In the 1700s most of Vauxhall was marshland. People had to cross this land to get to church at St. Mary’s next to Lambeth Palace. This was a most dangerous route as there were robbers hiding in
In the 1700s most of Vauxhall was marshland. People had to cross this land to get to church at St. Mary’s next to Lambeth Palace. This was a most dangerous route as there were robbers hiding in the marshes waiting to attack anyone crossing them. Naturally this made the people reluctant to cross the marshland to attend church. They petitioned for help and in 1793 a deed of settlement was drawn up giving permission for Lambeth Chapel to be built. The ground, upon which the Chapel was built, was leased from John and Sarah Bond, and Sarah Lindsey, widow, at a cost of £20 per annum.
This lease was for 99 years and a management committee (including John Dollond, the optician) was formed to oversee the construction, furnishing etc., of the chapel. They decided to limit the total cost of the chapel to £3,000 and to raise this amount 60 x £50 shares were sold. Each share entitled the holder to four seats, the balance of the approximately 600 seats were let only to people the proprietors approved of, and there were no free seats for the poor. Six people were elected to a governing committee with the rectors £40pa salary being paid by the shareholders.
South Lambeth chapel as originally built was apparently a rectangular building with a gallery round at least three sides of it. The holy table was at the west end. This was comparatively common at the time and the aim was that the minister, when celebrating, should face “the right 