Church of St John-at-Hackney facts for kids

Church of St John-at-Hackney

St John at Hackney is a historic Anglican church in the heart of London Borough of Hackney. It is a very important building, known as a Grade II* listed building. This means it's a special building that needs to be protected.

The church was built in 1792. It replaced an older church from the Middle Ages. Only the tower of the old church, called St Augustine's Tower, still stands today. St John at Hackney is not just a church; it's also a famous music venue. Many well-known artists like Coldplay and Ed Sheeran have performed there.

History of Hackney Church

The church of St John at Hackney was designed by James Spiller. It was built in 1792 because the area of Hackney had grown a lot. More than 3,000 people lived in the parish at that time. A parish is like a local church area.

The building is very large and can hold about 2,000 people. It has a classical style. Many old monuments from the medieval church were moved here.

The Old Church: St Augustine's

There might have been a small chapel in Hackney even before the Norman Conquest in 1066. The first records of a church here are from 1275. This church was part of a larger parish called Stepney.

In the 13th century, a group called the Knights Templar owned much of the land around Hackney. Later, their land went to the Order of St. John of Jerusalem. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the land was given to important people like Thomas Sutton.

The old church was first named after Saint Augustine of Hippo. But in 1660, it was renamed after Saint John the Baptist. That's why it became known as St John at Hackney.

c.1750 View of St Augustine's Tower showing the (then) adjacent Black and White House

A Growing Community Needs a Bigger Church

Hackney was close to the City of London and the royal court. This made it a popular place for important people and business owners to live. Many private schools also opened in the area.

By 1789, the old church could hold about 1,000 people. But this was not enough for the growing population. In 1779, a plan was made to rebuild the church to fit 1,480 people. However, nothing happened.

By 1788, the population had grown so much that people thought the church should be able to seat 3,000. An architect named William Blackburn suggested building a completely new church on a different piece of land.

In 1789, the community voted on this idea. Most people agreed to build a new church. They decided to buy land next to the old churchyard.

Building the New Church

1812 engraving of the church, without a tower

The plan was to build a new church, tower, and vestry room. The old church would then be pulled down, leaving only its tower. However, the first cost estimates were too low. More money had to be raised.

William Blackburn, the first architect, sadly died in 1790. A month later, James Spiller was chosen to take over. Hackney Church became his biggest and most important project. He believed that a church for 3,000 people would have bad acoustics, meaning the sound wouldn't be good. So, he convinced the church to build it for 2,000 people instead.

Work on the new church began in 1792. The main building took over two years to finish. The church was officially opened on July 15, 1797.

Harry Sedgwick, one of the church leaders, helped plant many trees in the churchyard. He organized people to donate money for nearly 200 elm and horse chestnut trees. He was later buried in the churchyard, and his tomb remembers his efforts.

In 1798, the old church building was taken down. Its tower was left standing to hold the bells because there wasn't enough money to build a new tower on the new church. In 1814, a tower was finally added to the new church. In 1816, a beautiful stained glass window was put behind the altar.

The old tower of St Augustine's Church is still standing today. It is a symbol of Hackney. It has been on the front page of the Hackney Gazette newspaper since 1864. It is also on the coat of arms of the London Borough of Hackney. In 1871, a clock was added to the tower.

In 1890, the church bought an old house from the 16th century. A school was built in its gardens. This house is now known as Sutton House and is looked after by the National Trust.

The churchyard stopped being used for burials in 1859. It became overgrown. Then, in 1894, it was turned into a public park for people to enjoy.

In 1902, the church was fixed up and had electric lights installed. In the 1920s, the roof became unsafe. It had to be rebuilt in 1929. A stone monument was put in the churchyard in 1921 to remember the people from Hackney who died in wars.

Fire and Repairs

The Beaufort family tomb in St John's Church Gardens

In 1955, a fire started in the church roof. It destroyed the roof, some of the seats, and the organ. During the repairs, the inside of the church was changed a bit. A new hall, called the Hurdman Hall, was created.

A new organ was brought in from another church. Special altar hangings, made for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, were donated. A new stained glass window was also put in. The church was officially reopened on June 24, 1958.

In 2008, the church and its churchyard were rededicated. This celebrated 50 years since the repairs and the work done to improve the church gardens. The church gardens have won a Green Flag award, which means they are well-managed and welcoming green spaces.

The church still needed a lot of work. So, a big Restoration project started in 2018. This project aims to make the church even better for services and music events. New features will include two new chapels and a raised stage.

How the Church Works Today

Clergy

The main priest at Hackney Church is Rev'd Al Gordon. He started in 2016. Other priests include Rev'd Mark Nelson and Rev'd Naomi Maxwell.

Restoration Project

In 2018, St John at Hackney began a huge Restoration project. They received a large grant of £1.84 million from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Famous designers like John Pawson and Es Devlin helped with the project.

In 2019, the church opened new community spaces. These help the church do more outreach work in the community. The church reopened for worship and live events in September 2020. Since then, many thousands of people have visited.

The church's restoration work won an important award, an RIBA National Award, in 2022.

Famous People Buried Here

Many notable people are buried at St John at Hackney:

• Francis Beaufort, who created the Beaufort scale for wind speed.
• Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford (died 1604), an Elizabethan courtier and poet.
• David Dolben (died 1633), a Welsh Bishop of Bangor.
• Timothy Hall (died 1690), a former Bishop of Oxford.
• Joachim Conrad Loddiges (died 1826), a botanist.
• Sir Edward Michelborne (c. 1562 − 1609), an explorer.
• William Nash (died 1875), who received the Victoria Cross for bravery.
• Henry Percy (died 1537), 6th Earl of Northumberland. He was once thought to be engaged to Anne Boleyn.
• Sir Henry Rowe (died 1612), a Mayor of London.
• Lady Lucy Somerset, Baroness Latimer (died 1583), a noblewoman.
• Christopher Urswick (died 1522), a former priest of Hackney.
• John James Watson (died 1839), a former priest of Hackney.