Above Bar Church

Item

Name

Above Bar Church

Also Known As

Church of Christ, Above Bar Street

Dates

1886

Location

Southampton

Type

Intangible

Description

Hampshire was not always a place of acceptance for Jews. A news article from 1886 revealed that the ‘Society for the Propagation of the Gospel Among the Jews’ held its annual meeting at the church on Above Bar Street, Southampton.

The purpose of this society was to convert Jews to Christianity.

When questioned on the results of the society, a Mr. W. G. Lankester answered that in Austria, 263 Jews had converted in 1884. While this leaves Southampton’s conversion rates unclear, it does demonstrate that there were individuals in Hampshire aiming to turn Jews away from their religion.

Item sets

Sites of Historic Jewish Hampshire