The Congregational Chapel, Stanford Rivers

In the year 1819 a generous and celebrated non-conformist benefactor, Thomas Wilson, gave a cottage on the main London Road at Little End and arranged for it to be fitted up and opened as a place of worship for dissenters. A Sunday school was attached to the chapel. At the opening service sermons were preached by the Rev. James Stratten of Paddington and the Rev. Edward Andrews of Walworth. Arrangements had been made for the supply of preachers from Hoxton Academy.
On 27 June 1820 a new chapel, specially built and seating for 300 people, was opened in place of the converted cottage. Stratten and Andrews were again the preachers at the opening. Two local residents had each contributed £100 towards the cost of the chapel.

In 1827 the site, chapel, and vestry, with a stable and outhouses, were conveyed to trustees, among whom were Stratten, then of Maida Vale, and Thomas Kingsbury of Stanford Rivers. The trust deed stipulated that the buildings should be used for
'a congregation of Protestant Dissenters usually denominated Calvinists of the Independent Denomination'.

Stanford Rivers - First Series Ordnance Survey Map 1805
The Essex Incorporate Congregational Union has in its possession a Deed of Lease dated 19th June 1827 “Thomas Wilson of the first part- Joshua Wilson, John Remington Mills, James Smitherman, Wm Eve, Daniel Dewdney of the second part”. The consideration was 5 shillings and the property consisted of “Chapel, Vestry, Stable, Outhouse and Land”.
In 1829 the congregation numbered 150 and the Minister was William Temple
In 1839 David Livingstone, then a student at Chipping Ongar, was requested to preach in the chapel, the minister of the chapel being taken suddenly ill. The young Scotsman was called upon to take the evening service, and all went well until the sermon, when Livingstone slowly read out his text - and paused. He said afterwards that it was as if midnight darkness had descended upon him. The sermon, so perfectly memorised until a moment before, had fled, and his mind was filled with blank terror. “Friends,” he haltingly said, “I have forgotten what I had to say,” and abruptly he left the pulpit, and fled.

From about 1854 the chapel was served mainly by ministers from Chipping Ongar. Isaac Jennings formerly the minister at Ongar had charge at Stanford Rivers during his retirement in 1863. A new trust was formed in 1877.In 1904 there were 34 Sunday School children with 2 teachers.
On Sunday, January 2nd, 1927, Mrs Howard Kenniford, who was to have conducted the service, accidentally overturned an oil lamp. Fire spread rapidly and destroyed the building, including a Bible which was originally the property of David Livingstone.
Prior to its destruction the Chapel had been a rectangular stucco building with a pedimented front. After the fire an ambitious scheme of world-wide appeal for funds was made with a view to rebuilding. The appeal for £3000 was not successful, less than £400 being received and the Church Authorities appointed the Charity Commissioners to be Trustees of the site and fund. No nucleus for a reasonable congregation could be found in the area and ultimately the funds were used for another Chapel in Essex.