St Boniface Church, Bonchurch is a

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

in the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...

located in

Bonchurch Bonchurch is a small village to the east of Ventnor, now largely connected to the latter by suburban development, on the southern part of the Isle of Wight, England. One of the oldest settlements on the Isle of Wight, it is situated on Undercliff ...

Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight ( ) is a county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the largest and second-most populous island of England. Referred to as 'The Island' by residents, the Isle of ...

History

The church dates from 1847 and 1848 by the architect Ferrey.''The Buildings of England, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight''.

Nikolaus Pevsner Sir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon Pevsner (30 January 1902 – 18 August 1983) was a German-British art historian and architectural historian best known for his monumental 46-volume series of county-by-county guides, ''The Buildings of England'' (1 ...

It was built to replace

Old St Boniface Church, Bonchurch Old St Boniface Church, Bonchurch is a parish church in the Church of England located in Bonchurch, Isle of Wight. History The nave and chancel dates from the 11th century, with the bell cote dating from the 16th century as does the bell. The s ...

, which nevertheless has escaped demolition. The church is cruciform in shape with a south porch and two north vestries and an organ chamber. The bell turret contains a single bell which weighs 4cwt and is tuned to the key of E''b''. Much of the funds for building the Church were paid for by Captain Swinburne, father of

Algernon Swinburne Algernon Charles Swinburne (5 April 1837 – 10 April 1909) was an English poet, playwright, novelist, and critic. He wrote several novels and collections of poetry such as ''Poems and Ballads'', and contributed to the famous Eleventh Edition ...

, the poet. On the screen dividing the Rector's Stall from the nave is a memorial to Lord Admiral

Earl Jellicoe Earl Jellicoe is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created, along with the subsidiary title Viscount Brocas, of Southampton in the County of Southampton, on 29 June 1925 for Admiral of the Fleet John Jellicoe, 1st Viscoun ...

of the

Battle of Jutland The Battle of Jutland (german: Skagerrakschlacht, the Battle of the Skagerrak) was a naval battle fought between Britain's Royal Navy Grand Fleet, under Admiral John Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe, Sir John Jellicoe, and the Imperial German Navy ...

, who worshipped here.

Triptych A triptych ( ; from the Greek language, Greek adjective ''τρίπτυχον'' "''triptukhon''" ("three-fold"), from ''tri'', i.e., "three" and ''ptysso'', i.e., "to fold" or ''ptyx'', i.e., "fold") is a work of art (usually a panel painting) t ...

East Windows are an early work by William Wailes and depicts various scenes of Christ's life on earth. The roundel window crowning the triptych depicts The Angels appearing to the Shepherds announcing Christ's birth. The windows around the church feature many saints including the East Anglian saints, St

Benedict Biscop Benedict Biscop (pronounced "bishop"; – 690), also known as Biscop Baducing, was an Anglo-Saxon abbot and founder of Monkwearmouth-Jarrow Priory (where he also founded the famous library) and was considered a saint after his death. Lif ...

, tutor to the Venerable Bede, and St

Edith of Wilton Edith of Wilton ( – 16 September 984) was an English nun, saint, and the only daughter of Edgar, King of England (r. 959–975), and Saint Wulfthryth, who later became abbess of Wilton Abbey. Edgar most likely abducted Wulfthryth from Wilto ...

. Much of the

stained glass Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...

is by

Henry Holiday Henry Holiday (17 June 183915 April 1927) was a British historical genre and landscape painter, stained-glass designer, illustrator, and sculptor. He is part of the Pre-Raphaelite school of art. Life Early years and training Holiday was born ...

and

Shrigley and Hunt Shrigley and Hunt was an English firm which produced stained-glass windows and art tiles. History The business began in the 1750s when Shrigley's was a painting, carving and gilding firm in Lancaster, Lancashire. In 1868, control of Shrigley's ...

Parish Status

The church is within a group which includes: *

*St Boniface Church, Bonchurch *

Holy Trinity Church, Ventnor Holy Trinity Church, Ventnor is a parish church in the Church of England located in Ventnor, Isle of Wight. History The church dates from 1860 to 1862 and was designed by the architect Charles Edmund Giles. The first vicar was Revd. Arthur Lewi ...

St Catherine's Church, Ventnor St Catherine's, Ventnor is a parish church in the Church of England located in Ventnor, Isle of Wight. History The church dates from 1837 and was designed by the architect Robert Ebbels, at a cost of £4,655 funded by John Hambrough of Steephi ...

Burials

Algernon Charles Swinburne Algernon Charles Swinburne (5 April 1837 – 10 April 1909) was an English poet, playwright, novelist, and critic. He wrote several novels and collections of poetry such as ''Poems and Ballads'', and contributed to the famous Eleventh Edition ...

1909. Poet *

Henry De Vere Stacpoole Henry de Vere Stacpoole (9 April 1863 – 12 April 1951) was an Irish author. His best-known work is the 1908 romance novel '' The Blue Lagoon'', which has been adapted into multiple films. He published using his own name and sometimes the pseud ...

1951. Author The Reverend James White and family, devoted friends of Alfred Lord Tennyson who used to visit them in this parish.

Organ

The church has a pipe organ by Forster and Andrews dating from 1872. It is a two manual tracker organ and pneumatic pedal board. The beautiful organ casing painted with Fleur-de-lis and Tudor Roses was brought forward on a canopy above the console in the 1930s by Herbert Morris which hold the Great Open Diapason pipes. The organ has 21 stops and is Grade II listed. It was restored in 1995 in memory of a former parishioner. The first organist of the Church was Miss Elizabeth Sewell whose brother William was the founder of

Radley College Radley College, formally St Peter's College, Radley, is a public school (independent boarding school for boys) near Radley, Oxfordshire, England, which was founded in 1847. The school covers including playing fields, a golf course, a lake, and ...

, near Oxford. Miss Gwladys Williams LRAM FRCO was Organist and Choir mistress from 1921 to 1978. Mr. Ian D. Snow MBE LRAM FRCA LTCL was organist and Choirmaster from 1978 until 2006. The Church has a strong musical tradition and is affiliated to the RSCM.

References

External linnks

* A specification for the church organ can be found on th
National Pipe Organ Register
{{DEFAULTSORT:Boniface, St Boniface Church of England church buildings on the Isle of Wight Grade II listed churches on the Isle of Wight