Plaque

Christ Church Hall
Built in 1719 as a French Hugeonot {sic} church it stood back from the road behind a paved, tree-planted, courtyard in which there was a pump. In 1740 La Patente church moved into the building. Their plaque of the royal arms, signifying the patent granted by James II, is still mounted in the hall. The Three Crown Court church in Wheler {sic} Street then joined La Patente and by the 1760's the congregation was noted for being large and prosperous. During this time John Wesley preached here. In 1787 it became a German Lutheran church, the Baptists then moved into the building and renamed it Jireh Chapel and during the period that it was occupied by the United Free Methodists. Charles Dickens used the building for public readings of his works. In 1864, the building was extended to cover the courtyard and the original stone facade was destroyed. Christ Church bought the building in 1887 and it was converted for use as their church hall. The building was used by the matchstick girls to hold their strike meetings in 1888 organised by Annie Besant and Eleanor Marx-Aveling (Karl Marx's daughter). These led to the establishment of the British Trade Unions. As Christ Church Hall it has, in many ways, served the needs of the church and community in Spitalfields over the past century.