COLCHESTER CHURCHES
This is a big category and is divided by the 12 medieval parishes by church names, followed by later Anglican churches of the borough and different non-conformist churches and chapels.
Church of England Non-Conformist Church of England in the locality Church of England - Original Borough of Colchester
Medieval Parish Churches
8 in total (2 still used for regular worship)
All Saints - now the natural history museum
Holy Trinity - redundant
St James (the Great)
St Martin - redundant
St Mary at the Walls - earlier part demolished
St Nicholas - demolished
St Peters
St Runwalds - demolished
Outside the Walls
Medieval Parish Churches
4 in total (none used for regular worship)
St Botolphs - earlier church demolished
St Giles - now Freemason's HQ
St Leonards - redundant
St Mary Magdalen - demolished
All Saints 212s
All Saints 01
H G R C Photo by Gill. Unused
All Saints 02
C090
Unused card. Poyser Series.
C091
Unused. E Morter's Cards.
C092
Unused. The IXL Series
Holy Trinity
(Trinity Street)
Photocrom V2297
Unused
C080
Unused card by H G R C photo by Gill.
C081
Unused. H G R C Photo by Gill.
C082
Sent July 1905? To Mr Claude Goodey of 9 Granville Road, Colchester, by Ernie.
C083
Unused.
C084
Unused. Poyser Series. Saxon Door.
C085
Unused, The Cambria Series. Embossed 'The Sutton School of Art'. Entitled 'Saxon Arch'.
C086
Unused. The poster on the door says V R Year 1892 Inland Revenue Licence.
C087
Unused. The Cambria Series.
Holy Trinity Church with the Town Hall missing. This postcard comes from the collection of Mr David Jeffs and is shown with his kind permission. Whilst the postcard was probably produced around 1905, it uses a photograph that must date from 1901 or earlier, before the present day Town Hall was constructed.
A534
St James the Great
(East Hill)
C001
Unposted. Madsen's Ecclesiastical Series. We have two close copies of this card.
C003
C004
C005
C006
Unposted
St James 02
C008
Card sent October 1907 to Miss Flower of Cookham Dene, Berks, by D J.
C012
Unused card by H G R C photo by Gill.
C013
Unused card. The Wyndham Series. W7153
C015
Unused. the Wyndham Series. W7160.
C016
Unused.
A518-398
3284 The Bell Series. Sent to Miss K Kiddle of 29 St John's Green by A G on 16th August 1908. A less common view taken from the southeast corner.
St Martins
(West Stockwell Street)
C012
The IXL Series.Sent to Miss S Codd of 5 Wickham Road, Colchester by Milly on April 2nd with Edward VII stamp, no year readable.
C013
date on back 9th July 1922. Unposted.
C014
Unposted. Poyser's Series.
C016
Oscar Way, Royal Studios. Unused.
C017
The Wyndham Series. Unused card.
C018
Unused. H G R C Photo by Gill.
C019
H G R C Photo by Gill. Unused
'The Leper's Squint'
This postcard comes from the collectiion of Mr David Jeffs and is used with his kind permission. It seems to show the squint that looks very different today than it clearly did in what we assume was the 1910s. The church has undergone considerable refurbishment over the years.
A535
St Mary at the Walls
(Balkerne Hill - now St Marys Arts Centre)
C030
Sent to Miss K Preston of Swaffham by May on 27th June 1905
C031
Unposted. The Pelham Series, published by Boots.
C032
Sent to Mr Jack Hood of Royston by his sister Emily on March 31st 1911.
C033
Unposted.
C034
Unposted. Poyser and Co. Colchester. Photos by Gill.
C036
S and S C 1/110 unused card.
C037
C039
Card unused.
C040
Unused. H G R C. Photo by Gill.
C041
Unused. H G R C. Photo by Gill.
From a picture at Tymperleys
A530
St Nicholas
(High Street - demolished in the 1950s)
C009
Not a postcard but a modern photograph of an old engraving. This shows the much dilapidated church that preceded the later Sir George Gilbert Scott version that follows.
C010
Unposted. 17. M and L National Series.
C011
Unposted. Series 1952
C012
Unposted. 138137
C014
Unused card by H G R C photo by Gill.
C015
JWS 1262. Card posted Agust 1905 to Mr Larsen of West Ealing.
C016
St Nicholas. Unused card by H G R C photo by Gill.
High Street 59
St Peters
(North Hill)
C130
Unused card by H G R C photo by Gill.
C131
Old Door at St Peter's Church. This must be several centuries old. Unused card.
C132
Sent to Mrs Springett of Watford. George V stamp.
C133
Unused. Poysers Series. The sign states 'Dale and Son, Fish and Ice Merchant'.
C134
Unused. H G R C. Photo by Gill.
C135
Sent to Mrs Mansfield of Leytonstone by her son Will in 1915. Poyser and Co.
C136
Sent to Mrs Bonner? of Walton on Naze by LB in May 1904. Stamp removed.
C137
Unused.
C138
Unused. The Wyndham Series. W7154
C139
JWS 1268. Sent to Mrs E Rolph of Harlow by F M. George V Stamp.
St Runwalds
(High Street - demolished in the 1850s)
CSRN01
C150
No 310 H G R C Photo by Gill. Unused. This is a pre-photograph postcard showing the church that once stood in the High Street.
Church of England - without the walls
St Botolphs
C070
Unused card by H G R C photo by Gill.
C071
Unused card by H G R C photo by Gill.
A144-290
St Botolph's Priory and Church
Sent May 1906 to Miss Shotham? c/o ? Swanston of Clifton. 1134
St Giles
(St John's Green)
C100
Unused card by H G R C photo by Gill.
C101
Sent to Mrs Payne of Ilford by M. M and R Series. George V stamp.
St Leonard
(Hythe Hill)
HYTHE06
C120
Unused card by H G R C photo by Gill.
C121
Unused card.
C122
Card by H G R C photo by Gill. Sent April 1917 to Mrs Freeman of Ongar
C123
Sent to Miss Stroulger? of Foulsham, Norfolk, by F D A Smith on 21st December 1907.
C124
Unused
St Mary Magdalen
(Magdalen Street - demolished in 1980s)
STMARYMAG01
STMARYMAG02
stmarymagd1
A card from the collection of Mr Don Goodman of Colchester. Postally unused.
Church of England - General Colchester Area
Christ Church
14 - 883
Interior of Christ Church. Postally unused. S and S C. 1/106. Later demolished.
C055 Christchurch photograph. Dated August 1955.
C021 St Johns
Unposted.
C022 St Pauls.
Catherine Amelia Topsfield's gravestone.
Sadly this church was all swept away to build housing in 2000s.
C023 St Pauls
Sent 23rd May 1910 to Mr N J Hansford of Seven Kings, Ilford by CHM. Mentions Willie.
C024
St Pauls Church. Unposted card by H G R C photo by Gill. This church was demolished in the 1990's.
A145-580
St Pauls Church. Unposted.
C050
St Barnabas. A photograph dated August 1955.
C140
St Andrews, Greenstead. Unposted card by J E Stutter of 11 Errington Road. Wrtten to Auntie Lil, on the occasion of her birthday and from her nieces Florrie, Ethel, Gladys and Olive Cooper.
A144-530
St Andrews, Greenstead. Unposted but pencil date of July 1922
A111-814
Stanway Church
A113-1214
All Saints, Stanway (Shrub End) Postmarked George V (1911 to 1936) but no clear date. Franked Shrub End Essex. Sent to Mrs G J Carmichael and Group Captain Carmichael, DSO AFC, RAF Station, Upper Heyford., by 'all at the vicarage'.
A114-1764
All Saints, Stanway (Shrub End) Poyser and Co, Photo by Gill. Unused but with a pencil note of 1906 Rev Gatrill. The Leather Bottle pub sign in view on the right of the picture.
C110 Lexden
Card sent Aug 1904 to Miss A Hockley of 7 Manor Road, Colchester by D H C.
C111
Sent to Mrs J H Case of Crofton Park, London by B W and mentions Isobel, in May 1906.
A151-132
All Saints Church, Shrub End. Sent to Miss E Cardy of Wormingford in May 1907. Marked by glue or some substance.
A153-1379
St Michael's Church at Mile End. Card by Bells' Photo Co Ltd. Unused.
The Garrison Church on Military Road
A047-864
Camp Church. Card by E Denison Binns or Mersea Road. Unposted. This church became redundant when the garrison moved to another part fo the town in the 1990s. It was soon to became our Russian Orthodox Church. We also have a Greek Orthodox Church at St Helena's Chapel in Maidenburgh Street.
A048-1287
The Camp Church, Military Road. Card posted December 1911 to Miss E Roberts of Fulham by Elmer. Royal Horse Artillery and others.
Garrison 06
Garrison 10
Garrison 46
C060
Sent to Master Guy Squire of Colne House, Wyvenhoe on 25th November 1903 by Burch?
A100-482
St Marys' Parish Room. Unposted. Bells Photo Co Ltd. 40946. At the moment we do not know which St Marys this building belonged to nor where it was situated.
C020
St James the Less, Priory Street. With written note, 'Father Bloomfield's Parish Church.'
C021 St James's (Roman Catholic) Church. Unused card by H G R C, photo by Gill.
A214-470
Unused card by G Strainer? of 6 Chapel Street, Colchester.
Non Conformist
(not Church of England Protestant)
A018-410
Stockwell Chapel, East Stockwell Street. This building still standing in 2010. Posted to Mrs H Spooner of Braintree by her son Leonard in September 1907. 2525 Bells Series, John Walker and Co.
A023-541
Friends Meeting House, 1872 date stone, Sir Isaac's Walk. HGRC Photo by Gill. Unposted.
Located on Sir Isaac's Walk and later became known as Rebow Chambers, demolished in 1980's.
A024-445
Eld Lane Baptist church. Date 20th November 1904 written on front of card. Sent to Miss Nailor of Stanfield, Norfolk. HGRC Photo by Gill. Posted November 1904.
This building is still used for worship. The following is taken from their website (Dec 2010):
The Glorious Revolution of 1689 gave toleration to Dissenters. It was then that Colchester baptist Church was formed. In 1690 the Church registered its meeting house in East Stockwell St., just off the High Street, and its minister, John Hammond. In 1711 the church moved to Eld Lane on part of its present site and called John Rootsey as its minister. Rootsey built up the church and made the first contacts which led to Baptist churches in Ipswich.
In 1832 the site of our premises was increased fourfold and the present church was built on it in 1834. This was largely due to the benefactions of Benjamin Nice, a farmer living in Ardleigh.
One of our members at that time, James Paxman asked that his name be removed from the roll due to 'improper conduct'. Thus his son, James Noah Paxman, was brought up in the Church of England. He went on to found the major engineering company that bore his name.
In January 1850 the young Charles Haddon Spurgeon came to a knowledge of Christ in a Sunday morning service in the Primitive Methodist Church in Artillery Street. That evening Spurgeon worshipped at Eld Lane and it is as a Baptist that Spurgeon became the foremost Christian influence in 19th century Britain.
In 1866 with the minister ill but unable to retire Eld Lane looked to Spurgeon, who had just founded the theological college that bears his name, for help. He offered Edward Spurrier as assistant minister and agreed to preach himself twice a year to cover the cost. Spurrier soon had the church in a healthy state. On one of his visits Spurgeon saw the need for a school hall. With a gift and a loan from him the Church was equal to the challenge. In recent years this hall has needed rebuilding but is esentially the hall Spurgeon built.
Spurrier stayed at Eld Lane over 40 years. In that time out-stations were built at at Parsons Heath(Wycliffe) and Blackheath (Orchard). Both are now independent churches.
One of our ministers in subsequent years, Warwick Bailey, served from 1944 to 1972. he was a Borough Councillor for nine years and was mayor of Colchester in 1949/50.
Two further additions have been made to the premises. That in front of the school hall was named after Spurrier and opened in 1923. A wing on the other side was added in 1991. It houses Open Door, founded in 1986 as a welcome to all who want to come on four weekdays.
CELB01
Eld Lane Baptist Church on the right and the Spurrier Memorial (now demolished) on the left.
Eld 02
Headgate 01
This chapel building still exists but is now the Headgate Theatre.
A037-612
Wesleyan Church, inscribed 1835-1900. H G R C Photo by Gill. Unposted. This chapel was in Culver Street.
Demolished.
Lion Walk 01
The steeple is the only part of this church that still stands and has become an integral part of the present day Lion Walk Congregational Church.
Lion Walk 02
H G R C Photo by Gill. Sent August 1904 to Miss Alice Ward, c/o Mrs Newton of Clacton on Sea by E W.
Lion Walk 03
H G R C Photo by Gill. Sent to Miss L Bowner of 9a Short Wyre Street with a note that Lion Walk School Room had £209 for two days. Stamp removed so no date.
Wesleyan Church, Wimpole Road
More pictures will be added in due course, together with comments.
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