NORLAND CHAPEL is situate in the Queen’s-road, Notting-hill, and on the
extreme western boundary of the Parish of Kensington. The boundary stone
of the parish is fixed in the wall which surrounds the chapel, and the
iron pillar which marks the line of the Hammersmith Parish stands near to
it about half a foot further west. It was built in the year 1859, the
foundation-stone being laid in May of that year by the late Robert
Hanbury, Esq., M.P., for Middlesex. The architect was Mr. Stent, of
Warminster, and builders, Messrs. Hill and Robinson, of Whitechapel. Mr.
Hill was the builder of the new Holborn-viaduct, and is now building the
streets connected with the Holborn-valley improvement. In architecture
it is of a very various order, but may be defined as “mixed Italian.”
The front, which is towards the south, is somewhat picturesque. The
porch is reached by a wide flight of steps, and is adorned with four neat
columns of Portland stone, with carved capitals of Bath stone; and
surmounted with a large circular window; the whole front having
Bath-stone dressing upon coloured brick. There are two side doors, which
lead to the gallery in the south end. The building, as a whole, is of
plain brick and has a substantial appearance. The west front corner was
intended to receive a spire; which, however, has not yet been built. Its
erection would certainly be a great improvement to the edifice. In the
interior, the space is well economised. Beneath the floor of the chapel,
there is a spacious school-room; which serves also as a week-night
lecture, preaching, and anniversary tea-meeting room. It is well
furnished, and has a harmonium to assist in the services held there. The
space behind is laid out in class-rooms, minister’s vestries, and
offices. A more compact and commodious suite of rooms for the space at
disposal we have seldom met with. The chapel proper provides sittings
for 650 people—500 on the ground-floor and 150 in the end gallery. The
sittings are let at from 2s. 6d. to 5s. per quarter, and the congregation
averages from 300 to 400. A modern raised platform pulpit is an
ornament, flanked with two handsome gas pillars; and the pewing is in
stained wood, and looks as good as new, after a dozen years’ wear. In
lieu of columns to support the roof the ribs which span it rest on
ornamental Bath-stone corbels inserted in the walls at about 12 feet
high, which are really stronger than they look, and are adopted to
prevent the obscurity of the view, and the absorption of space by
columns. The chapel is lit by gas pendants from the roof, and is warmed
in winter by the same, being lit over night. By this means a comfortable
heat is diffused through the building, reaching, if required, to seventy
degrees. This method of warming will, of course, be greatly improved, if
the gas companies will adopt the patent gas offered them by the “Patent
Gas Company,” which professes to reduce the amount of sulphur in every
hundred feet of gas from forty-four degrees to about four. In that case,
warming by gas would no doubt soon supersede some other methods. Red
baize with brass mouldings faces the side walls all round to a certain
height above the pews, which gives a comfortable and cheerful appearance
to the whole interior. The original cost of the building, including the
freehold site, was 3,000_l._
The church and congregation at this place are Baptist; but open their
communion to all who “profess and give evidence of the New Birth;” and
are sufficiently open occasionally to receive any Christian person at the
Lord’s Supper who may desire it, and who has previously sent a note or
card to the vestry. The basis of its membership is thus expressed in its
articles: “We enter this fellowship as Christians, each one holding that
the other is united to the Lord Jesus Christ by faith in him according to
the Scriptures.” Prior to the present chapel, the congregation met
temporarily in an old building facing Shepherd’s-bush-green; but removed
to the new and more commodious edifice, with their first minister, the
Rev. John Stent, as soon as it was ready. Mr. Stent continued the pastor
until he had completed eight years. He was then succeeded by the Rev. W.
H. Tredray, who after two years was in turn superseded by the Rev. W. P.
Balfern. After two years also of ministerial labour, Mr. Balfern has
just been compelled to retire in consequence of ill-health. The church
has thus for some little time been deprived of a stated ministry; but we
understand, that a minister is upon the point of being formally invited,
and will, in all probability, be settled for a period. We heard a plain,
earnest sermon from an occasional supply on the morning of our visit.
The service was conducted in the way ordinary to Baptist chapels; but we
were particularly struck with the excellence of the congregational
singing, to which we believe the late pastor devoted much attention. The
people appeared very well trained to the perception of harmony, and had
in use the Bristol Tune-book, which is well known to be one of the best
extant. They were, moreover, effectually sustained by the organ, which
is a capital 250_l._ instrument, by Jones, of Brompton, and well played
by the son of the senior deacon of the church.
The support of the ministry is from pew-rents and the proceeds of a
weekly offering. The other active institutions are a Sunday-school, with
over 300 scholars; a home missionary, supported by the late minister, Mr.
Balfern; a Dorcas meeting, maternal society, tract society, and a
mothers’ meeting. There is in addition a penny bank, in which a number
of poor people and children store their little savings. The order of
services is—Sunday, at 11 A.M. and 6.30 P.M., Sunday-school in the
afternoon; prayer and preaching on Friday evening at 7.30; a psalmody
class meets every Thursday evening for the practice of singing.