THE MISSION HALL -PAGLESHAM
Saturday 15th July 1893, saw a great celebration in the small village of Paglesham at the opening of the Mission Hall. Presented to the village by Zachary Pettitt and in addition to defraying the entire cost of its construction, Mr Pettitt also provided the land upon which it stands. It is capable of seating 150 people and is constructed of corrugated iron externally and wooden boarding internally. The contract to build was given to Mr N Kemp of Rochford. The corrugated iron building was of a sort that could be ordered from a catalogue, 36ft long by 20ft wide, with a porch facing the road, at a cost of £300. (= approx. £50,000 in 2026)
It was given for use of the village, particularly for holding services in the winter to save the long walk across the roads and fields to the church. It was also used in its early days as a reading room and for entertainment, Christmas parties and many locals held their wedding receptions there.
It has helped to foster the social changes of the twentieth century and is still used for its original purposes. The Mission Hall stands in the corner of a field in East End, and the adjacent garden field is used for events in the summer months.
The Mission Hall was used for many village meetings and was also where the boys and men of Paglesham assembled before being seen off to fight in WW1.
It was used for many years as a Reading Room, until long after the Great War. Books could be borrowed and in the evening there were instructions in reading and writing. Paglesham resident John Popplewell had been its mainstay and helper for a long time. In 1906 he was presented with an engraved marble clock for his services. This actual clock was exhibited at our first History Weekend in April 2025 held in the Mission Hall and was kindly brought along for everyone to see by John Popplewell’s ancestor Jamie Popplewell.
A Men’s Club had started in the 1920’s, with billiards, darts and cards in the Mission Hall together with occasional outings. In January 2026, another men’s social club started at the Mission Hall which has been named “Men on a Mission” open to all the men that now live in the village for social darts, cards, archery, a general ‘get together’
The Mission Hall was also to become the home of the Women’s Institute (WI) which started in the village in 1933. It was barer and bore little resemblance to the cosy room of today, where it still holds its monthly meetings. A wooden floor and stage, a cubby-hole beside that for storage and heating was from a large round stove opposite the door, contrasts with the present carpeting, extensive cupboards, curtains, electric lights (electric was installed in 1939) and heating, running water and even an indoor loo!
The exterior has been given a lovely refresh in 2025 with the interior also having a well-deserved make over in 2026.
On the 1st August 1938, discussions were held about who the Mission Hall belonged to, Rev Jennings did not know and Diocesan Registry cannot trace it. In 1939 the Rev Jennings, who now owned the Mission Hall on behalf of the church, decided to give up or sell the hall. A crisis meeting, which lasted an hour, was called in the November of 1939, but the problem remained unsolved. The Church of England are the current owners of the Mission Hall, which they bought from the village for a minimum fee, when it was too expensive to maintain it. Regular winter church services are still continued here today.
The first Paglesham Village Produce Association (PVPA) was held at the Mission Hall on Saturday 24th August 1946, this year is the shows 80th anniversary, and the Spring PVPA show is still held here every year.
The Mission Hall is used today by the villagers for local and general elections, celebrations, parties, yoga, first aid courses and much more. It is now available to hire for events of all kinds.
Our village hall has seen many changes over the years but its use remains a great joy to the people of Paglesham. It is, after 133 years, an essential part of village life and is still bringing the village together.