29/07/2026
In case you missed our newsletter, July's 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵 is A City Road Diary by Helen McKenny, chosen by our library volunteer Christine. Read her thoughts on the book below! 🔽
Helen was the daughter of the Rev John McKenny, who was minister at Wesley’s Chapel, City Road, London, from 1885 to 1888. This is her record of three years in Victorian London. Her diary has been edited by Alfred Binney and John Vickers, and was first published in 1978 by the World Methodist Historical Society [ISBN 0 9505559 1 6].
Helen was in her mid-twenties, living with her parents in the manse, the building that had been John Wesley’s house, in which he died in 1791. She describes the house and what it was like to live there with frequent visitors wanting to see ‘the relics’.
As a clergyman’s daughter Helen was not expected to undertake paid work. However, she was kept fully occupied: attending services and associated meetings; helping her father with administrative tasks and reading manuscripts for the Book Committee; helping her mother with catering and entertaining; sometimes deputising for her in leading and speaking at meetings; arranging flowers for the Conference; teaching in Sunday school. Helen’s particular vocation was supporting the work of the Whitecross Street Mission in a desperately poor area immediately west of the Chapel. She visited and befriended the people, providing food, clothing and medical care.
There is inevitably much repetition, but this serves to emphasise the mundane nature of the life of a single woman in a professional family. However, the account is enlivened by her descriptions of the Methodist ‘worthies’ who preached at the Chapel and were entertained at the manse. She encountered many famous preachers and is candid in her reactions to them.
