'Birth Place of the Rev. C.H. Spurgeon, Kelvedon, Essex', mid-late 19th century. The Wheatsheaf Inn in the village of Kelvedon, birthplace of British Baptist preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892), who preached his first sermon at the age of sixteen. Spurgeon quickly became known for his oratory skills, and people from all walks of life would flock to hear him preach. In 1861 the Metropolitan Tabernacle in Newington opened. This had been specifically built for him, as the halls he preached in could not hold the numbers of people that came to listen. He was minister there until his death. Spurgeon also instigated the establishment of many institutions, such as a pastors' college founded at Camberwell in 1856, which transferred to the Metropolitan Tabernacle in 1861; and an orphanage founded in 1867 at Stockwell.