We have 6 Images Above Photograph(s)
Copyright of John Williams/Phil Draper

Whitefield Memorial Church (James Forbes URC, Gloucester URC),
Park Road, GL1 1LS,
Gloucester, 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 1872, but we understand it was closed by 2018.

The Whitefield Memorial Church was founded in memory of George WHITEFIELD, who was born in Gloucester in 1714, and who introduced Methodism to the City. The Mayor of Gloucester cut the first sod on the centenary of Whitefield's death, 30 September 1870, its foundation stone was laid by S.J. MARLING, Esq. M.P. of Stanley Park, Stroud, on 6th June 1871, and the church was opened in May the following year.

In 1973 the congregation were joined with that from Southgate Congregational Church to form the James Forbes United Reformed Church, and in 1976, they were joined by the congregation from the Tyndale Congregational Church in Stratton Road. The building was refurbished in 1994-5, and after rededication ceremony it became the United Reformed Church Gloucester.

The inscription above the entrance doorway reads:

"The Love of Jesus Christ Constrains
Me to lift up my Voice like a Trumpet"

Preserved inside the church are War Memorials from the Southgate and Tyndale Congregational Churches, a Roll of Honour from Southgate, and a painting of inside Southgate Church, by Winifred M. Thompson. All of these were given to the Gloucester URC when the former Churches were closed, and for those who are interested, photographs of them can be seen with the respective Church entries in this database.

Note: Gloucester United Reformed Church (URC) is now (2018) CLOSED, but Gloucester & Brockworth United Reformed Churches Joint Pastorate website has photographs, and comprehensive information about the Church's History. [Other Source: John Williams]

Denomination

Now or formerly Presbyterian/United Reformed (URC).

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 SO8344718022. You can see this on various mapping systems. Note all links open in a new window:

• Whitefield Memorial Church (James Forbes URC, Gloucester URC), Gloucester shown on a Google Map.
• Places of Worship in Gloucester 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 Gloucester, and perhaps to Local History and Places of Worship as a whole.

• Information provided on the Gloucester & Brockworth United Reformed Churches Joint Pastorate website. (verified 2018-11-04)

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.