The Great Central Hall, Commercial Street, right of picture.
" Its outside appearance was not what one would have expected after viewing the imposing interior. The frontage was part of a grimy facade of shop fronts from which it was hardly distinguishable on the approach from either side."
Haydn Davis, page 225, "The History of the Borough of Newport".
Search The Great Central Hall Baptism Records:
You can enter the full surname eg. Wills, or any of the start of the name. So Wil finds: Wills, Williams, Wilkins etc. and W finds Ward, Whitney, Wills, Woodbury etc.
Or you can browse the register.
The Foundation Of The Church
In 1895... the Reverend Seth Joshua and his brother Frank ... moved into Newport, holding meetings wherever a few or a few hundred could gather. The effects were almost immediate and very startling!
People flocked to hear the new 'barn storming' preachers.
Following hundreds of conversions in 1901, the Church was constituted and it grew rapidly with the formation of Bible classes, a Christian Endeavour Society, a boys brigade group and other cultural and social activities. Finally, a site in Commercial Street, backing on to Fothergill Street, was obtained from the Tredegar Estate at a low ground rent and at an eventual cost of £10,000, a church was built to be known thereafter as the Great Central Hall. On 4th October 1906, it was officially opened.
Internally it could only be described as splendid and inspiring, with its high, vaulted ceiling arched over a majestic, unprosceniumed stage, backed by a magnificent organ and with floor and balconies seating well over 2,000.
Text taken from Haydn Davis' excellent book "The History of the Borough of Newport" to read the full text relating to the Great Central Hall follow this link.