The mosques of Forest Gate

Around a quarter of Forest Gate's 30,000 population is Muslim and the district is served by 13 mosques.  What follows is a lay, non-believer, account of the local mosques. We are running the feature as a step towards explaining, at a fairly rudimentary level, how a significant section of our community organises itself.

There has been a small Islamic community in Britain since the 18th century. It grew in number with the development of the East India Company, which employed a large number of sailors from the sub-continent (primarily from what is now Bangladesh) to ship goods into London. Many of them stayed and developed  small communities initially around the London Docks and Whitechapel areas.

Somewhat surprisingly, however - for a range of one-off factors - the first mosque in Britain was opened in Woking in 1889.

Woking mosque - Britain's first, photo c 1900

London's first mosque was opened - in Whitechapel - as late as 1941; others followed fairly rapidly, particularly since the 1970's, as the city's Islamic community has grown.

Although Muslims are required to pray five times a day, Friday prayers (Salatul - Jum'ah) can only be professed in a mosque, by adult male Muslims. Women are permitted to pray almost anywhere and there is no requirement to attend a mosque on Fridays - hence the absence of provision for women in some of the  buildings listed below.

It is the Friday in-mosque worship requirement, together with the desire to create community centres for the faithful, that has lead to the quite rapid development of mosques in Newham (one for every five hundred or so of the faithful).

The vast majority of mosques in Britain today are not purpose built structures, but occupy previous shops, houses and other civil buildings. Forest Gate is no different from this - as the information, below, indicates.

Approximately 90% of British Muslims are Sunni, and the minority, 10%, Shi'a - a position reflected in the distribution of mosques in Forest Gate.

Deobandis and Bareilvis are the most populous divisions within the British Sunni community - largely because they are dominant in the Indian sub-continent. The Deobandis (about 50% of all London Muslims) tend to be more dogmatic in approach, and the Bareilvis favour a more charismatic approach to following the faith.

Quwwatul Islam Mosque

62-66 Upton Lane. 

Tel: 020 8475 0126. www.quwwatulislam.org

Capacity: 1600 (men only)

Theme:  Deobandi (Sunni)

Management: Guajarati

This mosque was established over 35 years ago, originally simply for Friday prayers (Jummah) and as a Madrasa for children. It was originally located in Manor Park, and moved to its current location in 1986, by purchasing a warehouse.

In 1999 the elders purchased bakery land at the rear (Chaucer Road), for girls' education. A school was established in 1999, initially as a primary school, which subsequently offered secondary education, too.  It is recognised by Ofsted and currently has a "Good" rating. It, additionally, caters for up to 110 girls per week for evening education.

Participated in 'Visit My Mosque Day' - 5 February 2017.

Adara or Idara Minhaj-ul-Quran Education Centre, co-located with the Muslim Youth League

292-296 Romford Road. 

Tel:  020 8257 1786. No website

Capacity: 700 (including women)

Theme: Sufi - Bareilvi - Tahir Qadri (a charismatic Sunni tradition)

The premises was formerly the Odeon cinema (for details of its history, see here). The fine building today looks particularly shabby and really could do with an empathetic facelift.

Imamia Mission

328 Romford Road. 

Tel: 020 8555 5363. Web: www.imamiamission.org.uk (website information open only to members)

Capacity: 400 (including women)

Theme: Shi'a (The only Shi'a mosque in Forest Gate - it is the smaller Muslim tradition - see above)

Management: Pakistani

The premises were formerly a house - once occupied by John Curwen, founder of the Earlham Grove Hall, and Tonic So-Fa music education system (see here, for further details of him and the system).

International Khatme Nubuwat Movement, also known as Darul-Uloom

11-13 St George Road. 

Tel: 020 8552 7052. No website

Capacity: 400 (men only)

Theme: Deobandi

Newham North Islamic Association (Green Street Mosque)

88 Green Street. 

Tel: 020 8586 8439. Web: www.greenstreetmosque.co.uk (seems to be defunct)

Capacity: 475 (including women)

Theme: Deobandi

Management: Pakistani and Bangladeshi

Affiliated to the Muslim Council of Britain

According to its latest returns to the Charity Commission, the Mosque's income is around £130k p.a.

Participated in 'Visit My Mosque Day' 5 February 2017.

Azhar Masjid Mosque, also known as Azhar Academy

235 Romford Road. 

Tel: 020 8534 5959. Web: www.aags.org.uk

Capacity: 600 (including women)

Theme: Deobandi

Management: Pakistani

Affiliated to the Muslim Council of Britain

The mosque was formerly a Congregational church, and is a Grade 2 listed building (see here, for further details).

The mosque also incorporates a girls' school. According to its March 2016 Ofsted judgement, the secondary school is "good" and early years provision, "outstanding".

There are approximately 260 secondary school aged girls and 75 fte equivalent mixed primary pupils.  Annual fees are £2,600. Further details on the building's listed status can be found here. Further details of the schools' Ofsted ratings can be found here).

According to its latest returns to the Charity Commission, the organisation has an annual income of £1.18m, employs 63 people and has 53 volunteers.

Massjid Al-Humera

183 Green Street. 

No further contact details

Capacity: 150 (including women)

Theme: Salafi (an ultra-conservative Sunni  tradition)

Management: Pakistani

It is located in the former premises of a Jehovah's Witness' Kingdom Hall.

Forest Gate Mosque

447-451 Romford Road. 

Tel: 020 8555 6258. No website

Capacity: 400 men

Traditions: Deobandi

Management: Bangladeshi

It was formerly two shops

It is co-located with Iman Zakariyah Academy primary School and The Bangladeshi Muslim Shomity Ltd.

According to its latest Charity Commission returns, its annual income is around £347k p.a.

Jamia Darus Sunnah

98 Woodgrange Road. 

Tel: 020 8530 0406. No website

Capacity: 300 (men only)

Tradition: Deobandi

Management: Pakistani

This mosque has recently undergone a substantial refurbishment. It was formerly a shop, and a century ago a printers/publishers, associated with then prominent Forest Gate artist and politician Charles Ward (see here for details).

Al Karam Mosque co-located with Al Karam Trust Masjid

411 - 413 Katherine Road. 

Tel: 020 8471 9273. No further contact details

Capacity: 450 (including women)

Theme: Bareilvi

Management: Pakistani

Affiliated to British Muslim Foundation

The mosque occupies the buildings of former shops

Masjid-e-Quba and Anjjuman - Raza-e-Mustafa Education Centre

198 Shrewsbury Road. 

Tel: 020 8470 6332. No website

Capacity: 300 (men only)

Tradition: Bareilvi

Management: Gujarati

Affiliated to the British Muslim Forum

The organisation has a record of submitting late returns to the Charity Commission. Its latest set of accounts showed it to have an income of £134k, in 2015.

Khatme - Nubuwwat Academe, co-located with the Islamic Dawa Council UK

387 Katherine Road. 

Tel: 020 8471 4434. No website

Capacity: 30 (male only)

Management: Pakistani

Tradition: Deobandi

The mosque occupies a former a shop.

Al-Hira Education Centre

12 Stukeley Road. Tel: 020 8552 7681

Capacity: 1500 men and women

Tradition: Bareilvi

Management: Pakistani

The information in this blog has been gleaned from a number of different websites - many, sadly, out of date. It is presented in good faith by a non-adherent.  We will be delighted to amend any errors within it, or add further useful information supplied to us.

The Sound of Music from Earlham Grove

Do - a deer a female deer,
Re - a drop of golden sun,
Mi - a name I call myself,
Fa - a long, long way to run
So - a needle pulling thread
La - a note to follow so
Ti - a drink with jam and bread
That will bring us back to Do.

 

The music education system highlighted in The Sound of Music, and the introduction to music for so many - the Tonic Sol-Fa system - was pioneered in Forest Gate in the late nineteenth century.

The Revd John Curwen (1816 - 1880) originally from Workington, in Cumbria, moved to what is now Newham in May 1844, when he became the minister of the Congregational Church in Balaam Street, Plaistow.

John Curwen 1816 - 1880

By this time he was already a keen musicologist, with a particular interest in developing an easier method by which to teach Sunday School children to sing.  In 1840 he had met  Sarah Glover, and had been very impressed with the way in which she taught music at a school in Norwich.

Based on her work, he developed the Tonic Sol-Fa system, which allowed people to sight read music.  Details of his revolutionary new method were first published in the Independent magazine in 1842. He established the Tonic Sol-Fa Press in North Street, Plaistow in 1863 and began publishing huge volumes of literature and music, intended to raise standards of musical education, for both teachers and pupils.

The following year he resigned his ministry to devote more time to music.  In 1879 he opened the Tonic Sol-Fa College at what is now 175, Earlham Grove, Forest Gate.  John Curwen died in 1880 and was succeeded by his eldest son, John Spencer Curwen (1847 - 1916) who, like his father, was a passionate promoter of the Tonic Sol-Fa system.

Late 19th century artist's impression of the College/School of Music. Its 
lopsided appearance is accounted for because the original architects plans 
for the whole building were never completed.

In 1882 he established the Stratford Music festival, the oldest event of its kind in Great Britain (although now sponsored by neighbouring borough, Waltham Forest, as the East London Music festival).

John Spencer Curwen (1847 - 1916), 
who took over his father's baton, 
at the College in Earlham Grove

Harding Bonner, an associate of JS Curwen at the College, started private classes there in 1885 and in 1890, when the Tonic Sol-Fa College moved to Finsbury, in central London, he leased the Earlham Grove premises and turned them into the Forest Gate School of Music.

Harding Bonner 1853 - 1907

In 1897 at his suggestion, the owners erected the Earlham Hall, in front of the original buildings, as a local entertainment venue.


Artists impression of Earlham Hall, 
at the time of its construction, in 1897

The School of Music and newly built Earlham Hall proved to be huge successes.

By the turn of the twentieth century, the school boasted over 1,000 pupils, and in 1906 was renamed the Metropolitan Academy of Music.  Harding Bonner died shortly afterwards, and was succeeded by his son, Frank, who greatly expanded the Academy.  

In 1916 it had 12 branches throughout London and Essex, with a membership of about 2,300 students. After World War I, this rose to 5,000.  It peaked at 5,600 in 1926. By then it was the largest music institution in the country.  

School of Music, 1897, with 700 students and 33 "professors"

The new Earlham Hall, meanwhile, could accommodate around 500 people and hosted regular soirees, as the advertisement and programmes for the events - below, at the end of the nineteenth century, show. 

Handbill advertising a soiree 
at the Earlham Hall, 1899

Forest Gate School of Music c 1930

The Music School closed during World War II, and the premises are now occupied as a place of worship, by the Holy Order of Cherubim and Seraphim Church.




Remodelled and minus the tower and chimneys
 - what remains of the old Music School, today

John Curwen's legacy survives elsewhere in Forest Gate.  The house in Romford Road, in the photo below, was built around 1869, and its first occupant was John Curwen.  He called it Workington House, after his former home town.  He lived there until his death in 1880.

More recently the house was renamed Palmerstone House and it has subsequently been converted to the Imamia Mosque. 


John Curwen's former residence: 
Workington/Palmerstone House, 
Romford Road. Now the Imamia Mosque

(Based on the Victoria History of Essex vol V1 and East Ham and West Ham Past, by Jim Lewis, and articles from The Forest Gate Weekly News)