St George's church in Old Brentford closed its doors in 1959
and from 1963 to the present day has housed the collection of
the Musical Museum. The building was still standing in 2002 but
was about to be vacated by the museum. The body of the church
is likely to be demolished, but it is hoped to retain the tower.
George's chapel, as it was called. Was founded in 1762 as an
unconsecrated chapelry by 57 prominent residents of Old Brentford
for their own use. A brick building was put up on the site in about
1766, designed by John Joshua Kirby, the father of Mrs Sarah
Trimmer although the chapel was the private property of the
shareholders it was licensed for Divine Service in connection
with the Church of England It was consecrated as St George's
church in 1828,when it became a separate ecclesiastical district.
By the middle of the 19th century this little church was too
small for its congregation. A new site was purchased in 1852
but was used instead to erect a tin church for the newly created
ecclesiastical district of St Paul's in 1861. In 1886-7 A W
Blomfield built a larger church on the original site to a design
with seating for 600 the tower (minus the projected spire) was
added in 1913. The huge gasholders 'standing close up to its wall',
now over shadowed St George's having sold its original graveyard
to the Brentford Gasworks. The new burial ground for the church
was the Ealing and Old Brentford Cemetery in South Ealing Rd,
opened in 1861.
FOOT NOTE:-
I (P. W. Rutt) was baptisted at St George's Church in 1929.
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