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Thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund

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In 2021 the church obtained funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to help us explore the untold "radical, inclusive history" that has been a significant part of the churches history throughout  the twentieth century.
The many stories on this page are one way that we are sharing that history.
Please join us for an Exhibition highlighting the people and events that make up the history of the Church on Dartmouth Row SE10 - on Saturday 25th June 2022 - from 2-6pm. This is  a  Lewisham Borough of Culture community event.

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Paul Ostreicher - Reflecting on the period -from the 1970s when the door of the Ascension was open night and day to provide a place for passing "tramps" to shelter and sleep.

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Miracle of the church that was open 24-7 | Letters

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Letters: It was on the path of a good many tramps crossing Blackheath on the way to London. The sanctuary was lit. It cost us only the electricity

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Photo credit: Lewisham Local History and Archives Centre     

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One of a small number of paintings representing Dartmouth Row.  His other paintings of SE London can be seen at https://artuk.org/discover/artists/cross-p-j-

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There are 53 names on the War Memorial in the Church of the Ascension, Blackheath. Every year on Remembrance Sunday we promise 'we will remember them.' This book of research into the stories behind the names by Harriet Hall helps us to keep that promise and honour their memory. Published 2015. Order a copy here

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How did the Ascension become part of the South Bank Religion movement? What are its features and how do we see that tradition expressed today?

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Attached image courtesy of Tony West. Tony points to the Washington family connection to the Ascension's founder Sussannah Grahme. That could potentially make for a great connection with George Washington ! Tell us what you know. As with all these little "seeds" more research will be required to get the evidence and the "story" straight !

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Washington window. Church of the Ascension

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This is the stag on the stained glass in church

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This is the one by a local "street artist" just round the corner on Blackheath

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The camp on Blackheath in the summer of 1709 sheltered "Poor Palatines". This referred to some 13,000 Germans who emigrated to England between May and November 1709, seeking refuge. The government had advertised for European settlers to travel to the newly colonised lands in America (as they had previously with Caribbean).
It is a long shot - but we will be seeking any evidence that the newly founded "chapel" at Dartmouth Row
had any connections with the refugees on their doorstep - or took part in the debate at that time.
Their arrival in England, and the inability of the British Government to integrate them, led to a highly politicized debate over the merits of immigration. (extract from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Palatines)

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A brass plaque in the church commemorates Henry Billinghurst "For many years a faithful worshipper" who died in 1912. The Billinghurst family lived locally and we are interested to find out if his daughter Rosa May Billinghurst worshipped or was active in the church - since, before her fame as the "cripple suffragette"  (sic) (Pictured: May had polio and was a wheelchair user) May is known to have run a Sunday School locally with her sister Alice and visited both the "slums of Deptford" and Greenwich Workhouse.  For wide range of research on Greenwich and Lewisham suffragettes and suffragists- see https://greenwich100.com/

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Elsie was connected to the Ascension in many ways from the 1930s- 1990s. Her work with parishioners and in the choir was one part of this - and she became well known for her role in the Movement for the ordination of women.   To quote from her obituary: "Her gifts in community ministry are renowned and the stories about her legendary. She was an outstanding and dedicated priest."

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Follow this link and scrolldown to images of the former bungalows- temporary housing  on the Heath. Any evidence that residents came to the church to worship ?

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YMCA Hut erected on Blackheath 1915 Map of YMCA Huts gloablly at http://www.kathrynshistoryblog.com/2020/02/ymca-world-map.html

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Ascension Parish magazine 1915 records: "all empty houses in the Parish had been commandeered by a battalion of the Gloucesters and one of the Argyll and Suthland Highlanders ." Some 200 Gloucesters were in church before Christmas......a churchwarden has thrown open two rooms in his house for the soldiers to smoke and play games. Others have lent bathrooms and proferred hospitality."  A "Dartmouth Club" was opened in the corner shop (at junction Dartmouth Row and Blackheath Hill). Church Room opened weekday evenings and Sunday afternoons for writing/reading. And it has held two concerts and a whist drive. The Dartmouth Club at Dartmouth Lodge has a billiard table, two bagatelle tables, games, newspapers, magazine, concerts, sing-songs ‘much appreciated by the men, as are the cheap refreshments’. At YMCA canteen there is a French class, a bible talk and a concert party. By June 1915 most of the soldiers had left for France. Many never returned.  - Thanks to Harriet Hall for these notes from Parish magazine.

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Susanna who founded the original chapel died in 1698 - and her will is a fascinating document  (extract) "...except my plate and china, which I give and bequeath to my niece Mrs. Susanna Grahme, his Lordship’s sister...." Image of Legge family crest in Ascension Church window

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Being a writer and composer, abolitonist and man of many talents - Sancho is one of the  better known Africans who were enslaved and lived in Greenwich in the mid-1700s.  We plan to research his possible connection with the Legge family and thus Dartmouth Chapel (later Ascension).

Ann shared evidence ( Lewisham rate book) that at least some of the "three sisters"  - mentioned in the 1782 biography of Ignatious Sancho  - were  probably of the Legge family. The Legges were directly connected to Dartmouth Chapel. Quote from British Library "...Around the age of two, Sancho was taken to London, where he was forced to work as a slave for three sisters at a house in Greenwich..."

Image: Plaque /memorial to Sancho in the wall of Greenwich Park

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A group of Greyladies taken on an annual festival day x Miss Wordsworth, the lady head of the college - from Chest of Books.com see link Greyladies  part 2

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Martin was Assistant Curate of the Ascension (1988-95). He was also active in establishing the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement. He died in December 2020.  As an obvious part of updating and creating an "inclusive" history - we want to record and share  aspects of his life and work in both church and community. We would welcome particpation in researching  relevant papers and LGBTQ+ archives.

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Biography

Martin Preston was one of the founding members of the Gay Christian Movement (now Lesbian & Gay Christian Movement) in the U.K. He studied at Trinity College, Cambridge, and Regent's Park College, Oxford, followed by a year at the Virginia Theological Seminary (Episcopal) through a scholarship from the World Council of Churches. He was ordained as a Baptist clergyman in 1959. He worked briefly for the Education Commission of the World Council of Churches in Geneva. Martin spent most of his career working in churches as the head of Religious Studies at St. Dunstan's College, Catford, London.

At the time of his initial involvement with the Gay Christian Movement, Martin was working as Assistant Minister to Brighton (Sussex) Central Free Church. Martin served on GCM's leadership committee as the person responsible for arranging central meetings. He notes that he was responsible for getting Harry Williams to deliver his (innocently) controversial address one year for the Michael Harding Lecture.

Martin continued in this leadership position until Private Eye chose to 'out' him and name the school where he was chaplain. He had already come out at school and so the impact of the article was considerably blunted. The headmaster (who somehow was unaware of what all the rest of the school and common room knew) forbade Preston to have any further dealing with gay organisations on pain of dismissal. Consequently, Martin had to withdraw from active participation in GCM.

During these years, Preston worked with the counselling service of the Campaign for Homosexuality Equality (CHE) in Brighton. He also helped organise the first Metropolitan Community Church in the town and served as its pastor until he moved to London in 1982. Furthermore, he was able to get Brighton Central Free Church to recognise the presence of the annual gay conference in town and to invite them to join it officially for the Sunday morning service.

Preston became an Anglican priest in 1988. After his retirement, he worked as Joint Director of the Lovemore Trust, a project to provide education for AIDS' orphans and destitute children in Zimbabwe. This project, along with all other non-governmental organisations, was closed down by President Mugabe in 2004. Preston is currently assistant priest at St. Nicholas Old Parish Church in Brighton, Sussex.

(This biographical statement provided by Martin Preston.)
Photo: 1988 ordination at Southwark Cathedral, London
The Church of the Ascension Blackheath where Martin was a member reported that he died on December 18, 2020.

Biography Date: June 2005; rev. Jan 2021

Additional Resources

Church Times published this obituary of Martin Preston written by Richard Kirker:
https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2021/22-january/gazette/obituaries/obituary-the-revd-martin-preston

Tags

Baptist | Church of England (Anglican) | Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement (United Kingdom) | Clergy Activist

Citation

"Rev. Martin Preston | Profile", LGBTQ Religious Archives Network, accessed May 17, 2021, https://lgbtqreligiousarchives.org/profiles/martin-preston.

Remembrances

"I had Martin for Divinity at St Dunstans. I didn't know he was gay, and at that time I wasn't dysphoric, but can't imagine it would have made much difference. He taught a few of us o-level so I knew him reasonably as a tutor, a kind, caring man, christian in the best sense, if that isn't too patronising.

He may not have spoken out loudly on a variety of matters, mainly I'd say out of a feeling of responsibility for us rather than self protection, but he always put himself forward as a classic social liberal and encouraged the same in us, something in short supply at the time and much needed by many pupils. When in '69 a few of us passed out leaflets at the school open day about its admissions policy - essentially a colour bar - part of the strength to do that lay in the knowledge of a basic sympathy from a few of the teachers like Martin.

My most vivid memory, though,is of something less serious, though I suppose it says something about the time. He always had a little habit of stopping and seeming surprised, slightly out of proportion to what might have been said, when he needed a moment's time to think. But there was this one time when something really stopped him in a classroom, when he really couldn't respond to someone apart from furiously blushing and desperately looking for words to pass over the moment,and perhaps it was a measure of the sympathy between him and us that we were tactful enough - at 16 ! - not to explode into laughter about it until after we'd left the classroom. At this time he was halfway bald and cultivated a small moustache and beard, and the particular class happened in a divinity room full of posters of religious and cultural figures and general information. He'd had a typical US right wing southern baptist type wished on him, that he'd warned us of, who sat in on a reasonably anodyne class. At the end the evangelist got up and said that it was quite a different way of teaching christianity than he was used to but that what he was taking away was that their was obviously a great relationship between us and Martin and that he was very impressed that we thought so much of him to have made the fine portrait that was pinned to the wall. It was a picture of Lenin...."
- as remembered by Sophia (previously Alan) Raphaeline on February 2, 2016

"I remember Martin, and this is 46 years ago, as a lovely, kind, intelligent man, one who brought tears to my eyes as a young man by playing the piano. I remember Martin so well because he was an oasis of calm, reason, good humour and intelligence. This was at a time before OFSTED and schools like St. Dunstans thought they could do what they liked, as did many of the teaching staff who were not particularly suited to their vocation. As far as the piano playing is concerned, I was sitting quietly in the Great Hall at St D´s one day in the mid-1960´s when Martin came in to play the piano. He did not know I was there and I don´t remember what he played but it was pure magic. I remember the disappointment when he broke off half way through a bar and hurried off."
- as remembered by Nicholas Murphy on July 1, 2014

"Martin took me for Divinity and Russian at St. Dunstan's. He never knew I was gender dysphoric and I never knew he was gay, although it would never have bothered me even as a teenager. St. Dunstan's went through some very dark times in the late 1960s and early 1970's. From 1969 to 1971 there was a communist cell in the school whose actions finally destroyed the reputation of the then particularly vile headmaster. Martin knew of our left-wing sympathies but nobody knew how extensive, devious (and sometimes downright illegal) the clandestine operation was. I think it put him in a difficult position as he found it difficult to sympathise with communists, however much he might have shared our views of the head. My most abiding memory is of Martin asking me to lay off the head as he was under a lot of pressure after a spectacular demonstration staged in the Great Hall during the 1970 Speech Day ceremonies. On reflection it was quite extraordinary for a school chaplain to ask (not "tell" - he knew that wouldn't work) a pupil to lay off the headmaster. It was typical of him that he counselled moderation but I think that subsequent events proved that the communist cell understood the head rather better than he did. That was not surprising given the then unknown effectiveness of our espionage. He probably thought we were young and hot-headed, having no idea of how coldly ruthless a campaign we had undertaken. Dark days but I always remember Martin as one of the good guys."
- as remembered by Olwen Morgan (formerly David Blyth) on March 23, 2012

Know Martin Preston? Tell us your experience.
(All entries are reviewed by the LGBT-RAN office before posting.)

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Martin Preston | LGBTQ Religious Archives Network

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Martin Preston was one of the founding members of the Gay Christian Movement (now Lesbian & Gay Christian Movement) in the U.K. He studied at Trinity College, Cambridge, and Regent's Park College, Oxford, followed by a year at the Virginia Theological Seminary (Episcopal) through a scholarship from the World Council of Churches.

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(Extract from "Everywomans Encyclopedia" 1912)
"In these days when so many women of leisure devote their time to religious and philanthropic work, the Greyladies' College for Women Workers affords a useful centre for residence and mutual help and fellowship.

There is nothing grey about it save the name. It is a delightful country house, once the mansion of Lord Dartmouth, and stands on the breezy heights of Blackheath, in the midst of its own beautiful grounds, and with far-stretching views over the surrounding country to the Crystal Palace"

The college is described as a society of ladies living together for the purpose of helping in the work of the Church of England under the incumbents of the diocese. The bishop of the diocese has ultimate control over all its affairs. The Greyladies work in twenty-two parishes in South London.

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Philanthropic Work of the Greyladies - How the College was Founded - The Private Chapel-country Excursions and Entertainments

In these days when so many women of leisure devote their time to religious and philanthropic work, the Greyladies' College for Women Workers affords a useful centre for residence and mutual help and fellowship.

There is nothing grey about it save the name. It is a delightful country house, once the mansion of Lord Dartmouth, and stands on the breezy heights of Blackheath, in the midst of its own beautiful grounds, and with far-stretching views over the surrounding country to the Crystal Palace.

The lady head of the college is Miss Susan Wordsworth, a very earnest Churchwoman, daughter of the late Bishop Wordsworth, and sister of the present Bishop of Salisbury. A worker must have herself well in hand. She must be healthy-minded and sensible with regard to food, rest, and recreation, and unfailingly hopeful. She must be content to work on quietly from day to day without looking for or expecting praise for what she does.

She must not try to draw those amongst whom she works to herself personally, and it is deemed better that parish relief should be distributed by an almoner appointed by a relief committee, and not by a Greylady.

The great aim of the Greyladies' College is to bring together lonely women working in isolation without a definite plan, and also women who are possibly daughters in a large family and find it difficult to separate themselves from social distraction in order to follow religious and philanthropic work. It becomes a great happiness to such to be associated with people who are trying to make the world better. Many women emerge through such association from a life of narrowness and emptiness into one of breadth and satisfaction.

The college is described as a society of ladies living together for the purpose of helping in the work of the Church of England under the incumbents of the diocese. The bishop of the diocese has ultimate control over all its affairs. The Greyladies work in twenty-two parishes in South London.

There are three classes of members - resident members, non-resident members, and affiliated members.

The resident and non-resident members wear the same dress, and are under the same authority. Three months' probation is required before admission as a member of the college, during which time the probationer works under the direction of a Greylady of experience. It may happen that a candidate proves unsuitable for community life, in which case she is advised accordingly, because her admission would interfere with the harmony of the college. It need be no disparagement to the lady personally if she is found unfit for the life of a Greylady. Each lady has her own room, and may, if she wishes, bring her own furniture. Many of the rooms are delightful little sanctums, most artistically arranged. There is nothing ascetic in the college, and every effort is made to make it as homelike and pleasant as possible. There is a large drawing-room for general use, and a pleasant, comfortable dining-room. The flower gardens and conservatory afford interest to ladies who are fond of horticulture.

A Greylady in her room at the college

The private chapel is a beautiful little sanctuary of which the Grey ladies are justly proud. It is a part of the new wing added in 1906. The three altar panels of the Resurrection were painted by one of the ladies. The lovely piece of old lace which decorates the altar table was picked up by another of the ladies in a market place in Normandy. The three windows above the altar represent Simeon and the Christ- child, with the Virgin and Anna on either side. The service of admission takes place in the chapel after celebration of the Holy Communion. No vows are required of a probationer, but she is asked four questions as to obedience to authority and personal devotion before she is admitted as a member of the college, and after she has satisfactorily answered these questions she is blessed by the

Religion bishop or his representative, and sent forth for work in the diocese.

The Bishop of Southwark is president of the college; the Bishop of Kingston visitor; and the Rev. Canon Hough, the Vicar of Lewisham, warden. The treasurer is Charles Stone, Esq. The lady head reads prayers morning and evening in the chapel, and there is midday prayer for those at home.

The particular work of each lady is chosen by the warden, after careful consultation with the head of the college. Breakfast over, the Greyladies sally forth in pairs to their respective parishes and respective work, and all that they undertake is done on lines which harmonise with the methods of the incumbent of the parish.

Parish Work

They do every kind of parish work, except sick nursing. Some do district visiting, others provident collecting, while others hold mothers' meetings, classes, and clubs, Bands of Hope, and Sunday-schools. Others act as school managers, or serve on C.o.s. committees; some help to prepare the less instructed women and girls for confirmation and communion, and hold a Saturday Church Catechism school for the little ones. Others, again, give short addresses during the dinner- hour in some factory or woodyard where women are employed, or direct a school for mothers. Only those who are working near the college are able to return for the midday meal. Morning, afternoon, and evening bring their appointed work to a Greylady, but matters are so arranged that there is no undue strain upon any. A lady who has had a very full morning would rest a little after lunch, and a lady who had a full a fternoon and evening before her would not undertake arduous work during the morning.

Every lady has a complete day every week entirely free from parish work, and at her own comma n d .

She has thus an opportunity for visiting friends, attending a concert or a matinee, or taking a day in the country. The Greyladies are encouraged to foster artistic talents. and a variety of paintings and sketches by members adorn the walls of the college. Some are good photographers.

In summer the have parish teapartiei twice a week at the college for girls and mothers, and attend to their guests themselves. Country excursions are also arranged by Greyladies for working girls. Mr. Emerson Bainbridge lends his bungalow at Seaford to the college, and some of the ladies take a party of girls there and live with them for a week. These summer outings have an admirable effect on the girls, and are a source of great pleasure to the Greyladies themselves.

Indoor entertainments are arranged in the various parishes for those in whom the Grey-ladies are interested, and these give scope for the exercise of every sort of talent, and many probationers are astonished to find unknown hidden talents when they begin to try to interest others.

A Bu5v Hive

The admission to this busy hive of religious and philanthropic industry for resident members is £50 per annum in quarterly payments. Ladies who are at work for only part of the year pay one guinea week. When one considers the advantages of living in such an establishment, with full board and a separate room, the l< seem almost nominal. The central idea of the college is to afford ladies of leisure an opportunity to work for the good of others on community principles.

Affiliated members are non-resident ladies who desire to promote by their prayers and their benevolence the work of the college. Great efforts are being made to pay off the loans advanced for the building extension.

The Grey-ladies'col-lege was started in 1893, in two small houses, by Bis h o p Yeatman, who was suffrag an bishop to the present Archbishop of Can ter-bury when was at

Roches- ter. His sister, Miss Yea m a n whose memory is greatly honoured by Greyladies, was the first lady head. The college was established in its present beautiful quarters in 1907.

A group of Greyladies taken on an annual festival day x Miss Wordsworth, the lady head of the college

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Religion - The Greyladies' College For - Women Workers

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Philanthropic Work of the Greyladies - How the College was Founded - The Private Chapel-country Excursions and Entertainments In these days when so many women of leisure devote their time to religious and philanthropic work, the Greyladies' College for Women Workers affords a useful centre for residence and mutual help and fellowship.

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In 1913 Charles Escreet, vicar at the Church of Ascension co-officiated at the funeral of sufragette Emily Davidson. Passionate campaigner for womens rights, Emily died from severe injuries incurred when she ran into the path of the kings horse at the Grand National.

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Charles Ernest Escreet (20 February 1852 - 3 March 1919) was an Anglican priest: the Archdeacon of Lewisham from 1906 to 1919.

Escreet was educated at Tonbridge School and Wadham College, Oxford. He was ordained in 1875 and began his career with curacies at Barham and Battersea.

He was Vicar of St Andrew's, Stockwell from 1882 to 1892; Rector of Woolwich from 1892 to 1909. Whilst he was there he helped create the British Hospital for Mothers and Babies, an important centre for maternity care and midwifery training, in Wood Street. It opened in May 1905 due to his efforts in assisting Alice Gregory, Leila Parnell and Maud Cashmere.

Escreet was the Vicar of the Church of the Ascension, Blackheath from 1909 to 1917.

In 1913 he co-officiated at the funeral of Emily Davison, the suffragette who had died under the king's horse at the Epsom Derby. His co-officiants were Claude Hinscliff, founder of the Church League for Women's Suffrage, and Charles Baumgarten, vicar of St. George's, Bloomsbury, where the service was held.

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Charles Ernest Escreet (20 February 1852 - 3 March 1919) was an Anglican priest: the Archdeacon of Lewisham from 1906 to 1919. Escreet was educated at Tonbridge School and Wadham College, Oxford. He was ordained in 1875 and began his career with curacies at Barham and Battersea.

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established in early 1900s - on the site which is now Greyladies gardens

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College of Greyladies, Dartmouth Row. New chapel - Lewisham Borough Photos

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Our timeline starts with Susanna in 1695 !

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1695-7
Susanna Grahme built a chapel on Dartmouth family land for local people. Local weekday services. Apse and 8 pews.
She also left endowments in her will to pay for daily services.

1750
1st Earl of Dartmouth (Susanna's descendent) demolished the old chapel and built a new one.

1774-7
The chapel was used as the parish church of Lewisham while the existing parich church (St Mary's) was being rebuilt,

1838
New chapel built at a cost of £2,800 by 3rd Earl of Dartmouth probably incorporating part of the earlier one in what is now the chancel. Seating for 800 including galleries on three sides.

1883
The building was consecrated as the Church of the Acsension and established as a separate parish from Lewisham. The patron of the living is still the Vicar of Lewisham, though the living is presently in suspension.

1940-present
Bomb damage and post-war reconstruction. The galleries were removed except for the original shallow one at the west end of the church. Much of the 19th century wall-painting and stained glass was also removed.
New organ installed on the west gallery and the organ chamber made into the Vicar's vestury. Choir pews were removed from the chancel to create more space for concerts, etc.

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A Brief History of Our Church - The Church of the Ascension

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1695-7 Susanna Grahme built a chapel on Dartmouth family land for local people. Local weekday services. Apse and 8 pews. She also left endowments in her will to pay for daily services. 1750 1st Earl of Dartmouth (Susanna's descendent) demolished the old chapel and built a new one.

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Transforming the Church of the Ascension 

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Transforming the Church of the Ascension 

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Amazing news in May 2021 - our history project "One Roof Many Stories" has been awarded funding from the Heritage Lottery. This is part of a wider Transformation Project

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The Ascension Church is a beautiful building of great historical value. However, it has a number of problems associated with its age. Firstly, it needs essential repairs: we need to 'stitch the front back on', mending the large cracks in the wall before the building becomes unsafe. Secondly, it needs some restoration: we need to redecorate, clean, and restore the building generally, replace our ageing and noisy heating system and our worn-out sound system. Thirdly, we want to reorder the interior, sensitively upgrading the space in line with modern requirements of accessibility and the need to support different kinds of worship and activities.

Repairs

Stitching the front, repairing damaged plaster and other works.

Restoration

Redecorating and cleaning throughout.

Upgrading the toilets and improving our toilet for people with disabilities.

Replacing the sound system.

Replacing the heating system.

Reordering

Removing the pews and laying a new level wooden floor and bringing in high-quality chairs.

Ensuring that children and adults with disabilities have full access throughout the building.

Introducing a narthex, or porch area, to improve our welcoming facilities and keeping the building warm.

Adding a small glassed off room for a creche/meeting room.

Resiting the font to allow this.

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The Ascension Church is a beautiful building of great historical value. However, it has a number of problems associated with its age. Firstly, it needs essential repairs: we need to 'stitch the front back on', mending the large cracks in the wall before the building becomes unsafe.