St John the Baptist, Hoxton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St John's Hoxton |
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| St John the Baptist with Christ Church, Hoxton |
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West door of St John's Hoxton
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| Location | Hoxton, London Borough of Hackney |
| Country | England, United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Evangelical Protestant |
| History | |
| Founded | 1826 |
| Founder(s) | Worshipful Company of Haberdashers |
| Dedication | St John the Baptist |
| Dedicated | 22 June 1826 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Francis Edwards |
| Style | Neo-classical |
| Years built | 1822–26 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | St John the Baptist with Christ Church, Hoxton |
| Archdeaconry | Hackney |
| Diocese | London |
| Province | Canterbury |
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St John's Hoxton is a church in the Church of England. It's located in the Hoxton area of London. The full name is the Church of St John the Baptist, Hoxton.
The church is about a mile north of the City of London on New North Road. Nearby, you can find Silicon Roundabout and Aske Gardens. These gardens are named after Robert Aske, a rich merchant who helped the area a lot.
In 1826, many people were moving to London's East End. St John's was first built as a smaller church for the large parish of Shoreditch. By 1830, it became the main church for its own new area.
In 1953, St John's Hoxton joined with Christ Church. Christ Church had been created in 1841 from the northern part of St John's area.
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History of St John's Hoxton
The church is named after St John the Baptist. This name reminds people of an old monastery that used to be in the area. King Henry VIII closed this monastery in 1539.
Robert Aske, a relative of Sir Thomas Seymour, lived in Hoxton. His generous gifts still help the church and a local primary school today. Streets like Haberdashers' Place and Haberdasher Street are named in his honor.
A famous person from the 1700s, John Newton, lived in Hoxton Square. He wrote the well-known hymn Amazing Grace. The writer and philosopher Mary Wollstonecraft was also born in Hoxton. John Mander, who built organs, lived here too. His son, Noel Mander, rebuilt the organ at St Paul's Cathedral and started his own organ company.
In Victorian times, the church was known for its charity work. Social helpers like Charles Booth praised its efforts to help people in the poor inner-city areas. Many church members became missionaries in Africa and Asia. One of them was Jabez Cornelius Whitley, who became the first Anglican Bishop of Chota Nagpur. His father, Edward Whiteley, was the first vicar of St John's. He helped start London's largest savings bank to help "local poor" people. He also helped found St John's National Schools, which are still active in India.
The great-great-great-grandfather of Catherine, Princess of Wales (Kate Middleton), John Goldsmith, was married at St John's Hoxton in 1850.
St John's Hoxton Today
The current vicar, Revd Graham Hunter, is a member of the Haberdashers' Company. He also works with Dame Sarah Mullally, the Bishop of London. They lead a group that brings together different religious leaders to help with health problems.
St John's Hoxton is part of the HTB (Holy Trinity Brompton) Network. It is also a member of the Evangelical Alliance.
St John's Hoxton was featured on the BBC show Songs of Praise in 2025.
Architecture of St John's Hoxton
St John's Church was finished in 1826. It is a beautiful Regency style church built in the classical style. It was designed by Francis Edwards, who was a top student of the famous architect Sir John Soane. This is the only church Edwards designed.
It is a large and elegant example of a "Commissioners' church." Its original layout is still the same. It has impressive galleries and decorations. This includes a stunning painted ceiling from the early 1900s by Joseph Arthur Reeve, an architect who specialized in churches.
St John's Hoxton is a Grade II* listed building. This means it is a very important historical building.
The Pipe Organ
The organ was built in 1915 by Thomas Sidwell Jones. It is in the choir gallery and still has its original wooden case from the late-Georgian period. The front of the organ shows the coat of arms of King William IV.
The organ was last fixed in 1934 by Henry Speechly & Son. It has many different sounds, called "stops," which include:
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Church Bells
In St John's church tower, there is a set of ten bells. These bells were made at the nearby Whitechapel Bell Foundry.
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More to Explore
- Geffrye Museum
- Haberdashers' Company
- List of churches in the Diocese of London
- St Monica's Priory Church, Hoxton (RC)
Images for kids
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St John's Church ceiling
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