Reading Central
From Sawiki
| Reading Central |
 |
| Territory: United Kingdom Territory |
| Division: Central South Division |
| Opened: 1881 |
| Corps Number: 188 |
| Location: Anstey Road, Reading, Berkshire RG1 7JR |
| Current Officers: |
Reading Central Corps History
On March 30th 1881, the Salvation Army opened fire in Reading. The Reading 1 Corps was given Number 188, reflecting its early foundation. The venue was an old boathouse in Willow Street by the river Kennet and the chief protagonists were Major W.F. Day and Captain Charles Harrison. That first meeting was not without incident as the two founding officers were to suffer at the hands of local opposition as they made their way home. Several young men were charged and convicted of shoving and pushing in King's Road. Following the intervention of the Mayor of Reading, the evening meeting was cancelled to avoid further unrest. Later that week however, the Berkshire Chronicle reported that an Army contingent was heard singing in the Market Place and in Broad Street.
Within three months, the Corps was moved from the boat house due to pressure from brewers. Nevertheless the early day Corps found temporary accommodation before new premises were build back in Willow Street. These premises took only 6 months to polan and build and were reported to accommodate nearly 2000 people. They were opened on 6th December 1881 and were visited by William Booth the following week. At the opening about 500 members were present for a celebration tea. These buildings were the home of the Reading 1 Corps until 1906 when the railway company made a compulsory purchase when Coley junction and goods depot moved into the area.
Pioneer Salvationist, Joseph Fidler, the Recruiting Sergeant and Songster Leader, secured new premises in St Mary's Butts. With a secure central position, the Army was able to consolidate its work and The Butts continued to serve as the home of the Corps until the Reading Borough Council decided to build the Butts Centre, now known as Broad Street Mall. Having compulsorily purchased the hall in the Butts in 1969, the Council made the site of our present hall available. However a hall had to be built and for almost a year the Corps was homeless. Fortunately Broad Street Congregational Church (now Waterstones book shop) very kindly came to the rescue and allowed us to use its hall and a complicated system of sharing took place.
The present suite of buildings was built specially for the Army. Constructed within a period of 12 months to a design and specification that, at the time, were the envy of many Corps, the buildings have provided fitting accommodation for the many aspects of present day corps life. Much of the success of the building project was due to Corps Secretary Percy Clarke, the local architect engaged by the Army's architect's department.
Mention has already been made of the role of Brother Fidler in securing the Butts Hall. He later became an Envoy and served the Army in a wider field and it was as Envoy Fidler he was affectionately known. Colonel Charles Miles's place in Army history is due to the fact that he founded the Corps Cadet movement. However, the most notable soldier of the Corps was Edward Higgins who left Reading Central to become an officer. After being appointed as Chief Secretary in the USA, he became the British Commissioner in 1912 and the Chief of the Staff in 1919. Then in 1929 when the Salvation Army was looking for its first elected leader, Commissioner Higgins became the General, the first General from outside of the Booth family. At a most difficult time in Salvation Army history, General Higgins united the movement and set the pattern for the Army's present legal constitution.
Edward's father may have been the Corps' most famous son had he not been eclipsed by his own son. Having owned a boot shop in Kings Road, Reading, he also rose to the rank of Commissioner. The third Commissioner from the Corps was David Rees who, as Commissioner Rees, became Territorial Commander for Canada in 1895, only seven years after becoming an officer. He returned to England briefly, as the Training Principal. Stationed once again in Canada, he was travelling with the Canadian Staff Band on board the Empress of Ireland on route for the 1914 Congress when the ship was wrecked and the Commissioner was drowned.
There have been many other outstanding soldiers of the Reading Central Corps. Unfortunately any list, no matter how long, would never be complete. However mention must be made of early day Salvationists who travelled to Whitchurch in Hampshire on several occasions during the late1880s to lend support to the local contingent which was experiencing enormous opposition from the brewing industry which had the backing of the local police and the magistrates. They went there to help them in their open-air campaigns which were opposed by a small but violent minority. In supporting their Whitchurch comrades they were joining forces with such distinguished Salvationists as Commisioner Evangeline Booth and Commandant Herbert Booth but they also risked imprisonment simply for preaching the gospel in the streets. Four Salvationists from Reading were amongst the 80 or so people who were imprisoned at Winchester by the authorities. Directly resulting from their courage and conviction, a High Court ruling eventually established the right of the Salvation Army to hold its services in the open-air.
There are many serving officers from the ranks of the Reading Central Corps. Again, sadly no comprehensive list exists. Officers still serving, or recently retired include: Hazel Kilminster-Cooke, George Scott, Russell King, John and Dorita Wainwright, Stephen and Christine Perkins, Tim Johnson, Neil and Rose Denyer, Alan and Marie Bate, Cyril and Marianne Eighteen; there may be more.
The location of Reading within an area of recent rapid commercial growth and situated within commuting distance of the capital city, has meant that there has been a rapid and almost continuous change in the names on the soldiers roll. There remains therefore, but few links with the very early days of the Reading 1 Corps. Two families have survived through all the changes and still make a major contribution to the corps. The families names of Bert and Daisy Clarke and Amos and Agnes Pendery have survived all the changes. These early Salvationists along with William and Margaret Hamlett, Bert and Cissie Hamlett, Fred and Annie Mason and Frank Choules were in the thick of the early day action and today their second, third fourth and fifth generation descendants maintain the tradition within the present corps.
