Henry Hurrell was a passionate non-cormformist, an independent spirit and liked to support worthy causes. One of the area’s more successful businessmen – he was a corn merchant – he served Plymouth three terms as Mayor (1902-03, 1903-04, and 1911-12). His son, HG Hurrell, MBE, a Cambridge graduate, went into the family business for a while but is best remembered as one of the most celebrated naturalists that the city has ever produced.
In the early 1950s following the wartime loss of Baptist facilities in Stonehouse and mindful of the need to cater for the expanding city, land was provided for the building of a small Baptist church at Efford. Unfortunately there were problems, initially with the structure of the building and latterly with vandalism, and the church was closed. Subsequently demolished, the Baptist Men’s Movement Housing Association spurred on by the Reverend Philip Withers of Mutley Baptist Church, then erected 28 independent flats on the site.
The flats were opened on 9th June 1984 and the scheme was named in honour of HG Hurrell who was a Senior Elder at Mutley Baptist, and erstwhile secretary of Stonehouse Baptist. Mary Hurrell, a granddaughter of HG’s was delighted to officiate at the opening ceremony and there are still many members of the family active in the city today.
