Defoe’sChapel,Tooting,London
TranscriptionofArticleintheChristianMessengerbyFentonAllen
DuringrecentdecadesthePrimitiveMethodistChurchhasacquiredsomehistoricecclesiastical
edifices.Chapelsthathavebelongedtoother
communionshavebeenpurchasedandutilisedforthe
prosecutionofourmany-sidedwork.InLondonwe
securedthefar-famedSurreyChapel,formanyyearsthe
sceneoftheevangelicallaboursoftheeccentric
RowlandHill,godlyJamesSharman,andcultured
NewmanHall.HockeyChapel,Nottingham,wasacquired
fromtheWesleyans.Itistheburial-placeofAlexander
Kilham,theprincipalfounderoftheNewConnexion
Church.WithinitswallsJohnWesleypreachedthe
Gospel.CheltenhamChapelisdistinguishedashaving
beenfavouredwiththeministryoftheRev.James
Smith,apreacherandwriterofnocommonrepute,
whosebooksonreligioussubjectsaretobefoundin
manycottagehomes.TheChurchoftheSaviour,
Birmingham,wasformerlyUnitarian,andwasbuiltforthecongregationoftheeloquent
GeorgeDawson.Ourlatestacquisitionfromotherdenominationshasbeentherecentpurchaseof
theHighStreetChapel,Tooting.TheoriginalcongregationwasfoundedbyDanielDefoe,the
celebratedauthorofthatfavouriteclassicofchildhood’shappydays-“RobinsonCrusoe.“
FashionableTooting,ortogiveititsfullnameofTootingGraveney,isincludedinthewideareaof
greaterLondon.ItislocatedatadistanceofsomesevenmilesfromWestminsterAbbey,anditis
saidtobethesmallestparishinthebeautifulcountyofSurrey.ThenameoftheplacehasanunEnglish,ifnotaforeignsound.Somearchaeologistshavesupposedthatthenameisderivedfromits
havingbeenusedasa“tut”ora“beacon,”wherefireandflame
shotforthfromthehigherlandstowarntheinhabitantsofthe
surroundingneighbourhoodoftheapproachoftheinvading
foe.Thereisnotadoubtthatoriginallyitwasthehomeofsome
branchoftheSaxonorTeutonicfamilyoftheTotingas,who
havestampedtheirnameupontheirplaceofresidence.Inthe
NormanperiodtheManorwasheldbythepowerfulGravenells.
Incourseoftimethenameoftheparishbecamecorruptedinto
TootingGraveney.DanielDefoeisthemostcelebrated
personalityconnectedwithTooting.Heissaidtohavelivedfor
ashorttimeduringhisearlymanhoodatMerton,closeby
TootingJunctionRailwayStation.DanielDefoe,the-“renowned
authorof“RobinsonCrusoe,"wasborninLondonaboutthe
year1661.BybirthhisfatherwasaNorthamptonshireman,
whobeganbusinessasabutcherinSt.Giles’,London.The“illustrious”Danielwaswelleducatedata
DissentingAcademy,withtheviewofhisbecomingaNonconformistminister.Intheyear1685,
Defoebeganhischequeredandeventfulcareerasahorse-dealer.InthedaysoftheRebellionhe
servedwithMonmouth,andalsowasavolunteerinthearmyofKingWilliamIII.Hismilitaryexploits
causedhimtowanderinFrance,Spain,andotherContinentalCountries.Unfortunately,in1693,he
becameabankrupt,buttohishonour,beitstated,thatinhislateryearshemosthonourablymet
thefinancialdemandsofhisnumerouscreditors.Asanaccountanthewasemployedbytheglassdutycommissioners,andwasalsosecretarytoaTilburypantilefactory.
Intheclosingyearsoftheseventeenthcenturyhedevotedhimselftoliterature.Hebecameoneof
thegreatestandmostillustriousofEnglishprosewriters.His
admirershavestyledhim“TheFatherofEnglishnovelists.”His
prolificpenproducedovertwohundredandfiftyseparate
works,whichhaveastylepeculiarlytheirown,andare
thoroughlydistinctfromallotherwritingsinthegreatrealmof
literature.Healsowasanextensivecontributortothe
journalisticandperiodicalliteratureofhisage.Asabusy
pamphleteerhewroteindefenceofthekingandhispolicy.
Defoe’spoliticalpoem,entitled,“TheTrue-BornEnglishman,”
wasapologeticincharacter.ItdefendedtheDutchnationalityof
theking,showingthattheEnglishpeoplewereacomposite
race,withamixtureofforeignbloodflowingintheirveins.
DuringthereignofQueenAnnehetookaforemostpartinthe
bittercontroversybetweenthebigotedHighChurchfactionand
theunfortunatepersecutedNonconformists.Thepublishingofhissatiricalandironicaltreatise-
“TheShortestWaywiththeDissenters”-stirredupnationalstrife,andmadehimamartyrfor
conscience’sake.TheHouseofCommonsdenouncedhisbook,anddeterminedthatthecopies
shouldbepubliclyburned.Arewardof£50wasofferedfortheapprehensionoftheauthor.Hewas
triedattheOldBailey,andwassentencedtopaytheextravagantfineoftwohundredmarks,to
standthriceinthepublicpillory,andtobeimprisonedduring,herMajesty’spleasure.
Atthetimeofhisincarcerationingaolheisdescribedas“amiddle-sized,spareman,aboutforty
yearsold,ofabrowncomplexion,anddark-browncolouredhair,butwearsawig.Ahookednose,a
sharpchin,greyeyes,andhasalargemolenearhismouth.”Whileimprisonedforthegoodcauseof
righteousness,hewaseverbusywithhispen.Hisprisonwritingsandliteraryoutputincludedhis
“TrueCollection”ofallhisnumerouspublications.His“Review”wasthelargest,ifnothismost
importantwork.Onewritersays:“Itformsoneofthegreatestmonumentsofliteraryindustryever
rearedbyasinglehand,embracingasitdoesinmorethanfivethousandprintedpages,essayson
almosteverybranchofhumanknowledge,andthesewrittenduringnineyears,inwhichhealso
publishednofewerthaneightydistinctworks,themselvescontainingasmanyas4,727pages.”
Afterhisreleasefromprison,helivedforashorttimeatBurySt.Edmunds,inSuffolk.Uponhis
returntoLondon,hewassentintheyear1703,byRobertHarleyonapoliticalmissionofsecrecyto
theWestofEngland.Duringthefollowingyearhispatron,Harley,despatchedhimtoScotland,
whereheresided,forsixteenmonths,andwastryingtopromotetheunionofthetwokingdoms.
In1715Defoepublishedhisimmortal“RobinsonCrusoe,”basedontheenforcedexileofAlexander
Selkirk,themaroonedsailorinthelonelysea-girtisleofJuanFernandez.Thiswonderfullyand
graphicallywrittenstory-bookhasbecomeagreatfavouritewiththeyoungandtheold,andwith
thelearnedandtheilliterate.
Defoe,inhisdecliningdays;becameexceedinglyprosperous.AtStokeNewingtonhebuiltfor
himself“averyhandsomehouse,“wherehelivedinthestyleofacountrygentleman.Hediedin
April,1731,andhismortalremainswerelaidtorestinthefamouscemeteryofBunhillFields.Ithas
beensaid“ThatgreatasDefoewasasanauthor,hewasfargreaterasaman.Hedaredtodohis
ownthinkinginanagewhenindependenceofthoughtwasararething.Forthesakeofciviland
religiouslibertyhewentfromhisdrawing-roomtotheprisoncell,fromhiscarriagetothepillory,
and,ifithadbeennecessary,wouldhavegonetothestake.”
AlthoughDanielDefoewastrainedfortheministry,yet,forsomeunknowncause,hewasnever
ordainedtothepastorate.DuringhisshortresidenceatTooting,andintheyear1688,hebecame
thehonouredfounderofaNonconformistchurch.Theirsuccessorsworshippedinthechapelthat
stillbearshisname.ItismorethanprobablethatthecongregationgatheredbyDefoeatfirstheld
theirreligiousservicesinahouse.Astheirnumbersincreasedtheyutilisedatemporarystructureof
wood,whichwasusedbythemasameetinghouseuntiltheerectionoftheDefoeMemorialChapel.
Thisedificewaserectedin1765-somethirtyyearsafterDefoe’sdeath.Itfrontsthemainstreetof
thetown,andisbuiltintheplainstyleofecclesiasticalarchitectureoftheGeorgianperiod.Theold
oakpulpitofDefoe’sMemorialChapelissacredwithhistoricmemories.FormanyyearsItwasused
bytheRev.ThomasGoodwin,D.D.,whowasthePresidentofMagdalenCollege,Oxford,amember
oftheWestminsterAssemblyofDivines,andoneof“thetwoAtlasesandPatriarchsof
Independency.”
ThepastorateofDefoe’sChapelhasbeensustainedbyasuccessionoflearnedandgodlydivines.
ThefirstministerwasthedistinguishedDr.JoshuaOldfield.Hewasthesonofoneoftheejected
clergymenof1662,andheldthehonourablepositionoftutortothefamilyofPaulFoley,Speakerof
theHouseofCommonsduringthereignofWilliamPrinceofOrange.Underhisdevotedministry,the
chapelwasregularlyattendedbyseveralrespectable,educated,andevenwealthyhouseholds.Dr.
OldfieldwassucceededbysuchpulpitdignitariesastheRev.HenryMiles,D.D.,F.R.S.;Dr.Samuel
Wilton;JamesBowden,therecognisedfounderoftheSurreyMission;andWilliamHenry,the
indefatigablesecretaryoftheHomeMissionarySociety.Intheyear1861,theRev.WilliamAnderson
wasinvitedtopresideoverthesacredministriesofthechurch.Inhisinauguraladdresshereminded
hisauditoryofthemoralheroismofDefoe,“who,asabravepatriotandmanofgenius,inanageof
persecution,hadhereliftedthebannerofNonconformity.”Withinrecentyearstheownershipof
thechapelwassubjecttolitigation,anditpassedfromthePresbyterianstotheCongregationalists.
DuringthemonthofMarch,1904,itwassoldbytheRev.BevillAllenandtheTrusteestoourown
churchforthesumof£1,900.IthasbeenacquiredbytheRev.J.BraceEvans(****LINK)andthe
workersoftheBalhamCircuit.Wearehopefulthatthislatest“corner"addedtoourConnexional
Vineyardmaybecomethebirthplaceofmanypreciousandimmortalsouls.
References
Christian Messenger 1904/132