Van Gogh in

Turnham Green

In November 1876, Vincent drew a sketch of the church in Turnham Green at the bottom of a letter to his brother Theo. He called it “Mr. Jones’s church”, as his employer, the Rev. Thomas Slade-Jones (1829–1883), was the pastor there. The church had been founded in September 1875 and was built entirely out of corrugated iron, not unusual at the time. Vincent regularly attended its services and evening readings and also taught Sunday school there. The situation evidently suited him well; he wrote to his brother:

“Oh how I’m looking forward to it, old boy, to make my rounds here and there at Turnham Green when it’s cold.” Read the complete letter

On Thursday 16 November 1876, one month after his first sermon at the Wesleyan Methodist church, Vincent was given an opportunity to preach in Turnham Green. Things evidently went well, for at their next meeting, the church leaders officially took him in as a colleague. With Vincent becoming increasingly involved in the church, a new assistant instructor was hired to take over his teaching duties at Jones’s school.