Brief History of Cooks Bethel and Ragged School and The Waterside
HISTORY
A Brief Outline
View an extract from “Friend of Seafarers and Children” by M.J.Roberts
1853 Henry Cook set up the first Ragged Day School and Sunday School for boys, in 80 High Street.
Later he started a Boys Industrial Home in 47 Stoke Road.
1858 Built a Ragged School in 46 South Street (behind Woolworth’s approx)
1869 Built The Portsmouth and Gosport Seaman’s Mission, 66 South Street, which later incorporated a Ragged School for girls. ( to the right of the George & Dragon Pub.)
1875 (approx) Coffee & Reading Rooms in 47 Stoke Road and Beach Street.
1885 (approx) New Mission Hall at Rudmore Place Portsmouth.
1886 (approx) Coffee & Reading Room/Mission at The Quay Portsmouth
1887 He replaced a Wherry (Portsea to Porchester) and another boat ‘Annie’ with two new schooners ‘The Mystery’ & ‘Herald of Mercy’. Later set up a floating mission harboured at Portsmouth, over 27 attended.
1889 Set up a French Seaman’s Mission (& hospital?) in Deauville France.
1890 (approx) Mission Hall in Forton Road Camden Town
1893 had a new auxiliary screw steamer built which could hold 300 people, called ‘The Good News’.
1893 Henry Cook died in the Mission Hall in Deauville
1969 Both The Old Mission Buildings were demolished and a new building sited next to the Gosport Precinct in South Street.
Early Trustees
William Hobbs Brewery Owner Stoke Road
Dr Kealy
Messrs J & E Lapthorn Sail makers
Mr Mumby Owner of Chemists High Street & Soda Water/Lemonade Factory
Mr B Nicholson Head of Camper & Nicholson’s Yacht Building Company
Mr O Upfield Draper