Alexandra Mission Hall

[davidr]

I wonder whether anyone knows anything about the Alexandra Mission House (sometimes also called the Beckenham Mission) which was at Alexandra Terrace. The terrace no longer exists and Neil Coe, who is involved with the Alexandra Cottages Resident Association, has written in their newsletter that it was bombed during WW2. He says its full name was the “Beckenham Mission House, Coffee Shop, Institute and Public Baths” and that it was built between 1875 and 1879.

My interest arises because I'm writing the biography of a pivotal 20th century scientist and engineer whose grandfather. Abraham Reeves, ran the mission in the later years of the 19th C. David (Robertson)

Attachments:

[The Historian]

The following are the only entries in any of my historical books on Beckenham........The mission was opened by Colnel Travers R.A in October 1877 in Bromley Rd.In 1881 the mission was visited by Princess Adelaide, Dutches Of Teck. Captain P.W Stephens of Beckenham Mission died in 1904. There is a photo of the mission on the site www.beckenhamhistory.co.uk/flashNifties/gallery2.html then go top Oakhill and Foxgrove then photo no 90. There is also a photo of Captain Stephens if you go www.beckenhamhistory.co.uk/flashNifties/gallery5.html then People then photo 42.

I would contact Bromley Central Library as they are very good www.bromley.gov.uk/directory_record/34387/central_library

[chrisdoran]

Whilst I think there was some connection between the (Old) Beckenham Mission in central Beckenham, and what came to be called Alexandra Hall Mission in Parish Lane on the Beckenham/Penge border, they were different entities.

The Alexandra setup was opened on 13th December 1877, as depicted in an advertisement in the Beckenham Journal which describes the coffee shop etc. as adjuncts to the mission. With drink a major problem at the time, coffee houses were offered as an alternative. The baths were for washing, not swimming. I don't think the coffee shop and baths project lasted long. The mission hall was almost completely destroyed in an air raid on 20th September 1940 -- too badly damaged to be rebuilt, but not badly enough to qualify for 100% reparations, so the site was sold to build flats (west side of the junction of Parish Lane and Tennyson Road). My grandfather was its last superintendent and my parents met there.

What few documents I have are too late to mention Mr Reeves. There were a number of "management difficulties" in its early years, and he may not have been there long. The Beckenham Journal of December 1878, p8a, says Mr Reeves of the London City Mission was "recently appointed" at Beckenham Mission Hall (which is a bit ambiguous), whilst the issue of September 1879, p5b, says he was "an ex-stationmaster, and now a missionary at Penge". I'll look at some more early newspapers to see what else I can find. Meanwhile, you might like to contact The LCM who in the past have been able to provide biographies of their missionaries to people I've referred to them.

[mhemmings]

I lived at 164 Victor Road from 1946 until 1970. Our house backed directly onto The Alexandra Mission site in Parish lane. I remember it well as a badly damaged building. I would really appreciate it if anyone can provide a description or even better a photograph of the Mission before it was bombed.