SCOUSERS AND SCHISMS
The story of the church on Renshaw Street begins when a small group of parishioners at the Ancient Chapel of Toxteth protested the appointment of minister Hugh Anderson. Believing him to be religiously fickle, the dissenting group broke away from the church, and formed their own congregation closer to the city. Construction of the building which would become Newington Chapel began in 1776, and in 1777 it was opened for worship - you could see this date above the door. The first minister was Rev. David Bruce, and he remained at the chapel until his death in 1808. He was even buried under the main entrance of the chapel.
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| View of Newington Chapel from Ackermann's Panoramic View of Liverpool (1847) |
A MESMERISING MINISTER
Perhaps Newington Chapel's biggest claim to fame was its bewitching young minister, Thomas Spencer. Though he only served from 1810-11, Spencer had an enormous impact on the congregation. Described as a man of great talent and remarkable oratorical powers, his preaching was so compelling that great hoards of people thronged to hear him. By popular demand, Spencer preached for over an hour at a time! However, under medical advice, he limited this to 45-minute stints. In 1811, Spencer laid the foundation stone for a further chapel on Great George Street, which would allow him to preach to 2,000 people! He appeared to have a bright future at Newington Chapel.
However, this was not to be. Whilst bathing on the banks of the River Mersey later that year, Spencer was swept out by a current and drowned. He was subsequently buried at Newington, and his funeral was attended by 150 official mourners, with many more lining the streets. Newington Chapel continued to be used by this congregation until 1871. But how did this building become a German church..?
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| Rev. Spencer c. 1810 |
DEUTSCHE EVANGELISCHE KIRCHE
In 1846, noted theologian Dr Joseph Baylee became interested in the growing population of German sailors working at Liverpool docks. Wanting to help this poor community, he applied to the Bishop of Chester to establish a German Christian church in the city. Permission was granted, and they were allowed to rent space at St Michael's on Pitt Street, where services were read in German. As the congregation grew, the community was in need of a church of their own, and in 1871, Newington Chapel on Renshaw Street provided an opportunity. The building was purchased with help from a number of wealthy German merchants in Liverpool. David Jacoby Hirsch was appointed the first minister, and from this date, the building began its new life as the German Evangelical Church.
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| Facade of the church c. 1925 (colourised) |
THE KAISER AND THE COMEDY
During the First World War, the presence of a German church in Liverpool must have stirred up gossip, and possibly unease. In fact, in June 1913, the Liverpool Daily Post reported that the congregation hung out German and English flags in celebration of Kaiser Wilhelm's jubilee. Certainly, this would have caused a few heads to turn on Renshaw Street! However, Liverpool's English and German communities weren't always so wary of one another. On New Year's Day 1929, the church hosted a social evening which was attended by members of both communities. Together, they sang German songs, and even enjoyed a German comedy play! Indeed, there was always something going on at the church... In 1930, local Police Constable Richard Seddon was called to the site to deal with a disruptive drunkard. This "wild lion" was wreaking havoc on the roof of the German church, after stealing money and tools from next door Kelly and Sons!
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| Interior of the German church c. 1925 |
CAR DEALERS AND HIGH EXPLOSIVES
Renshaw Street church was eventually sold to the Cheshire Lines Committee in 1931 for £14,000, and the congregation relocated to their present site on Bedford Street. Bodies buried in the grounds (including those of Revs Bruce and Spencer) were exhumed and moved to Walton Park Cemetery. The final service at the German Evangelical Church was held on the 18th October 1931.
The chronology of the building following the Cheshire Lines purchase is somewhat hazy, although we do know that for a time during the next decade, the old church played host to Voss Motors Ltd! However, the building's days were numbered. In October 1940, a high explosive bomb hurtled into Renshaw Street, inflicting heavy damage on the old church. Contemporary reporting in the Liverpool Echo described that "all that is left is a hollow shell which will have to be pulled down". Despite this, the damaged building remained standing until 1955, when it was eventually demolished. The site where the German church once stood is now occupied by 'The Ascent' student accommodation and The Watson Building.
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| L to R: Church as Voss Motors garage (c.1930s); view of Renshaw street showing the gap between Lewis's and Kelly's after the demolition (1959); the present German Church on Bedford Street |
I hope you enjoyed joining me on a stroll down old Renshaw Street. I'd love to hear any memories of the church building, and if this article is your thing, keep updated with all of our content on Twitter!
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