The Bishop of London, Rt Rev Arthur Winnington-Ingram, consecrates the new church, 19th March 1910
1910~1920 The Foundation Years
Until the early years of the 20th century all of Hanwell had been one parish, St Mary’s. The inadequacy of one church to serve a growing population is indicated by the rebuilding of St Mary’s church in 1842 to cater for the increased number of church goers and then by the building in 1877 of St Mark’s as an additional church serving the south of the parish. By the turn of the century this was no longer sufficient and it was decided to create an additional parish, St Mellitus, the first in the Anglican Communion to bear that name. The parish was formed in 1908 and lay between the railway and Elthorne Park, thus including St Mark's as a chapel of ease. While St Mark’s would continue in this fashion as a subsidiary church for the parish, it was clear that a new, bigger parish church was needed and so Sir Arthur Blomfield was commissioned to design it. With a capacity of 800 people it was designated St Mellitus, the name probably derived from the legend, propagated by Sir Montagu Sharpe, the Middlesex historian, that Mellitus, Bishop of the East Saxons, was instrumental in the conversion of the Anglo-Saxons of Hanwell. Funds for the new church were raised from the sale of Holy Trinity Church in Gough Square in the city of London, reflecting movement of people away from the old city to the suburbs, attracted by the work associated with the canals and railways, factories and shops which quickly became established there.
The Bishop of London apparently showed keen interest in the sub-division of the parish. He selected the site for the new church and chose its first vicar, the Rev Ernest Nicholson. His sermons were hugely popular - while the new church was being built, he preached at St Mark’s which was unable to contain the crowds who came to hear him. The local paper said, somewhat alarmingly, ‘the power of prayer and intercession was enforced, the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of mankind were forcibly proclaimed!’ Even as the church was being built, he looked ahead to the long term future, writing in July 1909:
‘We may think of all that a new church may mean in our lives but that is not enough; we must think of our responsibility to future ages! Who can tell? Perhaps for thousands of years men may worship the Father on this spot! For ages it may be the spiritual home of tens of thousands of souls. Think, in conclusion, of the hope to be enticed upon bended knee in this House.’
On Saturday 19th March 1910 at 3.30 p.m. the Bishop of London consecrated St Mellitus Church in a well-attended ceremony. The parish had already become an important part of the community and the parish magazine ‘Brotherhood’ (later ‘Sanctuary’) had been in circulation since January 1909 and illustrates the range of activities included in parish life; from music to sport, from raising funds for the church to helping the poor and assisting those without work to find employment.
During its early years, large congregations attended the church on Sundays, many coming from long distances. In 1913 the parish welcomed a new curate, Leonard Spiller. His enthusiasm made him popular and his energy led him to found Boy Scout and Girl Guide groups, including a group of Sea Scouts who had a boat ‘The Ancient Lights’ on the river at Chiswick. Although the Sea Scout group eventually disbanded after the Second World War, there is a permanent reminder of them in the east window of the chapel. This was erected in 1916 by the scouts and others in memory of scout Owen Harwood who gave his life to save a fellow scout from drowning in the river Brent on 4th August 1916. The Sea Scouts also contributed to the church in other ways as Rev Nicholson writes in February 1918:
‘A beautiful little crib was a feature at St Mellitus this Christmastide (1917). It was made by some of the St Mellitus Sea Scouts and showed real artistic and devotional charm. It was erected in a corner of the Chapel and, by its beautiful simplicity and unforced naturalness, attracted considerable attention. It is the first time we have done anything of the kind. It certainly will not be the last.’
During the First World War, a special intercession service was held every evening to pray for the troops. Part of the church was set aside as a war shrine where people would come to pray for the safety of their loved ones serving abroad. Today in this place (on the left hand wall just before the chapel) you can see the marble tablet listing the names of members of the church who served. The Calvary Cross, a striking monument outside the church commemorates those who were killed. It was finished in August 1919 with the surrounds being designated to be maintained as a garden.
At the end of the war there was a special service to give thanks for the Armistice. The church was decorated with the flags of the allied nations, captured in a hand tinted photograph which we have framed as part of the centenary exhibition.
From 1 October 1919 a separate parish was formed of St Mark’s church and district although the two churches continued to take part in many joint activities, notably music.