St John the Baptist Church, Windsor facts for kids
St John the Baptist Church is an important church in Windsor, a town in the English county of Berkshire. It is named after St John the Baptist. The church was rebuilt in 1822 in a style called Gothic Revival, which means it looked like older Gothic churches. It is the official church for the town of Windsor, and many former Mayors of Windsor are buried there. The church is a Grade II* listed building, meaning it's a very important historic place. Two of the three Protestant Windsor Martyrs, who faced a terrible fate in 1543 for their beliefs, were connected to this church.
Contents
The Old Church Building
The first settlement in Windsor was in a place now called Old Windsor. Later, King Henry I moved the Royal Court to the site of Windsor Castle in New Windsor. Records show that St John's Church existed by the time King Henry II was on the throne. Over the years, many priests served there. The old church had a main area (nave), a part for the altar (chancel), and side passages (aisles). By 1818, the building was in poor condition, so people decided to rebuild it.
The Windsor Martyrs
During the reign of Henry VIII, big changes happened in England's religion. From 1536 to 1541, King Henry VIII closed down monasteries. He also declared himself the main leader of the Church of England in 1531 and 1534, taking this role from the Pope. However, many of the church's beliefs still stayed similar to the Catholic Church, especially after 1539.
A law called the Six Articles Act of 1539 was made to stop different religious ideas. It said that certain Catholic beliefs, like the special meaning of the bread and wine in communion, priests not marrying, and confessing sins to a priest, were still required. If someone refused to follow these rules, they could face death.
Anthony Pearson was a Protestant preacher who shared his ideas in Windsor, including at St John's Church. Henry Filmer, a tailor and a churchwarden at St John's, was greatly influenced by Pearson's sermons. He tried to convince the Vicar, Thomas Meister, to adopt similar views.
News of these new ideas reached William Simmonds, who was the Mayor of Windsor and a Member of Parliament. Simmonds, along with Dr John London, reported these events to Stephen Gardiner, the Bishop of Winchester. Homes were searched, and arrests were made. Pearson and Filmer were arrested, along with Robert Testwood, a singer at St George's Chapel, John Merbecke, the organist there, and Robert Benet, a lawyer. Benet avoided trial because he was very sick.
The others were tried for heresy, which means having beliefs that go against the official church teachings. A special jury was chosen to make sure they were found guilty. Pearson, Filmer, and Testwood were found guilty and were burned at the stake on some open land north of the castle. This spot is now where Windsor & Eton Riverside railway station stands. Merbecke, however, was pardoned. He later wrote important music for the Anglican church service of Holy Communion.
The New Church Building
The new St John's Church was built between 1820 and 1822. It was designed by Charles Hollis, with Jeffry Wyatt (who later changed his name to Wyatville) giving advice. The church was made from large, finely cut stone blocks. Inside, it has cast-iron columns shaped like four-leaf clovers. The main area and side passages are covered by cast-iron beams. Hollis kept the same shape as the old church, and many old memorials and features were moved into the new building.
The church has a tall tower at the west end with a clock and bells. The main part of Hollis's church has six sections for the nave and aisles, with smooth, plastered walls inside.
By the late 1800s, the smaller altar areas of older churches were not as popular. So, a famous church architect named Samuel Sanders Teulon was hired to improve the church. From 1869 to 1873, Teulon worked on St John's. He made the chancel (the area around the altar) longer and shaped it like a half-circle. These new parts were built with small, grey stone blocks and lighter Bath stone decorations. Inside, the chancel has smooth limestone walls. The arch leading to the chancel has colorful stones, which was a common design by Teulon. Princess Christian reopened the church after these changes.
.jpg)
Above the west gallery inside the church, there is a large painting of the Last Supper. King George III gave this painting to the church in 1788. It had previously been an altarpiece (a painting behind the altar) in St George's Chapel. It was placed behind the altar in both the old and new St John's churches. However, after Teulon rebuilt the chancel in 1870, the painting was moved to the west wall, where it is today. The painting is believed to be by Francis Cleyn and was cleaned and repaired in 2003.
The church also has a special Royal Pew, which was a gift from Princess Augusta, who attended services there. The front of this pew has a low screen with carvings by Grinling Gibbons. These carvings show a pelican feeding its young, a symbol of care. These panels were once part of the altar rail at St George's Chapel. King George III gave them to St John's in 1788, along with the Last Supper painting. They were originally placed with the painting, but this arrangement changed when Teulon rebuilt the chancel.
As the official church for Windsor, it also has a special mayoral pew, complete with a cushion for the mayoral mace (a ceremonial staff).
At the east end of the church, the reredos (a decorated screen behind the altar) has mosaic panels made by the Venetian artist Antonio Salviati. The screen in the chancel arch was added in 1898 and was designed by Sir Arthur Blomfield. It was given to the church to celebrate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897.
We don't have many details about the very first organs in the church. A new organ was put in the old church in 1633 but was destroyed by Puritans in 1650. The next known organ was a large three-manual organ built by Father Smith. This organ was originally for St George's Chapel and was given to St John's by King George III in 1789, along with the Last Supper painting and the Grinling Gibbons panels. This organ was kept for the new church and placed in the West Gallery. It was later moved to another church in 1846 and was destroyed during an air raid in 1940.
Its replacement was a two-manual organ, which was later moved to Langford Methodist Church in 1906. The current organ is a three-manual Hunter organ, partly paid for by Andrew Carnegie, a famous businessman. It was first played on Easter Day 1906. The organ has been updated several times since then, and a full restoration is planned. The money needed for this was raised by 2020.
The church has a set of eight bells, all made by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry. Four of these bells were made in the 1700s and were kept from the old church. The other four were made in the 1820s for the new church.
There is also a war memorial in the churchyard. It was officially revealed by Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone, in 1920.
Notable People Connected to the Church
Important Clergy
Many interesting people have served as clergy (priests) at St John's. George Evans, who studied old things, was Vicar in 1663. John Barrow, who was also a Canon of Windsor and chaplain to Prince Rupert, was Vicar from 1680 to 1682.
Other Vicars include Canon Henry John Ellison (1855-75), who started the Church of England Temperance Society in 1862 to promote less alcohol use. His son, John Henry Joshua, also became Vicar later (1895-1913). Between the two Ellisons, Richard Gee (1878-94) was Vicar before becoming a Canon of Windsor. From 1913 to 1921, the Vicar was Ernest Blackie, who later became a bishop and Dean of Rochester.
Ralph Creed Meredith was Vicar from 1940 to 1958. He was a chaplain to both George VI and Elizabeth II. He was also a talented sportsman, winning the first New Zealand National Badminton Championships in 1927 and representing New Zealand in croquet in 1930. David Nigel Griffiths was the Team Rector from 1973 to 1987, while also serving as Chaplain to The Queen. He later became the Archdeacon of Berkshire.
Notable curates (assistant priests) include George Augustus Selwyn (1833-41). He became the first Bishop of New Zealand and later Bishop of Lichfield. He started the Melanesian Mission, and Selwyn College, Cambridge, is named after him. The hymnwriter Samuel John Stone (Curate, 1862–70) wrote the famous hymn The Church's One Foundation in 1866 while working at Windsor.
Important Organists
Sir George Elvey, who was the organist at St George's Chapel, Windsor, also served as organist of St John the Baptist from 1849 to 1861. Anthony Caesar, who later became a priest and chaplain to the Queen, was organist of St John the Baptist from 1948 to 1952. He also helped edit the New English Hymnal.
Notable Burials and Memorials
Many important people are buried in the churchyard or have memorials inside the church. Some memorials are for people buried elsewhere.
- Alexander Baker, who was a Member of Parliament for Windsor in 1660.
- James Thomas Bedborough, who served as Mayor of Windsor in 1846 and 1853.
- William Canon, Mayor of Windsor in 1489.
- John Clode, Mayor of Windsor in 1825-26 and 1830–31.
- Matthew Day, Mayor of Windsor several times between 1610 and 1642.
- Idonea De Audele, who was the Abbess (head nun) of Burnham Abbey from 1314 to 1324.
- James Eglestone, Mayor of Windsor in 1797, 1807, and 1821.
- James Ellison, a surgeon who worked for Queen Victoria's household.
- Humphrey Fawcett, Mayor of Windsor in 1602, 1607, and 1615.
- Topham Foot, a politician who ran for election in Windsor in 1712. His memorial in the church is an early work by the sculptor Peter Scheemakers.
- Richard Gallys, a Member of Parliament for Windsor and Mayor several times in the 1500s. The church has his hatchment, a special coat of arms.
- William Heberden, a well-known physician.
- William Heberden the Younger, a physician to King George III and Queen Charlotte.
- Thomas Jenner, Mayor of Windsor in 1827.
- John Kirkpatrick, a commander of an East India Company ship, the Henry Addington, who fought in the Battle of Pulo Aura in 1804.
- Sir George Henry Long, Mayor of Windsor in 1896.
- Sir Thomas Reeve, who was a Chief Justice (a very important judge) from 1736 to 1737. His memorial is also by the sculptor Peter Scheemakers.
- Richard Washington, Mayor of Windsor several times between 1596 and 1613.
