Sotonopedia

The first chapel was originally a steam laundry built for the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company, and stood next door to Castle Lodge, 324 Portswood Road. The Bible Christians acquired it in March, 1867, but struggled with the costs: by June 1878 they were carrying an £11 16s deficit on the chapel, and resolved “That as there is no improvement whatever in the aspect of the society at Portwood, and but little prospect of our succeeding in the neighbourhood, we affectionately request the committee and conference to dispose of the property at their earliest convenient.” However, the sale fell through: at the Circuit Meeting held on 16 June 1879, it was recorded “That as only £100 has been offered for Portswood Chapel, we have thought it unwise to sell it for that amount, as no gain would be realised thereby by the Missionary Society. We think that the friends there would be glad of another 12 months trial, and … we will do our utmost to make it pay its way.” A year later, there was still a deficit of £7 19s 2d, but this was “owing to improvements and alterations we have been compelled to make by the Corporation (they had had to put water pipes into the closet house.) Otherwise the “Friends at Portswood had more than met their way.” The minister's report to the circuit meeting in June 1894 sadly reported "the closing of Portswood through an outbreak of smallpox in the cottage, which has led to the closing of the Hall, and the disbanding of the church." A new site had been purchased on the opposite side of Portswood Road, on the corner of Bowden Lane, to build a new chapel. This new chapel was taken over by the Wesleyan Methodists as a Mission Hall in 1907, when the Bible Christians became part of the United Methodist Church. The Wesleyans were there until 1932, when the congregation moved to the new Swaythling Methodist Hall. It then became in succession the Glad Tidings Mission, the First Spiritual Brotherhood Church, the Seif-Beaumont School of Dancing, Advance Motor Supplies, and, from 1964 to date, the Polish Social Club, 507-515 Portswood Road. The original building was sold to become an undemominational Gospel Mission Hall, then a Rechabite Hall but was badly damaged by fire in the early 1960s.

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