, in a new building designed by the architect Edmund Aikin , nephew of Anna Letitia Barbauld , who provided his services without charge. It included Charles Hennell , David Ricardo and Daniel Whittle Harvey . In 1858
440-534: Was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that created the Metropolitan Board of Works , a London -wide body to co-ordinate the construction of the city's infrastructure. The Act also created a second tier of local government consisting of parish vestries and district boards of works. The Metropolitan Board of Works was the forerunner of the London County Council . The Royal Commission on
462-522: Was damaged during the Blitz in 1940. The congregation continued to meet in Aspland Hall (the Chapel's church hall, erected in 1912) where they largely remained even when repairs to the Chapel were completed in 1953, due to the cost of heating the Chapel. The last service in the repaired chapel was a 300th anniversary foundation commemoration held on 2 October 1966. The Greater London Council purchased
SECTION 20
#1732780329587484-530: Was entrusted with various administrative functions from the 17th century. The parish vestry administered the Poor Law until 1837, until it became part of the Poor Law Union of Hackney. The ecclesiastical and civil roles of the parish increasingly diverged, and by the early nineteenth century they covered different areas. A distinct civil parish dates from 1855, with the incorporation of The Vestry of
#586413