THERE is a very old lady still living in Young-street, Kensington, whose
recollections of early Methodism in that town are still with her, and who
is fond of the opportunity of quietly recounting them. Among her
remotest remembrances is a visit of Mr. Wesley, the incidents of whose
advent were the talk of the neighbourhood when she first began to notice
anything she heard. She tells how the great evangelist preached in a
smithy, somewhere in the vicinity of the present Jenning’s-buildings,
“amidst great opposition.” {21} Subsequently preaching services were
held in a house—which has long since been taken down—but which stood upon
the site 17, Young-street. This was the property of her husband’s
father—who was one of the earliest Methodists in Kensington—and who
suffered much persecution. It was, it appears, the object of his
opponents to make him stop the Methodist service altogether; but his
devotion to the cause enabled him to brave the taunts and injury to which
he was subjected; and to afford larger accommodation he built up a
temporary chapel in his own yard, which answered for the service of the
Methodists many years. Methodism, however, has never flourished in the
Court suburb to the extent to which the self-sacrifice and devotion of
its few first members might have seemed to promise. To the first
temporary building succeeded another; then followed the present chapel in
Clarence-place in the year 1838. A ninety-nine years’ lease of the land
was obtained at a ground-rent of 10_l._ per annum in 1836, and the
foundation-stone was laid by the late Mr. Farmer, of Gunnersbury House,
in 1836, and in June, 1838, the Rev. Dr. Bunting and the Rev. Dr.
Beaumont conducted the opening services, when the collections amounted to
42_l._ 5s. 2d., the whole cost being 600_l._ It is a very plain edifice,
almost completely hidden from view by the surrounding dwellings, and
having no architectural expression. It has no gallery, and will
accommodate on the ground-floor 200 persons, the congregation as a rule
reaching to about half the number. About twenty sittings only are held
as free, although many more must generally be so used. There are between
fifty and sixty Church members meeting in class. Prior to 1861, when the
Bayswater Wesleyan _Circuit_ was formed, this chapel was ministerially
supplied from Hammersmith circuit, and from the Theological Institution,
Richmond. But since that date the services have been attended by the
regular ministry of the Bayswater station, to which the chapel was at
that period attached. The form of service is that belonging to the
Wesleyan Body, which consists of 1, a hymn; 2, a prayer; 3, a lesson; 4,
a hymn; 5, sermon; closing with another hymn and benediction. The hymns
of the Wesleys are those mainly used; although there are bound up with
them some select productions from other well-known hymn-writers, the
whole forming, without any controversy, by a long way the best collection
of hymns that Christendom has yet produced. Its excellence is attested
by the fact that into whatever church or chapel we enter, the collections
there in use, under all sorts of titles and editorships, are much
indebted to its pages. In the present instance the singing is aided by a
harmonium, which might very well give place to the more suitable
instrument—the organ. Behind the chapel there is a very capital
schoolroom, where about sixty children are taught on the Sabbath; and
adjoining this a large vestry, both built in 1857, and forming a good
reserve for meetings of all kinds connected with the church and
congregation. In the Wesleyan circle in Kensington the following names
appear to be much revered and honoured as having contributed at
successive stages of the work, time, talent and money towards its
building up, names for the most part well known in the town—Messrs.
Rowland, Tomlinson, Maunder, Pocock, Bridgnell, Jarvis, Eyles, Bond,
Gush, Rigg, Haine, Trownsan, Farmer, &c. The building of the larger and
more beautiful Wesleyan chapel in Warwick-gardens has, however, tended to
weaken the society at Clarence-place, by drawing away some of its
principal members and supporters, and a small portion of its general
congregation.