Default Image We do not have a
Photograph at present.
Image by courtesy of
openclipart.org

Bristol City Mission Hall (now Bristol Central Mosque),
Owen Street / Kilburn Street, BS5 6AP,
Easton, Bristol, Gloucestershire.

Cemeteries

We believe the Church did NOT have a graveyard.

Note: any church within an urban environment may have had its graveyard closed after the Burial Act of 1853. Any new church built after that is unlikely to have had a graveyard at all.

Church History

This Place of Worship was founded in 1879, but we understand it was closed in 2002.

An item in the Religious Life and Buildings in Bristol on the Victoria County History website ("VCH Explore" in 2014) indicates this building was built in 1901 for the "City Street Mission" (Bristol City Mission).

The Bristol City Mission Society was formed in 1826. Its purpose, as described in Kelly's Directory of Bristol of 1914, was "to communicate religious knowledge to those who are living in the neglect of religion, by the employment of paid and gratuitous agents, in visiting the poor and afflicted, preaching the Gospel, circulating the scriptures and religious tracts, the establishment of schools, mothers' meetings, &c." They also operated a Labour department, for helping deserving men in distress through being out of work, by finding them temporary employment. Their Depots were in Great Ann street and Ellbroad street. Their President was J.S. Fry; Hon. Treasurer J. Gladstone Wills; Missionary in charge Mr. J.H. Cozens.

The following notice in The London Gazette of 5th February 1929 (p.904) recorded its registration for marriages:

A Separate Building, duly certified for religious worship, named BRISTOL CITY MISSION HALL, situated at Owen-street, Easton, in the civil parish of Bristol, in the county borough of Bristol, in Bristol registration district, was, on the 21st January, 1929, registered for solemnizing marriages therein, pursuant to 6 & 7 Wm. IV, c.85. Dated the 31st January, 1929.

The congregation had dwindled by the early 2000s, so it was decided the Mission would close, and transfer to other premises. The cancellation of its registration was recorded in the Gazette of 11th November 2002 (p.13621). Planning permission was subsequently granted to use the building as a mosque, and it is now the home of Bristol Central Mosque.

Further details about the Mission may be found on the website of the Owen Street Mission, who now worship at their new address - Whitebeam Court, Beaconsfield Road, St George. Note: a history of the Mission in Owen Street includes a list of pastors from 1879.

Denomination

Now or formerly City Mission.

If more than one congregation has worshipped here, or its congregation has united with others, in most cases this will record its original dedication.

Maps

This Church was located at OS grid reference ST6100173819. You can see this on various mapping systems. Note all links open in a new window:

• Bristol City Mission Hall (now Bristol Central Mosque), Easton, Bristol shown on a Google Map.
• Places of Worship in Bristol shown on a Google Map.
• Streetmap.co.uk (arrow on map shows the Place of Worship's location) (verified 2018-10-15)
• Bing (Ordnance Survey option) (verified 2018-10-13)
• Bing Maps ('Bird's Eye' View) (verified 2018-10-15)
• Ordnance Survey "getamap" (NB some of the 'Change Map' options may require a subscription) (verified 2018-10-15)
• OpenStreetMap (Maps © OpenStreetMap contributors, CC-BY-SA) (verified 2018-10-15)
• A Vision of Britain Through Time - useful for Boundary Changes (verified 2018-10-15)
• www.magic.gov.uk (Modern Maps with various overlays) (verified 2018-10-15)

Resources

I have found many websites of use whilst compiling the information for this database. Here are some which deserve mention as being of special interest for Easton, Bristol, and perhaps to Local History and Places of Worship as a whole.

• “Work in Progress”, or “VCH Explore” interface to Victoria County History (null) (verified 2018-10-12)
• “Formed in 1826 for interdenominational Christian Outreach, and in particular to provide physical and spiritual help to those in need” - the Bristol City Mission (null) (verified 2018-11-15)
• One of the Churches belonging to the Bristol City Mission Group - Owen Street Mission (null) (verified 2018-11-27)
• Notices of Civil Registration of Places of Worship for marriages are published in the London edition of The Gazette. Hint: search for registrations from 1998 by choosing 'Church' notices, and the option 'Registration for solemnising marriage'. (verified 2018-12-11)

The above links were selected and reviewed at the time I prepared the information, but please be aware their content may vary, or disappear entirely. These factors are outside my control.