Building    From 1906 

Gospel Lighthouse Mission

Our drawing, from Exploring Southwark,shows the building to the right of the Mission before the Club building arrived.This website also gives the history of the construction of the two buildings, as follows:

The Gospel Lighthouse Mission started in what is now Ayres Street, nearby in the area known as The Mint, in 1888. It moved around the corner to a hall in Clenham Street but this was in poor condition so The Ragged School Union and Shaftesbury Society (See Lord Shaftesbury for more on The Shaftesbury Society) provided a new building in Union Street, this one. This was opened in March 1907 by the Marquis of Northampton.

Meanwhile the Work Girls Protection Society was founded in 1875 and began with premises in New Kent Road. It was renamed the St Mary’s Girls' Club. In 1899 the Club lost the New Kent Road site so they acquired a lease at 85 Union Street, a former tin plate works.They then raised funds, bought the site to the left of the Mission site, and constructed a building there. 1930 the Girl's Club merged with the Acland Club to form the co-ed St Mary's and Acland Club. 1936 this moved of of Union Street to Nelson Square.

This drawing shows that originally the Mission had no attic parapet, nor cornice. The greyish bricks around the whole building at ground floor level are also, surely, a change to the original design, installed when the buildings were united. But we cannot discover when these changes happened, nor under what circumstances. Perhaps the Mission took over the Club building when the Club moved out.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Gospel Lighthouse Mission

Commemorated ati

Lighthouse mission - Treloar

To the glory of God this stone was laid by the Right Honourable Lord Mayor of...

Read More

Other Subjects

Sir John Kirk

Sir John Kirk

J.P., Christian philanthropist, the children's friend.  Not to be confused with Sir John Kirk (1832-1922), the African explorer.  Sir John's great great grandson, Peter Mitchell, contacted us to sa...

Person, Children, Education, Philanthropy

1 memorial
Colin Ward

Colin Ward

Anarchist writer. Born Wanstead. Served in the army in WW2, and worked as an architect 1952 - 61. Published on education, architecture and town planning. Guardian obit.

Person, Architecture, Education, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
Hawthorns High School for Boys

Hawthorns High School for Boys

School in Hayes, in the Borough of Hillingdon at which George Orwell taught from 1932 - 1933. He is top right in the photograph.

Building, Education

1 memorial
Richard Titmuss

Richard Titmuss

Social researcher and teacher. Born Richard Morris Titmuss at Farm lane, Stopsley, near Luton. He became concerned with the social differences between the north and south of England, publishing 'Po...

Person, Education, Social Welfare

1 memorial
Edward Alleyn’s Foundation / Dulwich Estate

Edward Alleyn’s Foundation / Dulwich Estate

From their website: "We are The Dulwich Estate, a registered charity established by our founder Edward Alleyn in 1619 to offer educational opportunities to disadvantaged children. As a charity, we ...

Group, Education, Philanthropy, Property, Religion, Social Welfare

1 memorial

Previously viewed

Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II

Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II

The twenty-fifth anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II.  This was celebrated all year but particularly on the weekend of 4 and 5 June 1977, the following week and the weekend of the Qu...

Event, Royalty

30 memorials
ORP Błyskawica

ORP Błyskawica

Former Destroyer in the Polish Navy. ORP stands for Okret Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej (Ship of the Polish Republic).

Vehicle, Armed Forces, Poland

1 memorial
Gorillaz

Gorillaz

Virtual rock band. Created by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett. The 'group' consists of four animated members called: 2D, Murdoc Niccals, Noodle and Russel Hobbs. Their music is provided primarily by...

Group, Music / songs

1 memorial
John Patteson

John Patteson

Instituted as Rector of Christ Church Spitalfields on 15 Feb 1856 and still there in 1867. Not to be confused with John Coleridge Patteson, Bishop of Melanesia (1827 – 1871). Our colleague Andrew ...

Person, Religion

1 memorial
William McMillan

William McMillan

Born Aberdeen, Scotland. During the WW1 he was awarded the British and Victory medals, which he had himself designed. Died in hospital, Richmond, Surrey, following a mugging. Other London work: the...

Person, Sculpture, Scotland

11 memorials