New Postcards added to the website

Four postcards have been added to the Alton Abbey page, in the Around Alton Cont. section of the website.

Church from the North West Building

The Cemetery

The Gate House & Oratory (Back View)

The Gatehouse

These postcards are from a set or series that were printed in Germany around 1905. Whilst they do not give any details as to who took the image, there are a couple of clues that have helped to narrow down the date. These images would have been taken between 1903-1908, It certainly cannot be any later than 1908, as the Gatehouse postcard is postmarked the 2nd December 1908.

The Abbey was founded in 1895, by Rev Charles Plomer Hopkins, a former Port Chaplain that had devoted a significant portion of his life to supporting seafarers, following an incident in Rangoon many years before.

What began as a collection of tents and basic huts, grew at the hands of the community with additional labour offered by able bodied men passing through the area, some on their way to Portsmouth, Southampton, or other ports to start work or seek new employment.

Known as The Order of St Paul, the community sought to support sailors who were considered too old or ill to work, and who it would appear had no family or other means by which to support themselves.

Construction of the Gatehouse & Oratory is said to have begun in 1901/02 and was completed by 1904, the Abbey Church was built between 1901-1907.