St John's Church, Seaborough facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St John's Church
Religion
Affiliation	Church of England
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Active
Year consecrated	1882
Location
Location	Seaborough, Dorset, England
Architecture
Architect(s)	George R. Crickmay
Architectural type	Church

St John's Church is a special old church in Seaborough, Dorset, England. It belongs to the Church of England. Most of the church you see today was rebuilt in 1882. It's also a "Grade II listed building," which means it's an important historical place that needs to be protected. Today, it's part of the Beaminster Area Team Ministry.

The Story of St John's Church

The First Church Building

People know there was a church in Seaborough as far back as the 1200s. The first church leader, called a rector, was recorded in 1244.

In 1415, a man named John Golde owned the land here. He gave some land to the church's leader, Rev. John Threddar, to build a brand new church. This new church was built, and later, in the late 1400s, a north transept (a part of the church that sticks out like an arm) was added. This happened because the church had become too small for everyone who wanted to attend.

By 1729–1730, the main part of the church and its roof were in poor shape. The transept also had problems. So, a new transept was built. The rest of the church was fixed up, got a new roof, and new seats were put in.

The church then had a nave (the main area where people sit), a chancel (the area near the altar), a north transept, and a south porch. It also had a gallery (a balcony) at the back of the nave. In 1857, a new musical instrument called a harmonium was put in. It cost £10 and was played for the first time by Mr. H. Cole, who was the organist at St John's Church in Yeovil.

A Big Rebuild in 1882

By 1876, the church was looking very old and worn out. It also wasn't big enough for all the people in the area. So, a decision was made to rebuild and make the church bigger. Plans were drawn up in 1880 by an architect named George R. Crickmay. The new church would have space for 59 adults and 21 children.

Money was needed for this big project. The church's leader, Rev. T. M. Shaw, worked hard to raise funds. Because Seaborough was a small area, they asked for donations from people further away. In June 1880, a group called the Bath and Wells Diocesan Church Building Society gave £40 to help.

In October 1881, a builder named Mr. B. Chambers from Beaminster was chosen to do the work. In April 1882, Rev. Shaw was allowed to use St Mary's Church in Drimpton for Sunday morning services. Work on St John's Church started soon after.

Most of St John's Church was rebuilt. The chancel and the west wall were completely new. Parts of the north and south walls were also rebuilt. The church was made about 22 feet longer by adding the new chancel. A vestry (a room for the clergy) was added on the north side, and a new porch was built on the south side. The transept from 1729 was kept. Three windows from the old church were used again, and six new windows were added.

While taking down the old porch, something amazing was found! It was a stone statue, called an effigy, of a crusader from the 1200s. It had been used as a stone beam above the door. The workers didn't know it was there, so the statue's head was damaged, and its arms broke off. But it was saved and placed in the transept. People believe this statue is of John Golde of Seaborough, a brave knight who fought in a battle called the Siege of Damietta in 1219. He was given land in Seaborough in 1229 for his service.

The rebuilding work was first expected to cost £780, but extra work was needed, so the final cost was £980. Mr. B. Chambers was the main builder, and W. A. Stoodley was the foreman. Crickmay & Son oversaw the project. A carver named Harry Hems from Exeter did the detailed carvings. St John's Church and its burial ground were officially blessed by the Bishop of Bath and Wells, Lord Arthur Hervey, on December 5, 1882.

Repairs in the 1900s and 2000s

In 1902, the church was repaired and got new seats thanks to Captain Ralph Cecil Batley. In 1988, the roof was fixed, and the bell-cot (where the bells are) was repaired and made stronger. In 2019, the church's two bells were fixed up by John Taylor & Co of Loughborough. They were put back with new parts and rang again on September 29, 2019.

How the Church Looks

St John's Church is built from local stone, with special Hamstone details. The roofs are covered with slate. The church has a nave, chancel, north transept, north vestry, and a south porch. On the west end, there's a bell-cot for two bells, and on the east end, there's a stone cross. Inside, the walls are covered with a rough plaster. The roof, built in 1882, is curved like a barrel and made of shiny red wood from Oslo.

The arch leading to the chancel, built in 1882, has shiny Devonshire marble columns. These columns rest on carved Bath stone supports. The nave has two old windows from the 1400s that were put back in. One in the north wall has three sections, and one in the west wall has two sections. The church's windows are made of special "cathedral glass."

The floor in the nave is made of wood blocks laid in a criss-cross pattern. Many of the tiles used inside the church in 1882 came from W. Carter of Poole. Fancy patterned tiles from Maw & Co of Broseley were used in the chancel. The steps leading to the chancel are made of Blue Pennant stone, as is the stone slab where the altar sits. During the 1882 work, new seats made of Oslo red wood were put in the chancel, and the old pews in the nave were replaced with chairs.

Inside the Church: Fittings and Gifts

The vestry has a communion table and a coffin stool from the 1600s. The old stone statue of the crusader in the transept is from the mid-1200s. The transept also has a memorial tablet and a small statue of Adam Martin from 1738. You can also find a piscina (a basin for washing sacred vessels) in the transept, made from a stone pillar from the late 1100s. The church's two bells were made in 1712 by Thomas Knight.

Many gifts were given to the church during the 1882 rebuilding. Mrs. Maynard Shaw gave an altar cloth. Miss Stephens gave velvet drapes for the reredos (a screen behind the altar). Mrs. Joseph Studley gave the lectern (a stand for reading) and its hangings. Mr. Edward Shaw, the rector's brother, gave the brass cross and candlesticks. Mrs. Edward Shaw gave the carpet for the chancel steps. The pulpit and the font (a basin for baptisms) were kept from the old church.

In 1928, a beautiful stained glass window was put in the transept. It was given by the wife and sons of William Rowland Mitchell, who passed away in 1925. The Bishop of Taunton couldn't come for the dedication service in July 1928. So, Prebendary Langham and Rev. Canon Rowling shared the duties. The window was officially shown to everyone by Lieutenant-Commander Mitchell and Lieutenant-Commander Pawlett.