HULL TOWN: The Lost Churches of Hull.

Back in 2011, Dr. David Neave gave me permission to use the information contained in the book "The Lost Churches and Chapels of Hull" on the Genuki site. At the time, I didn't use the information because the Genuki Church Gazetteer required a grid reference for each of the places of worship in the database and this was at the time very difficult to do. With the advance of mapping material on the web, it has now (2019) become relatively easy to do and so it is now presented here complete with all the grid references.
There follows the original copyright statement and the acknowledgements. The book does have a "Foreword", but that is not included here.
Please see the main Hull page for the images and descriptions.

Colin Hinson, May 1st 2019.

Published by Hull City Museums & Art Galleries and the Hutton Press Ltd. 130 Canada Drive, Cherry Burton, Beverley, North Humberside HU17 7SB (note that this company no longer exists and North Humberside is now "The East Riding of Yorkshire".)
Copyright © 1991
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form, or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the Publisher and the Copyright holders.
Typeset and printed by Image Colourprint Ltd., Anlaby, Hull.
ISBN 1 872167 29 2

Greenwood - J. Greenwood, Picture of Hull, Hull 1835.
HCAO - Humberside County Archive Office.
HCMAG - Hull City Museums and Art Galleries.
HLSL - Hull Local Studies Library, Humberside Libraries.
KHRO - Kingston upon Hull Record Office.
NHG - New Hull Guide, 1880.

For much of the information in this booklet we are greatly indebted to those who have preceded us in the study of Hull's churches and chapels. We have drawn freely upon Bernard W. Blanchard's pioneering thesis on 'Nonconformist Churches in the Hull District', 1955, and the writings of Edwaid Ingram, in particular his entries on Anglican churches, and those of Keith Allison on other places of worship, in the Victoria County History, East Riding, vol. 1, 1969. Additional information on Methodist chapels comes from R. F. Drewery's unpublished 'History of Methodism in Hull', 1974. David Woodhouse generously provided photographs and text concerning the German Lutheran Church, Nile St.Any such study is dependent on the help of librarians, archivists and museum officials and we would like to thank the following: Jill Crowther, Margaret Burwell, Sara Donaldson and all the staff at Hull Local Studies Library; Geoff Oxley, Susan Jones and staff at Hull City Record Office; Keith Holt, Carol Boddington and staff at Humberside County Archive Office; the staff of the Borthwick Institute of Historical Research, University of York; and Carolyn Aldridge and Susan Jeffrey of Hull City Museums. Graham Edwards of the Hull City Museums Design Department receives our thanks for promptly and expertly copying the many illustrations gathered in.

We are most grateful to Humberside County Archive Service, Kingston upon Hull City Record Office, Humberside Libraries (Hull Local Studies Library), the Hull Daily Mail, Christopher Ketchell Collection, Sam Allon Collection, Miss A. Dalheim, David Dixon, German Lutheran Church Council, John Markham, Margaret Palfreman, Robert Wise, Barbara Green, Geoff Bell, Bernard Blanchard and Edward Ingram for permission to use illustrative material. Others who kindly provided information and/or illustrations include Jack Allerston, Kenneth Beaulah, Miss Brown, Mgr. J.R. Charlton, Mrs. Dixey, Fred Fletcher, Audrey Goodrum, Help! Conservation Action Group, Local History Unit, Hull College of Further Education, Josie Montgomery, Mrs. Norah O'Brien, Leslie Powell, and Mike Tracey.

Hull is proud of some recent developments to the city centre and skyline but there is much to regret. A new dome has arisen opposite the Guildhall and the old church of St. Mary Lowgate has been more clearly revealed. In the semi-circle of the inner city, around the civic and commercial centre, changes are not all so pleasing. Great attempts are being made to provide decent housing. New uses are being found for old schools; low-budget community centres are designed to serve mixed populations. Unfortunately handsome public buildings that resulted from a more stable tradition have proved too expensive to maintain. The corners of so many long streets of two storey dwellings, with their infill of face-to-face houses, were marked by spires, towers and cupolas. Behind these symbols of congregationalprosperity and missionary zeal, halls and schools provided for the social needs of their adherents. Many of these churches and chapels were lost in the bombardments of two wars. More recently shifts of population, and the growth of vehicular traffic, have caused survivors to be changed to commercial or industrial usage.

Some have been completely lost beneath flyovers or dual carriage-ways. In a number of cases grandiose temples have been replaced by car parks attached to succeeding buildings designed for cheaper upkeep. We were anxious to record some of these changes before evidence was lost and memories fade. As a museum service, we aim to collect and preserve relics of social and religious life and we receive many requests to identify views and sites. Changing architectural taste may have contributed to the disregard for decorative variety so we thought it useful to record the battle of architectural styles and the imaginative mixtures of motifs adopted by the various sects. We were therefore very pleased to enlist the enthusiastic help of a group of knowledgeable historians.

Dr. David Neave, of Hull University, has provided most of the information about Nonconformist places of worship and written the comprehensive introduction. With the help of Dr. Susan Neave, he has compiled the lists of buildings and architects. Mr. A. G. Bell has supplied the details of the Anglican Churches and Mr. Chris Ketchell has supplied further information and illustrations from his store of local knowledge. Many other local people have contributed souvenirs and memories and clergy and laity have helped with material which has passed to existing parishes and congregations. We are grateful to all who have helped our efforts to make the publication comprehensive and the exhibition visually stimulating.

The editorial team has not aimed at a religious history of Hull. Dr. Neave's introduction points at how difficult this is to unravel but enables us to understand the main sectarian developments. Whichever bank of the River Hull may be considered to be the more Christian side of the city, there can be no doubt of the importance of religious belief in the lives of so many citizens. We have attempted, in the exhibition, to try and convey something of the warmth that existed in both worship and social activities. The publication concentrates on the architectural record, the richness of decorative detail and furnishings now lost, the architects and the benefactors whose vision created such a varied skyline above our flat landscape.

The illustrations show a remarkable pattern of change and we realise this must continue, only wishing the future could bring as rich a heritage as the past. No-one wants today to see further continuation of sectarian rivalry and the churches themselves have discouraged expenditure on unnecessary embellishment. It would be wrong to divert public funds from more pressing social requirements and greater architectural tragedies. Nevertheless the exhibition may help everyone to pause and consider. We hope that the record will help planners, developers, clergy and congregations faced with the maintenance of public worship, to combine to find means to ensure the list of lost churches and chapels does not duly increase; that means will be found to prevent wholesale losses and the desecration of surviving architecturalfeatures. In essence we believe that this survey of the past will contribute to the future well-being of a rapidly changing community.

Trevor P. Larsen
Chairman, Cultural Services Committee.
John Bradshaw
Curator, Hull City Museums and Art Galleries.
October, 1991.

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