In 1883 the Havelock Road Cemetery was opened but the chapel was not built until 1896 by C. Brown, and opened 1st May. A Mr William Thomas came to occupy the Manor House in 1879 and he took a great deal of interest in local affairs. It was in the winter of 1885, due to the extreme poverty caused by the brickfield workers not being able to work because of the very very cold winter, that the Thomas family provided one-penny dinners for up to 100 children daily. After 12.30, when all the children had been served, adults could have the remainder. These finished on the 26th March, 1886 — about 10,000 dinners served.
At the rear of the Manor House, let into niches, are two symbolic figures. These had not drawn attention until recently. A representative from the Victoria and Albert Museum came in 1982 and his report was that they are of the ‘Pala Period’ AD 750 to AD 1150 made probably in Eastern India — Bengal or Bihar. The theory as to how they got there is that someone residing at the Manor House went to India, either with the army or as a missionary, and brought them back but they were not suitable to be in the house, so they had them installed in their present position.
Early Chapels
The Baptists. First meetings were held at the Coffee Tavern in 1886. When destroyed by fire in 1887 they lost all their property. After several meeting places they purchased the site in Western Road, and the church was built in 1889. It was rebuilt in 1907 and can seat 300.
A Methodist Chapel, built at the corner of Cambridge Road and South Road in 1883, was opened by Lady Ellis. It was demolished in 1962.
The Primitive Methodist had a chapel built in 1884. This was in Western Road adjacent to where the Southall Football Ground is now. It had steps up to the entrance and had a meeting room under the chapel. This room was rented by the Education Committee in 1887, for £20 per year, to make room for 40 children who had been transferred from Heston due to changes in the boundaries. The Headmistress was a Mrs Eugenie Thomas. It started 2nd May, 1887. The total accommodation was 130 and the cost of the teaching staff £120 per year. This chapel was pulled down in 1960.
The Barn Mission started their meetings at the Coffee Tavern in 1886. They lost all their property in the fire. Mr Baxter, Southall Green Farm, loaned them a barn for meetings in 1894. Later they moved to premises in Norwood Road opposite where their new church and meeting hall, opened 27th April, 1921. Yet again in 1935 they had the Barn Mission Memorial Church built. This commemorates all those who have passed on and had done splendid work for the mission. It is now the Southall Evangelical Church. Pastor, A. G. Imbrey.