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Author: Room, Charles

Biography:

ROOM, Charles (1804-84)

He was born on 9 Dec. 1804 at The Parade, Birmingham, Warwickshire, and registered at Cannon Street Baptist Chapel, the third of thirteen children of John Room, a japanner, and his wife Mary Pemberton, who had married in 1800. He went to school locally and then trained for the ministry at Bristol Baptist College. He became minister at Mill Street Chapel, Evesham, Worcestershire (1830-4) before becoming Dr John Rippon’s assistant at Park Street Chapel, Southwark, South London (1834-7). He had hoped to succeed Rippon but was passed over. He then served as minister at Alley Chapel, Portsea (Portsmouth), Hampshire (1838-53). A dispute with the deacons led to his departure and he moved to St. Paul’s Chapel, Southsea, where he remained until his retirement in 1858. Thereafter he moved to North London. He died on 30 Mar. 1884 at Greenoaks, Fortis Green, Finchley, leaving an estate of just under £7,000. He married Eliza Scott on 23 Aug. 1836, at St. Mary’s, Islington, London. They had seven children. She died on 8 Oct. 1896. There is still a family grave at Islington and St. Pancras Cemetery in East Finchley, London. The length of time between his first publication Herculaneum (1828) and a further volume of poems, Foreshadowing(1881), is unusual and there may be uncollected periodical poems. (ancestry.co.uk 23 Jan. 2023; Christian World 10 Apr. 1884; LES 10 Oct. 1896; Frederick Ridoutt, The Early Baptist History of Portsmouth [1888], 103-7; Birmingham Magazine Apr. 1828, 222-3; Baptist Magazine Nov. 1828, 515-16; Dissenting Academies Online, QMC) AA

 

Books written (1):

London/ Birmingham: Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, and Green/ J. C. Barlow, 1828