The little congregation of the Wesley Church in Grahamstown is eagerly preparing to celebrate their church's centenary with their famous Somerset organ.
The little congregation of the Wesley Church in Grahamstown is eagerly preparing to celebrate their church's centenary with their famous Somerset organ.
A service of celebration is planned for Sunday 25 August at 11am. Wesley has a fascinating history. Some of the buildings presently occupied by Fort England Hospital were originally the barracks of the Imperial troops, and it was here in 1820 that William Shaw preached his first sermon in Grahamstown, at the home of one of the officers.
These services become a regular practice and in 1861 the local Methodist Church built a chapel near the fort to serve the troops, as well as the local community. The troops were withdrawn in 1870, but Fort England Chapel continued its services for the townsfolk. In 1875 the disused barracks were used to establish a mental hospital, which was called Fort England Hospital, the name by which it is still known.
In 1911 the hospital became a government institution and was expanded. In the process, the Chapel became enclosed within its boundary and was sold to the government for the sum of £2 000. With those proceeds, the Methodists set out to build a new church. An additional £150 was borrowed from the Grahamstown Wesleyan Building Fund, repayable in five equal instalments on the first day of the following five years. The final balance sheet records an amount of £2 269.45, so there must have been some fundraising to make up the difference.
The foundation stone of Wesley Church was laid on 23 August 1913, and the next year, on 31 January, the church was opened. A short service led by Rev F W Henly was held in the Fort England Chapel, after which the new church was dedicated by the Chairman of the District, Reverend R H Matterson.
This little Methodist Church, in pride of place on the corner of York and Market Street, has been the spiritual home of the local community for 100 years. Housed in the Wesley Church is the Somerset organ. This priceless treasure was brought from England by Major Henry Somerset for his wife, Frances, and was installed in their home on the Oatlands Estate.
In 1852 when Major Somerset and his family left Grahamstown, the organ was presented to the Fort England Chapel and was subsequently moved to Wesley Church
. It was proclaimed a National Monument in 1950.
All those who have past connections with Wesley Church, and all friends of the church are warmly invited to share in the celebrations on Sunday 25 August.
