St
Martin in the Fields, Trafalgar Square, WC2. The church was built in
1543-4, replacing a small chapel and then rebuilt in 1722-4 . In 1699 the newly
formed Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge proposed the establishment of a
charity school to the parish. (The High School later moved to Tulse Hill SW2).
The Society was formed in 1688 'to promote religion and learning' - and had a
significant early focus on the education of children through the founding of
charity schools such as the High School. However, there was some early concern
with adults. As Kelly (1970: 65) has argued the founding of the Society and the
development of this work marked a new phase in religious adult education in
Britain. While Puritan ministers had been involved in teaching adults to read
(so that they could engage directly with the bible), this was the first time
that the Church of England as an institution (albeit through an agency) made a
contribution to the area. SPCK also provided a model of organization that many
later charities followed
A concrete reminder of educational efforts can be seen to the left of St Martin’s - running the length of the church to Adelaide Street is what was the Vicar’s House, the Vestry Room and the National School. The present building was erected in around 1830.
The modern face of youth work can be seen in the school building. It went on to house The London Connection a large agency concerned with the needs of homeless and roofless young people. The building houses various services including drop-in provision, washing and other amenities, educational activities, and an advice and bed-finding service. A significant number of detached workers work well into the night from here especially in the Leicester Square, Soho and Embankment areas.
The church became well known for its work with homeless people from just after the First World War when Dick Sheppard (the vicar from 1914-1927) established a relief centre in the crypt (Northcott 1937). Sheppard was a popular preacher and pioneer of religious broadcasting. He was also a pacifist and founded the Peace Pledge Union in 1936.
The St Martin-in-the-Fields Social Care Unit (which worked with rough sleepers and other vulnerable homeless people) and the London Connection merged in 2003 to form the Connection.
Kelly, T. (1970) A History of Adult Education in Great Britain. From the Middle Ages to the Twentieth Century, Liverpool: University of Liverpool Press.
Northcott, R. J. (1937) Dick Sheppard and St. Martin's, London: Longmans Green and Co.
Weinreb, B. and Hibbert, C. (1983) The London Encyclopaedia, London: Macmillan.
© Mark K. Smith. First published August 7, 1997. L
