Gillingham lies between the southern side of the mouth of the River Medway and the edge of the north-facing chalk dip slope of the North Downs, at the centre of northern Kent. The incline from the south to the north is interrupted by a number of features, the first of which is the dry valley running across the slope. From its eastern-most point at Wigmore, it increases in depth along Spekes Road or Spekes Bottom and becomes quite steep-sided between the Darland Banks and Hempstead. At Darland farm it widens around Luton and joins the River Medway opposite Chatham Town hall. The valley can be clearly seen at the foot of Chatham Hill and from the naval war memorial on the top of the Lines.

Any localised history must be seen in the wider context of the whole political and economic growth of an area and of course, in the case of the church, religious history.

Kent has always been to the forefront in the Christian religion; it was after all to Kent that St. Augustine came, landing near Ebbsfleet and making his way to the King’s Court at Canterbury. Towards the end of 597 A.D. Augustine was consecrated Bishop and on Christmas Day of that year he baptized no fewer than 10.000 people.

Some commentators assess this as almost a quarter of the entire population of Kent at that time and it is therefore quite conceivable that people from the Gillingham area that attended that sermon. Although communications at that time were extremely rudimentary, the bush telegraph worked and this event was certainly the most exciting event of the year and curiosity would have taken a vast number of people to hear St. Augustine. Ken Wheeler remember hearing that within two days of President Nehru having died in India, a country today with poor communications, every man, women and child in that vast country, had heard the news. So it was that Augustine’s Christianity exploded on Kent and touched the area that was to become Gillingham.

Of course it must be remembered that Christianity had arrived in Britain in the First Century but had been suppressed by the Romans who actively encouraged pagan worship and there is no doubt that there were a few Christian's in the Country until St. Augustine made his famous missionary journey. King Ethelbert was converted immediately and most of his successors subscribed to the Christian faith, despite Danish invasions right up to the time of the Norman Conquest. When William the Conqueror arrived, he wasted no time in assessing his new land holding, and under his self-imposed rules he acquired all land and distributed it to his Knights, who in time became Lord's of the manor.

Gillingham was given to his half-brother, Bishop Odo of Bayeux, the Parish Church at Gillingham was then re-built and an Archbishop’s Palace was constructed on land bordered by Grange Road, the ruins of which could still be seen last century. Gillingham itself, at the time was small hamlet, centred around the Parish Church and surrounded by large farm-holdings, of which St. Mark’s Parish formed part, being part of Brittain Farm.

After the death of Thomas-a-Becket in 1170, Kent became a major tourist attraction to pilgrims from all over the world and Gillingham was a favourite stopping point for travellers. It seems as though they either stopped over at Boxley Abbey, famous for it’s miraculous Rood (which later turned out to be a fake in a major scandal of the time) or else they would come via Gillingham to see the miraculous "Madonna" at the Parish Church, which unfortunately disappeared in the Sixteenth century.

After the disappearance of the "Madonna", Gillingham’s importance began to fade until 1547 when by order of King Henry VIII the Royal Dockyard at Gillingham was founded and grew steadily. Although a few years later the name was changed to Chatham Dockyard, the vast bulk of the development was in Gillingham and indeed at the time of closure this year, ?1979?, 7/9ths of the Yard were in Gillingham. From a sheltered harbour a Maintenance Depot was built and shipbuilding began.

During the Napoleonic Wars, massive expansion took place and the Barracks were built, "lines" of fortification were constructed and the "lines" bears testimony to this today. Officer’s houses were built within the confines of the Barracks and at Brompton (Mansion Row, Prospect Row and Garden Street, now forming a conservation area). Labourers were housed in Chatham and Brompton, but even in the early part of the Nineteenth century, land was at a premium and houses had to be close to the place of work as little transport was available. It was for this reason therefore, that developers cast their eyes towards Gillingham.

They could not build on the Government owned land, the Great Lines, and therefore the first development took place immediately adjacent to it i.e. Medway Road, Mill Road and Marlborough Road and soon ‘spec’ builders moved in and roads like Pagett Street, Saxton Street, Brittain Street, Arden Street and Fox Street etc., were built. It is a matter of historical record that these often bore the name of their developers and the individual building plots sold for 7/6d each. (At the time the law required dog owners to have a dog license priced 7/6d). The High Street was built and the shopping area moved from Pier Road which was until that time the High Street and the whole of the newly developed area became known as New Brompton, Gillingham being a mile away at The Green.

It is this new that filtered back across the Medway Towns to a young Curate at St. Nicholas, Strood, Alfred Willis. Although a very high Churchman, converted during the great Anglo/Catholic Revival following the Oxford Movement in the 2^nd quarter of the last century, Alfred Willis was possessed of a fantastic missionary zeal with an urgent desire to bring the good news of Christ and His Church to all those around him. His first love was obviously the overseas mission field as is well illustrated by a much-applauded talk given in early 1860 to the Rochester Church of England Society. There is no doubt that Alfred Willis was the most evangelistic of all the St. Mark’s Vicar’s and this for the first Vicar is no bad thing. In fact one can see God's hand in choosing him for this virgin territory. On the other hand, Willis was far from evangelical. In fact he was at the opposite end of the spectrum, having in 1866 a pamphlet published on the subject of transubstantiation entitled "The Real Presence of Christ in the Sacrament of the Altar - a doctrine agreeable to Holy Scripture".

This was based on a sermon preached in St. Mark’s Church on the twenty-fifth Sunday after Trinity in the Church’s old calendar, 1866. This man, evangelist and High Anglican was to be the founding father of St. Mark’s Church, New Brompton.

On Tuesday, 4^th October 1864, the foundation stone of St. Mark’s Church was laid by the Right Honourable Viscount Sydney, GCB, the Lord Lieutenant of Kent.

It was a cold day, although sunny, and the flags and pennons on loan from H.M.S. Wellesley, floated "gaily over the church site". The ceremony commenced at noon and there was a full processional, with banners as seen ‘then’ over the great "west" door of the church, white cross on a blue shield, I.H.S. on a crimson shield, St. Andrew’s Cross and St. George’s Cross.

"A glass vessel containing the silver coins of the realm, and a Parchment Scroll, was here deposited in a cavity in the lower stone. A silver trowel was then handed to Viscount Sydney, with which his Lordship spread the mortar. The stone was then lowered into its place. The Lord-Lieutenant assisting the Architect and Builder in adjusting it, and saying "In the Faith of Jesus Christ, we lay the Foundation Stone, In the Name of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, Amen".

The Scroll was inscribed with a written inscription in Latin and English, "To the Glory of our Lord Jesus and in memory of St. Mark, the Evangelist. The Right Honourable, the Viscount Sydney, GCB, Lord Chamberlain and Lord Lieutenant of the County of Kent laid the Foundation Stone of this Church on the 4^th October in the year in the year of our Lord 1864, the 27^th of Queen Victoria. Joseph Cotton Wigram DD being Bishop of Rochester, John Page, DD being Vicar of Gillingham, and Alfred Willis, MA Incumbent of New Brompton, Architect, James Pearce, St. Aubyn Esq."

A similar inscription was on the trowel, which bore the crest of Arms of Viscount Sydney.

After the ceremony there was a Luncheon with speeches following, and calls upon the Admiralty to donate funds, £150 by now having been received, and this was followed by an Evening Service in the Schoolrooms.

The parish of St. Mark’s New Brompton officially came into being on 25^th September 1863 and stretched from Watling Street to the River Medway and was bounded by Rock Avenue, Marlborough Road, Canterbury Lane. The geographical boundaries have changed several times over the past 136 years – parts being carved out of the parish with the creation of St. Luke’s (a former church plant of St. Mark’s) and St. Augustine’s Parish at the beginning of this century. St. Augustine’s Church was built in 1916. Additions have included Brompton in the 1950’s and in 1990’s St. Mary’s Island (St. Mark’s church plant) and the Historic Dockyard.

There was no holding back, Alfred Willis in either his evangelistic fervour or his fund raising endeavours, and indeed in April 1865 there was an encouraging report in the local press.

"Few places of worship could boast of larger congregations or heartier services than those in St. Mark’s Church on Good Friday. Morning Prayer with a sermon commenced at 10.30am. At 2.30pm the Litany and the Mediations on the 7 last Words from the Cross-, at 6.30pm. Evening Prayer with a sermon brought this Holy Day to a close. When we consider in what light Good Friday is generally looked upon we can but think that the large attendance at these services and the devotional feeling shown by all present, auger well for the future prosperity of the Church in this place.

On Easter day there were celebrations of the Holy Communion at 8.00am and again Morning Prayer a large number being present at both occasions. The last celebration was choral throughout, it was exceedingly well sung in devotional Spirit by the choir and the effect was strikingly beautiful. We believe this to be the first time that the entire Communion Office has been rendered chorally in these towns. It is a source of much thankfulness to those who have the interest of the Church at heart to find with what rapid strides it is advancing in the rising town of New Brompton"

Alfred Willis was a determined charismatic (not necessarily in the religious sense) character and he believed that he was right in what he said and did. When he took over the institute "church" which was packed every Sunday, he sacked the organist and was preaching to an empty church within three months.

The committee wanted to charge pew rents in the temporary church but Willis believed that Christianity should be freely available to everyone and the Lord would provide all financial needs. He most certainly proved this in his own life by personally paying for the temporary church, later to become the schoolroom and only finally knocked down around 1979.

The Ecclesiastical District of St. Mark's, New Brompton was duly formed, and on the 26th April 1866 the new permanent church of St. Mark's was consecrated amidst a wave of publicity.

The building of St. Mark’s had taken approximately 18 months and was still incomplete at the time of the consecration because the great steeple 200 feet in height envisaged by Alfred Willis and his Architect was not built and could not be built through lack of funds. Another reason maybe that the military authorities that owned the firing rights over much of the land may have raised objections. It is interesting to note that as late as the 1930’s there were calls within the press for it’s erection, but now short of some rich benefactor emerging it is most unlikely to be built (this is now even more unlikely in 1999 as St Mark's is now in the town centre with no space to build upon).

Consecration Day was a beautiful Spring day with a brilliant sun and the Church was adorned with flowers, scrolls on the walls containing passages from scripture, flags were stretched around the surrounding streets, the Church was packed, as were the grounds outside. It was obviously a most moving service when at 11.30 precisely, the Bishop with his Chaplain were received at the door and processed down the north side of the Lord’s table where he was presented with the Deed of Conveyance.

The description of the church then, which has been used so many times since is as follows: -

"The Church is of the Lancet Period or first half of the 13^th Century and is plain and simple in design. It has as aspidal chancel, 39’ by 24’ wide, 48’ high to the apex of the roof and is lighted with three 2 light windows with a quarter foiled circle over; It is fitted with choir stalls, two steps above the nave, and the sacrarium rises 4 more steps to the altar. The chancel has lean to aisles parted from the chancel with iron grills. There is a second chancel arch at the commencement of the sacrarium, just beyond the stalls.

The nave is 85’ long, 24’ wide, parted from the north and south aisles by arcades of five arches each, which carry the clerestory, pierced with coupled lancet lights over each arch. The arcade arches are 20’ high of two orders, springing from plain moulded caps on round piers.

The aisles are of equal length with the nave, and are 12’ wide with a lean to roof, the side walls being 13’ high, with coupled lancets in each bay, between which there are buttresses. A vestry, and organ chamber over, occupy the north east angle of the building, opposite to the last bay of the north aisle. The Font is at the West End of the nave, and the pulpit against the north pier of the chancel arch. There is a small west door in the nave in addition to that under the steeple. The west front of the nave has a large five light window, about 13’ wide and 21’ high. The East and West ends of the aisles have two light lancet windows reminiscent of the 13^th century, with a circle over.

The building is principally constructed of yellow malm bricks, on the exterior and un-plastered picked stock in the interior. The pillars, arches and dressings of the window being bath stone. The walls on the interior and exterior are relieved by the introduction of lines and devices in red bricks. There are no pews, but the whole floor of the church is covered by a uniform series of open and convenient seats. There is an open timber roof. The effect of the whole building is good. The church will be enclosed with a dwarf wall carrying and iron railing, with handsome gates."

Alfred Willis was soon preaching to packed congregations and one January 99 people were confirmed with a further 45 the following March, who had missed the boat. The Bishop conducted an ordination service for three members of the congregation, within St. Mark's who were sent out to the mission field.

Click here for a picture of Rev. Alfred Willis probably taken just before he left for Honolulu in 1872.

The mission field was Willis’s pre-occupation and several times he unsuccessfully applied to go to Zulu land. He eventually became Bishop of Honolulu and left to take up his post early in 1872. He left amid great scenes of sadness; somewhat different from the controversy in which he came.  He was to die on Sunday 14 November 1920 at Milford-on-Sea, aged 84, and was buried in the local churchyard - his grave has not been found by interested searchers.  He was in England for the 1920 Lambeth Conference.

His replacement was a pastor rather than an evangelist. Canon Richard Morris, as he was to become, became passionately involved with the development of New Brompton. Although somewhat austere he was loved and respected built up the St. Mark's National Schools below the High Street and eventually became head of the School Board. Unlike his counterpart at the Baptist Tabernacle, Rev. Blocksedge, he was not a politician (Rev. Blocksedge was a long time Town Councilor) but he was responsible for building most of the schools in Gillingham including Byron Road and Barnsole Road like Rev. Blocksedge was to the "Tab" he was St. Mark's longest serving vicar. He died in 1914 and lay "in state" in the Church prior to his funeral.

These were St. Mark's halcyon days. Richard Morris kept to the Anglo Catholic tradition and was probably the most loved of all the incumbents of the Church. He was replaced by 
Rev. Harry Hamilton -Taylor, a gentleman sometimes felt to be rather removed from the congregation. He did further the Church’s involvement in the community. St. Mark's amateur dramatic productions were a must to be seen by everyone in the early 1920’s like most churches of the time St. Mark's had always provided entertainment before the days of wireless and T.V. for the benefit of the populace. Under Hamilton-Taylor secular activities, led to a liberalization in religious terms for St. Mark's.

Unfortunately it is the Curates of that time that are best remembered, people like S.M. Epps (Stanley Moorcroft Epps), always known by his initials. Epps produced plays in conjunction with Jimmy Hughes for a long time a plumber at the bottom of Canterbury Street. One of these plays well remembered was "Twelfth Night".

S.M. Epps was popular amongst the young people and although there was no youth work or youth club, as such, many of the youngsters went to his flat for an after-church meeting. The flat was on the top floor of a house situated on the corner of Rock Avenue and Montgomery Road in Gillingham.

Another Curate well remembered from the time was the Reverend Tudor Thomas, a bachelor, living with his Doctor brothers in what has since become the Spiritualist church in Canterbury Street. Tudor Thomas is remembered as a forthright and excellent speaker being much more of a preacher than the Vicar who contented himself with occasionally preaching ‘hell fire and damnation’ by way of stirring up his rapidly diminishing and sleepy congregation.

Other Curates of the time included A. C. White, J.D. Brockman M.A., W.F.E. Peareth B.A., Rev. Oliver.

At the beginning of the 30’s Rev. Levi Howland, a previous curate, took over as vicar. Religion was in decline. This had started at the turn of the century as people became more affluent and more became homeowners. There was no place for God. Some turned back to Him in the war years but for most the question why! Led to a turning away on a scale unprecedented in history. This apathy amongst the populace caused compromise in the Church and nowhere was this compromise more obvious than in St. Mark’s. Things in the 30’s were at an all time low – a fortune-teller was a main attraction in one garden party.

 These dead liberal years continued with the next vicar Rev. James Dawson-Bowling who came in 1948   only stayed for 4 years, being replaced in 1952 by Rev. Derek Gadd. From this point on the tide began to turn, with Gadd’s sense of mission helped once again by history. Holy Trinity Brompton, a beautiful church built in 1847, was thought to be evangelical rather than Anglo-Catholic, but the result was the same – a packed church.

From the tragedy  of Holy Trinity to the triumph of growing St. Mark’s, among them the Green family (not mine) – Stan, Bill and Bert and one Hilda Irene Watterworth.  He ‘bullied’  Hilda into joining the P.C.C. and almost immediately to take on the job of Church Secretary.  Later he had the joy of marrying Hilda Watterworth and Geoffrey Leneve Buck. Geoff Buck had been a member of St. Mark’s since 1921, his father and brother having been Sidesmen and his mother having only just died in February of that year. The marriage was to prove most important in God's future plans for St. Mark’s. But perhaps his biggest immediate contribution was in bridge building between the two Churches and between their peoples.

At this time too a little family in Scotland were being told by God to move to a dockyard town of which they had never heard; David and Jean Smith came to Gillingham. Their house in Albany Road and the prayer meetings in the vestry became focal points for the spiritual life in St. Mark’s. Stories of those early prayer meetings in the mid 1950’s are legion but there is little doubt that these together with the ministry of Derek Gadd formulated the spiritual evangelical pattern that was later to make St. Mark’s the most famous provincial church in England in the 1960’s.

John Collins came in 1957 after Derek Gadd’s call to Canada, and immediately set about re-establishing Guest Services. A Pathfinder youth group was formed and the church grew from strength to strength. Soon one, then two curates were needed and the average evening congregation increased to 500! From those early days of Alfred Willis to the days of John Collins the wheel had turned full circle. Once again the accent was on evangelism, the context was evangelical rather than Anglo-Catholic, but the result was the same – a packed church. St. Mark’s has always been a barometer for national trends. It played a full part in the Anglo-Catholic Revival of the last century, and moved towards liberation in the twenties and thirties. It succumbed to the great evangelical revival of the 50’s heralded by Billy Graham at Harringay and Wembley Arenas, and it was natural therefore that it should be to the forefront of the charismatic revival of the sixties.

Ends @ 1993

This text is copyright ©1998 St. Mark's Church Gillingham, all authors rights asserted.
Reproduced by the kind permission of Ken Wheeler and David Harwood