St John the Evangelist's Church, Derby facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St John the Evangelist’s Church, Derby |
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St John the Evangelist’s Church, Derby
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| 52°55′32.93″N 1°29′16.77″W / 52.9258139°N 1.4879917°W | |
| OS grid reference | SK 34518 36612 |
| Location | Derby, Derbyshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| History | |
| Dedication | St John the Evangelist |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* listed |
| Architect(s) | Francis Goodwin |
| Groundbreaking | 14 September 1826 |
| Completed | 1828 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | St John the Evangelist, Derby |
| Deanery | Derby North |
| Archdeaconry | Derby |
| Diocese | Diocese of Derby |
St John the Evangelist's Church, Derby is a beautiful old church located in Derby, England. It is a parish church that belongs to the Church of England. This church is very special because it is a Grade II* listed building. This means it is an important historical building that needs to be protected.
Contents
About St John's Church
The church was designed by an architect named Francis Goodwin. The first stone was laid on September 14, 1826. The church was finished and opened in 1828.
The building has a unique Gothic style, shaped like a box. It has four tall towers at each corner. Inside, there are galleries on both sides. The special area where the altar is, called the chancel, was added later in 1871.
Church Improvements Over Time
In 1891, the chancel was made longer by about 10 feet. The floor of the chancel was also raised. This helped people sitting in the galleries see better. At the same time, the church's heating and lighting were made better. A new stained glass window, made by Ward and Hughes, was put in. The church organ was also improved by Charles Lloyd of Nottingham. All these improvements cost around £1,820 back then.
More work was done in 1902. The outside of the church was repaired. Some of the stone at the top was taken down and fixed. Inside, the building was cleaned and painted.
The Church Organ
The church has a large organ that was built in 1875 by Henry Willis. You can find all the details about this organ on the National Pipe Organ Register.
Before this, in 1836, another organ was bought for £177. People say this older organ might have come from the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. It's known that the theatre rented an organ from Gray and Davison until 1834, so this story could be true. This is likely the organ that was later improved by Charles Lloyd.
Organists of St John's
Many talented people have played the organ at St John's Church over the years. Here are some of them:
- J. Norton (around 1838 and 1846)
- W. H. Orme
- Charles Drew (1868 - 1886)
- Thomas Archer (1886 - 1923)
- H.E Oldfield (around 1928 to 1940)
- Frederick J. Stevenson (1944 - around 1952), who used to be the organist at St James' Church, Derby.
- John Gold...
- Hedley Taylor (until 1962)
- Christopher Lyndon-Gee (around 1965)
- Terry Worroll (around 1968 - 1970)
- TMN Whitehall (1970 - 1973), with Martyn R Warsop as his assistant.
- David S Johnson (1973 - around 1984)
- Andrew Storer (from 1995 onwards)
More Information
If you want to learn more about important buildings in Derby, you can check out these links:
- Grade II* listed buildings in Derby
- Listed buildings in Derby (northern area)
