ID: MMH_MAH

TitleAssembly Hall, East Road
Abstract

Situated in East Road on the corner of Seaview Avenue is the Assembly Hall, an attractive boarded and tiled building opened in 1910 when Mersea Island was discovered and thought to be a desirable place to live and develop. The Avenues running towards the sea at right angles to East Road evidence this.

The hall was built by a group of Christian business men, including a Mr Callow, a builder from North London who built Brierley Avenue, and Leonard Weaver who had plans to develop Mersea as a temperance resort. It was to be a place of worship where New Testament principles of worship could be followed. The practice of Baptism by immersion together with preaching of the Gospel could all be observed here. It is an autonomous Church with Elders to guide the Spiritual and secular affairs, having no central headquarters. There are many churches who follow the same doctrines in this country and throughout the world. These principles have been adhered to throughout, up to present times.

Before the hall was built, a group had gathered in the Estate Office on the opposite side of East Road. An early history describes the hall as the Plymouth Bretheren Assembly Hall. Extensions were made in 1926 and 1934 to enlarge the Hall to accommodate the numbers who used to come.
The Children's Special Service Mission used it as headquarters annually when they came for services for children on the beach, before Beach Club times. In addition to Sunday Services and Prayer Meeting and Bible Studies, a Women's Meeting has been held ever since the early days, as has the Sunday School. The School is one of the few remaining on Sunday Afternoon open every Sunday throughout the year.

The above history is based on an article by Peter French in Mersea Island Society Mistral magazine, 1988.

SourceMersea Museum
IDMMH_MAH