The Church of St John the Evangelist is a Scottish Episcopal church in the centre of

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

, Scotland. It is sited at the west end of

Princes Street Princes Street () is one of the major thoroughfares in central Edinburgh, Scotland and the main shopping street in the capital. It is the southernmost street of Edinburgh's New Town, Edinburgh, New Town, stretching around 1.2 km (three quar ...

at its junction with

Lothian Road The A700 road is a short but important link skirting Edinburgh City Centre between the A8 and A7 roads. Route The road begins at the West End junction at the terminus of the A8 and heads south then east comprising the streets of Lothian Road ...

, and is protected as a category A

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...

Background

The church was dedicated as St John's Chapel on

Maundy Thursday Maundy Thursday, also referred to as Holy Thursday, or Thursday of the Lord's Supper, among other names,The day is also known as Great and Holy Thursday, Holy and Great Thursday, Covenant Thursday, Sheer Thursday, and Thursday of Mysteries. is ...

1818 with construction having begun in 1816. It was designed by the architect

William Burn William Burn (20 December 1789 – 15 February 1870) was a Scottish architect. He received major commissions from the age of 20 until his death at 81. He built in many styles and was a pioneer of the Scottish Baronial Revival, often referred ...

the previous year, at the age of only 25. Souvenir of Scotland04

The congregation had begun in 1792 when Daniel Sandford came to Edinburgh to minister on Church of England lines. In 1797 the Qualified congregation moved to Charlotte Chapel which was re-built on larger lines in 1811. They sold shares to fund a new church, the banker Sir William Forbes being the main figure, and Charlotte Chapel was then sold to the Baptists.

Edward Bannerman Ramsay Edward Bannerman Ramsay, (17 January 1793– 27 December 1872), usually referred to as Dean Ramsay, was a clergyman of the Scottish Episcopal Church, and Dean (religion), Dean of St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh (Episcopal), Edinburgh in that co ...

joined St John's as curate in 1827. He succeeded Bishop Sandford as minister in 1830, and stayed until his own death in 1872, having been Dean from 1846. The sanctuary and chancel were built in 1879–82 by Peddie & Kinnear ( John Dick Peddie and

Charles Kinnear Charles George Hood Kinnear FRIBA Royal Scottish Academy, ARSA FRSE (30 May 1830 – 5 November 1894) was one half of Peddie & Kinnear partnership, one of Scotland’s most renowned and prodigious architectural firms. They were noted for their ...

). The vestry and Hall were added in 1915–16 by

John More Dick Peddie John More Dick Peddie (21 August 1853 – 10 March 1921) was a British architect. Biography Peddie was the son of the architect and politician John Dick Peddie (1824–1891) and his wife Euphemia Lockhart More. Born in Edinburgh, he atte ...

and Forbes Smith. The war memorial was added in 1919 to a design by Sir

Robert Lorimer Sir Robert Stodart Lorimer, Order of the British Empire, KBE (4 November 1864 – 13 September 1929) was a prolific Scotland, Scottish architect and furniture designer noted for his sensitive restorations of historic houses and castles, f ...

. Lorimer also designed and oversaw the addition of faux-vaults when Lothian Road was widened in 1926. St John's holds daily services and is one of the few remaining Episcopal churches in Scotland to hold the weekly service of

Matins Matins (also Mattins) is a canonical hour in Christian liturgy, originally sung during the darkness of early morning (between midnight and dawn). The earliest use of the term was in reference to the canonical hour, also called the vigil, which w ...

Description

The plaster ceiling vault is derived from that found in the

Henry VII Chapel The Henry VII Lady Chapel, now more often known just as the Henry VII Chapel, is a large Lady chapel at the far eastern end of Westminster Abbey, England, paid for by the will of King Henry VII. It is separated from the rest of the abbey by br ...

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an Anglican church in the City of Westminster, London, England. Since 1066, it has been the location of the coronations of 40 English and British m ...

. Stained glass is largely by Ballantine, but the east window is by William Raphael Eginton. The morning chapel was furnished by Walker Todd in 1935. An extension was added to the south-east corner in 2018.

List of rectors

* 1804–1830: Daniel Sandford * 1830–1872:

* 1873–1883: Daniel Fox Sandford * 1883–1909: George James Cowley-Brown * 1909–1919: George Frederick Terry * 1919–1926: James Geoffrey Gordon * 1927–1939: Charles Henry Ritchie * 1940–1947: Sidney Harvie-Clark * 1947–1961: David Brownfield Porter * 1962–1969: Keith Appleby Arnold * 1969–1981: Aeneas Mackintosh * 1982–1997:

Neville Chamberlain Arthur Neville Chamberlain (; 18 March 18699 November 1940) was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from May 1937 to May 1940 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from ...

* 1998–2012: John Andrew Armes * 2013–2024: Markus Dünzkofer

Memorials

* General Sir John Campbell, 2nd Baronet of

New Brunswick New Brunswick is a Provinces and Territories of Canada, province of Canada, bordering Quebec to the north, Nova Scotia to the east, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the northeast, the Bay of Fundy to the southeast, and the U.S. state of Maine to ...

, (present-day Canada) * Sir

Henry Raeburn Sir Henry Raeburn (; 4 March 1756 – 8 July 1823) was a Scottish portrait painter. He served as Portrait Painter to King George IV in Scotland. Biography Raeburn was born the son of a manufacturer in Stockbridge, on the Water of Leith: a f ...

* Dean

(a tall granite Celtic cross by

Robert Rowand Anderson Sir Robert Rowand Anderson, (5 April 1834 – 1 June 1921) was a Scottish Victorian architecture, Victorian architect. Anderson trained in the office of George Gilbert Scott in London before setting up his own practice in Edinburgh in 1860. ...

of 1878 with Celtic bronze reliefs by Skidmore, facing Princes Street just east of the church) * John Stuart Stuart-Forbes (1849–1876) (also known as J. S. Hiley; died at the

Battle of the Little Bighorn The Battle of the Little Bighorn, known to the Lakota people, Lakota and other Plains Indians as the Battle of the Greasy Grass, and commonly referred to as Custer's Last Stand, was an armed engagement between combined forces of the Lakota Si ...

in North America. His plaque can be found on the left hand side of the church as you enter) The plaque reads "In Memory of John Stuart Stuart Forbes 7th Regt. United States Cavalry. Born at Rugby 28th May 1849. Killed in Action 25th June 1876."

Graveyard

* The Rev Archibald Alison (1757–1839) and his son William Pulteney Alison (1790–1859) * Sir William Arbuthnot, 1st Baronet (1766–1829) * Lesley Baillie (1768–1843) subject of

Robert Burns Robert Burns (25 January 1759 – 21 July 1796), also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the List of national poets, national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the be ...

' poem "Bonnie Lesley" * Thomas Balfour (1810–1838), MP for Orkney and Shetland * George Joseph Bell (1770–1843), legal author * George Burnett, Lord Lyon (1822–1890) * General Sir Archibald Campbell, 1st Baronet (1769–1843) * William Campbell, Lord Skerrington (1855–1927),

Senator of the College of Justice The senators of the College of Justice in Scotland are judges of the College of Justice, a set of legal institutions involved in the administration of justice in Scotland. There are three types of senator: Lords of Session (judges of the Court ...

1908-9 * Major General Nicholas Carnegie of Coates (d.1824) * Sir James Clerk of

Penicuik Penicuik ( ; ; ) is a town and former Police burgh, burgh in Midlothian, Scotland, lying on the west bank of the River Esk, Lothian, River North Esk. It lies on the A701 road, A701 midway between Edinburgh and Peebles, east of the Pentland Hil ...

(1812–1870) * James Donaldson (1751–1830), founder of Donaldson's School for the Deaf * Andrew Duncan (1773–1832) * Daniel Ellis (botanist) (1772–1841) * William Erskine (1773–1852) historian * Sir Hugh Bates Maxwell and Sir William Maxwell, 9th and 10th Baronets of Calderwood (within the eastern enclosure) * Sir William Forbes's son George Forbes (died 1857) *

Sir William Hamilton, 9th Baronet Sir William Hamilton, 9th Baronet FRSE (8 March 1788 – 6 May 1856) was a Scottish people, Scottish metaphysics, metaphysician. He is often referred to as William Stirling Hamilton of Preston, in reference to his mother, Elizabeth Stirling. ...

(1788–1856), metaphysician (stone moved and used as edge paving in the eastern enclosure) * Alexander Irving, Lord Newton (1766–1832) law lord * Thomas Kinnear (1796–1830) banker *

Thomas Laycock (physiologist) Thomas Laycock FRSE FRCPE (10 August 1812 – 21 September 1876) was an English physician and neurophysiologist who was a native of Bedale near York. Among medical historians, he is best known for his influence on John Hughlings Jackson and ...

(1812–1874) * James Skene (d.1864) and his son

William Forbes Skene William Forbes Skene Writer to the Signet, WS FRSE Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, FSA(Scot) Doctor of Civil Law, DCL Legum Doctor, LLD (7 June 1809 – 29 August 1892), was a Scotland, Scottish lawyer, historian and antiquary. He co-found ...

(1805–1892) buried under the chapel * Aeneas James George Mackay (1839–1911) * Charles Kincaid Mackenzie, Lord Mackenzie (d.1938) * General Anthony MacRae (1812–1868), with bronze by Sir John Steell * George Moir (1800–1870), lawyer and essayist * John Shank More (1784–1861) * Macvey Napier (1776–1847) * Margaret Outram (1778–1863), widow of Benjamin Outram * Bouverie Francis Primrose (1813–1898) * Anne (1793–1825), sister of

Stamford Raffles Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles (5 July 1781 – 5 July 1826) was a British Colonial Office, colonial official who served as the List of governors of the Dutch East Indies, governor of the Dutch East Indies between 1811 and 1816 and lieut ...

* Dean

(buried distant from the memorial on

(see above) with a separate monument) and his brother Admiral Sir William Ramsay (1796–1871) * Bishop Harry Reid (died 1943) * Sir James Milles Riddell, 2nd Baronet (1787–1861) * Anne Rutherford (mother of

Sir Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European literature, European and Scottish literature, notably the novels ''Ivanhoe'' (18 ...

) *

Daniel Rutherford Daniel Rutherford (3 November 1749 – 15 November 1819) was a Scottish physician, chemist and botanist who is known for the isolation of nitrogen in 1772. Life Rutherford was born on 3 November 1749, the son of Anne Mackay and Professor J ...

(1749–1819) discoverer of

nitrogen Nitrogen is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol N and atomic number 7. Nitrogen is a Nonmetal (chemistry), nonmetal and the lightest member of pnictogen, group 15 of the periodic table, often called the Pnictogen, pnictogens. ...

(uncle of Sir Walter Scott) * Daniel Fox Sandford (1831–1906), Bishop of

Tasmania Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...

, son of Daniel Sandford (bishop of Edinburgh), founder of the church. * Catherine Sinclair (1800–1864), author * Sir John James Stuart of Allanbank (1779–1849) * James Syme (1799–1870), surgeon *

Peter Guthrie Tait Peter Guthrie Tait (28 April 18314 July 1901) was a Scottish Mathematical physics, mathematical physicist and early pioneer in thermodynamics. He is best known for the mathematical physics textbook ''Treatise on Natural Philosophy'', which he ...

(1831–1901) and his sons John Guthrie Tait (1861–1945) and William Archer Porter Tait (1866–1929) plus a memorial to Frederick Guthrie Tait (buried in South Africa) * William John Thomson RSA (1771–1845), American-born artist, member of the

Royal Scottish Academy The Royal Scottish Academy (RSA) is the country's national academy of art. It promotes contemporary art, contemporary Scottish art. The Academy was founded in 1826 by eleven artists meeting in Edinburgh. Originally named the Scottish Academy ...

* James Walker (1781–1862), civil engineer * Bishop James Walker (1770–1841) * Sir William Stuart Walker (1813–1896) * George Young, Lord Young (1819–1907) * Malvina Wells (1804–1887) only known person buried in

who was born enslaved.

Edinburgh City Centre Churches Together

St John's is one of three churches which form Together, an ecumenical grouping in the New Town of Edinburgh. The others are St Andrew's & St George's West and St Cuthbert's.

Just Festival

The church is also home to the Just Festival (formerly known as the Festival of Spirituality and Peace), which takes place each August alongside the

Edinburgh Festival Fringe The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (also referred to as the Edinburgh Fringe, the Fringe or the Edinburgh Fringe Festival) is the world's largest performance arts festival, which in 2024 spanned 25 days, sold more than 2.6 million tickets and featur ...

Tabot

An Ethiopian tabot, a replica of

Moses In Abrahamic religions, Moses was the Hebrews, Hebrew prophet who led the Israelites out of slavery in the The Exodus, Exodus from ancient Egypt, Egypt. He is considered the most important Prophets in Judaism, prophet in Judaism and Samaritani ...

' Tablets of Law, was discovered in storage at St John's Church, and was returned in February 2002 to

Addis Ababa Addis Ababa (; ,) is the capital city of Ethiopia, as well as the regional state of Oromia. With an estimated population of 2,739,551 inhabitants as of the 2007 census, it is the largest city in the country and the List of cities in Africa b ...

Same-sex marriage

In 2017 the

Scottish Episcopal Church The Scottish Episcopal Church (; ) is a Christian denomination in Scotland. Scotland's third largest church, the Scottish Episcopal Church has 303 local congregations. It is also an Ecclesiastical province#Anglican Communion, ecclesiastical provi ...

changed its marriage canon, allowing clergy (with the consent of their congregations) to opt into the Scottish same-sex marriage legislation. The first marriage of a couple of the same gender inside an

Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

church in the

British Isles The British Isles are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner Hebrides, Inner and Outer Hebr ...

was solemnised at St John's in September that year with the rector presiding."First same-sex Anglican church wedding takes place in Edinburgh"

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

, 29 September 2017.

References

External links

Official website

Choir website

St John's on ScotlandPlaces

"The Episcopal Congregation of Charlotte Chapel, Edinburgh, 1794–1818"
University of Stirling PhD thesis by Eleanor M. Harris {{DEFAULTSORT:John, Edinburgh, Saint Episcopal church buildings in Edinburgh Churches completed in 1818 19th-century Episcopal church buildings Category A listed buildings in Edinburgh Listed churches in Edinburgh 19th century in Scotland 1818 establishments in Scotland 19th-century church buildings in Scotland