Christchurch United Reform Church
By Jean Cross
Christchurch United Reform Church, St Albans Road East.
Originally conceived in 1929 building was completed in 1932, as successor to the Park Street Chapel when Hatfield Newtown was expanding and was known at that time as the Congregational Church of Hatfield.
The site was first purchased in 1931 and the foundation stone laid by Mr. Halley Stewart on 23 July 1931. The first service was held on Sunday May 1st 1932.
A Manse for the Minister was built in 1935 but in 1944 both Church and Manse were badly damaged by a flying bomb which destroyed both St Audrey’s School and the Police houses.
[this Information taken from Part 7 (Churches) of the “Hatfield and Its People” series of books republished by Hatfield Local History Society in 2014]
This page was added on 02/03/2016.
Add your comment about this page
My grandfather, Revd. Thomas William Lacey, was the first minister of this Church. My father, Malcolm, has written a memoire about his father’s life and work, which includes all the details of how my grandfather, on return from fighting at both Paschendale and the Somme, set about raising money and support for the building of a new Church in Hatfield. He served as Minister there for many years before taking up another ministry in High Easter.
Dad was a young boy asleep in bed in the Manse when the bomb went off that damaged both the Church and the Manse. The kitchen door was blown across the room, and Dad couldn’t get out. On another occasion, his mother, Rose, was hanging out washing when she came under sniper attack. There are plaques in memory of both Revd. Thomas Lacey and Rose in the Church.
I loved going to church there when Phipps-Jones was minister—- loved his wife Marie also.Their children were lovely.I became a Sunday school teacher.
Those were very happy days.
I’m now 64,live in Norfolk and still attend church and sing in the choir.
Thank you for introducing me to a lovely start in Christianity.