PLYMOUTH |
The Encyclopaedia of Plymouth History |
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PITTS' MEMORIAL HALL At the start of the twentieth century the congregation of Charles' Church decided that it was becoming a necessity to have a hall away from the Church, where they could hold any functions they wished 'unfettered by regulations'. They also wished to in some way perpetuate the memory of the late Colonel Thomas Pitts, VD, who had been the commanding officer of the 2nd Battalion, Devonshire Regiment. Both requirements were met by the erection of the Pitts' Memorial Hall in Gibbon Street. The foundation stone was laid on Wednesday May 4th 1904by Mr Charles Albert Hingston, MD, JP. Measuring some 70 feet by 60 feet, the building would have a hall capable of accommodating 500 people on the ground floor with a smaller one for 200 people beneath. There would also be ante-rooms, offices and "arcades". It was expected to cost about £2,000, of which £300 had already been subscribed and £131 14s 1d was collected on the day from money placed upon the foundation stone. Messrs Pearn Brothers were the contractors and Mr M Alton Bazeley was the architect. Interestingly, he supplied the trowel that was used in the ceremony, which had an interesting history. It had originally been presented to the Reverend J Hatchard, vicar of St Andrew's Church, when he laid a stone at Holy Trinity Church. It was subsequently used at Christ Church, Emmanuel, St Matthias and St Jude's and had come into Mr Bazeley's possession from his mother, who was a daughter of the Reverend Hatchard. Also present at the ceremony were the vicar of Charles, the Reverend N Vickers; the curate, the Reverend J C Rossiter; the churchwardens, Messrs J J Marshall and D Banks, and Colonel J P Goldsmith and Captain Fripp, presumably from the Devonshire Regiment. Mr E R Goodall accompanied the hymn singing on the harmonium. Colonel Pitts was described as having 'a marvellous power of attracting hearts and influencing them' and that in spite of having 'a tremendous crush of work' he 'found time to serve his God and exercise an extraordinary spiritual influence on everyone with whom he came in contact.'
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