My father and I visited north London in 2008 to check out what King's College London's accommodation was like – the two cheapest options being the halls in Hampstead and near Denmark Hill in the south. You'd be surprised by the difference in location. Hampstead is a leafy suburb in the north of London with opulent houses and a rich history of chattering artists, politicians, actors, musicians and intelligentsia, while Denmark Hill, in the south, is surrounded by some areas which would send a shiver down your spine. Naturally, I settled on Hampstead.
Just like the north-south divide in the city, the halls had a similar divide. On the northern side are the beautiful Victorian red-brick buildings, while on the southern side there are some cheaply-made travesties which most probably date back to the 70s. The northern side's edifices were created in 1882 and were used to prepare young ladies for education at London universities – in a similar style to those at Oxbridge – although the College had a particularly evangelical edge. This was all due to its 'foundress', Ann Dudin Brown (a Victorian miniature, right).
I only found this out as my building in halls was named after the missioner and evangelist. She inherited a great wealth from her parents and wished to share this with those who shared her beliefs. The story makes exciting reading, as many of her female students became missionaries and served the church. Even Brown didn't fail to note its success, writing that 'of all my enterprises, Westfield has proved the most satisfactory'. She never married and never bought a house, choosing instead to devote her life and wealth to others – a wonderful example of how God doesn't expect everyone to get married and how he can use single people in remarkable ways.
Let's flash forward to the twenty-first century. The buildings are now in the hands of King's College, London and there is no real Christian ethos left in the halls of residence, other than the church which lies next door. I was surprised one morning, while sitting on the loo at church, to find a familiar name inscribed in the stone wall – Ann Dudin Brown. It turns out that the church that I have been attending for the last two years was the church which she had helped to build. I'm not sure whether St Luke's (left) has been 'evangelical' for the last century, but she was an evangelical Anglican, and so I'm sure she'd be happy that the church continues to love the good news. No doubt, the students which attended her college attended this church, and the tradition (in some sorts) continues to this day. Brown's funeral was held at St Luke's in 1917 and she was buried in Hampstead cemetery.
St Luke's is carrying her educative mantle in the present day. It's exciting to know that buildings which she founded will be used for education once more, as St Luke's has proposed to create one of England's first free schools (the rest of Britain has not adopted the policy). If the school gets the go-ahead, then it will be for people with a faith or none. It will be exciting for the church to be involved in the creation of a new school with a distinctive Christian ethos.
Seeds sown a century ago, can be used by God today.
To read more about St Luke's free school plans, you can read an article at the BBC News web site. If you'd like to find out more about Ann Dudin Brown, then you can find a short biography at the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (although you will need to have a subscription or Athens password).
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