The Leysian Mission was founded by the Old Boys of The Leys School at a General Meeting in the Mission House, Bishopsgate Street, on October 7th 1885. They were concerned about the social and housing conditions in the East End of London.
The Wesleyan London Mission gave them premises at 199 Whitecross Street, rent free, which were used from April 1886, for a Sunday School, a Boys’ Brigade, a Girls’ Parlour, etc. New, larger, premises were built in Errol Street and opened on Sunday 23 April 1890 with 200 Sunday School children in the Hall. Here the same activities continued and were expanded with a brass band.
By 1902 the Sunday School had nearly 700 children registered, with an average attendance of 480. Again larger premises were required and the Mission commissioned the building illustrated. This provided a large hall seating 2,000, a small hall, club rooms for men and women, boys and girls, a gymnasium, classrooms and vestries with natural light and ventilation.
It was built 1901-1906 to designs by Bradshaw and Gass at 104-122 City Road. Bradshaw and Gass were a major practice based in Bolton, who designed a wide range of public buildings, but also a number of important Wesleyan Methodist churches. The Queen Victoria Hall was opened by the, then, Prince and Princess of Wales on July 11th 1904.
Besides these plans, photographs and a description of the building may be found here
More information about the work of this important mission in London would be appreciated.
Grid Ref: TQ327825
Reference: The Building News vol. 80, 1901 page 529
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