St John's Downshire Hill, Hampstead, is a
proprietary chapel
A proprietary chapel is a chapel that originally belonged to a private person, but with the intention that it would be open to the public, rather than restricted (as with private chapels in the stricter sense) to members of a family or household, o ...
of 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 Britai ...
, located in Downshire Hill,
Hampstead, London, in the Parish of St Stephen with All Hallows. Referred to as St John's Church, the building is formally a
chapel
A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common ty ...
. The church should not be confused with
St John-at-Hampstead, which is located in Church Row, Hampstead, being the
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, ...
of what is now the neighbouring parish.
History
Construction and first services
During a period in which much of the surrounding area was being developed, a new church was considered as an essential local amenity. The
copyhold
Copyhold was a form of customary land ownership common from the Late Middle Ages into modern times in England. The name for this type of land tenure is derived from the act of giving a copy of the relevant title deed that is recorded in the ma ...
for the site of the church on Downshire Hill was purchased from the Manor of
Belsize in 1812 by a group which passed this in 1817 to a trio comprising Christian minister James Curry, "speculative"
[The London encyclopedia, (Pan-Macmillan) (2008)]
p774
builder William Woods and lawyer Edward Carlisle, Woods being involved in other development, both in Hampstead and elsewhere in London.
[The London encyclopedia, 3rd edition (Pan-Macmillan) (2011)]
p247
Curry had offered to pay the cost of the building project if he was appointed minister.
The dedication of the new church to St John may indicate that it was originally intended as a
chapel of ease for the parish church of St John-at-Hampstead
The building was completed in 1823, with the first service held on 26 October 1823. The first minister of the church was
William Harness, a lifelong friend of
Lord Byron
George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824), known simply as Lord Byron, was an English romantic poet and peer. He was one of the leading figures of the Romantic movement, and has been regarded as among the ...
(Curry had fallen ill by the time of the church's opening, and died soon after the opening; Woods also surrendered his interest in the building in January 1824). Harness departed in 1825 and was followed by a group of four ministers who remained for only short period.
Controversy in 1832
In 1832, the copyhold was purchased by John Wilcox, an admirer of
George Whitefield, with the aid
of a loan from a local
dissenter
A dissenter (from the Latin ''dissentire'', "to disagree") is one who dissents (disagrees) in matters of opinion, belief, etc.
Usage in Christianity
Dissent from the Anglican church
In the social and religious history of England and Wales, and ...
. Wilcox established
evangelical
Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being " born again", in which an individual expe ...
ministry at the church, but encountered opposition from Samuel White,
perpetual curate
Perpetual curate was a class of resident parish priest or incumbent curate within the United Church of England and Ireland (name of the combined Anglican churches of England and Ireland from 1800 to 1871). The term is found in common use mainly du ...
of the parish of St John, Hampstead, whose permission was required to conduct services in the parish, since Downshire Hill was at that time located in the same parish. Unlike Wilcox, who was the son of a Gloucester publican, White had effectively inherited his curacy in Hampstead from his father, and a contemporary periodical
[The Christian Observer (1833)]
p. 50
noted theological differences between White and Wilcox's Calvinist doctrinal position. Wilcox had made known
that he would preach as a dissenter if not given permission to as an Anglican minister and, after he ignored a letter from White informing him he did not have White's permission to officiate at services at St John's Downshire Hill, White began proceedings against Wilcox for officiating without the permission of the
incumbent
The incumbent is the current holder of an office or position, usually in relation to an election. In an election for president, the incumbent is the person holding or acting in the office of president before the election, whether seeking re-ele ...
A
consistory court
A consistory court is a type of ecclesiastical court, especially within the Church of England where they were originally established pursuant to a charter of King William the Conqueror, and still exist today, although since about the middle of the ...
ruled in favour of White,
[The British Magazine, Volume II (December 1832)]
pp. 498–502
but local feeling was on the side of Wilcox. The poet
John Keats, who was living nearby at the time in what is now
Keats House
Keats House is a writer's house museum in what was once the home of the Romantic poet John Keats. It is in Keats Grove, Hampstead, toward the edge of inner north London. Maps before about 1915
show the road with one of its earlier names, Joh ...
had earlier referred to White as "the Person of Hampstead quarrelling with all the world" and a petition was organised and signed by influential local people including the then Lord of the Manor of Belsize, Lord Galloway, and
Sara Coleridge
Sara Coleridge (23 December 1802 – 3 May 1852) was an English author and translator. She was the third child out of four and the only daughter of the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge and his wife Sara Fricker. She gained further popularity with in ...
. The outcome of the case also attracted strong criticism at the time in the Church of England magazine:
[The Christian Guardian and Church of England magazine (October 1832)]
pp. 395–398
:"In the existing state, therefore, of our Ecclesiastical law, a clergyman may incur every penalty for preaching, praying and administering the Sacrament, which he could incur were he guilty of adultery, drunkenness, profane swearing, or other outrageous and abominable conduct... It will be observed that this decision has no reference whatever to any real or supposed want of religious instruction in the parish...
e existing chapel on Downshire Hill may perish with the dry rot – may be turned into... a Ballroom, a Theatre or a Gambling House, but according to existing law, it can never be opened as a place of worship for the Church of England, until the Incumbent of the parish gives consent."
The decision of the court prevailed, with the church closing until 1835. The church's name remained infamous in ecclesiastical circles for some years following.
[Anon., A Short History of St John's, Downshire Hill Hampstead (Welshpool Printing)(1973)] Wilcox remained in the area during this time, apparently devoting his time to educating local children at a St John's Church School which he had founded at his own expense, also on Downshire Hill, before dying in December 1835.
1835–1916
In 1835, an alternative minister was found who was approved of by Dr. White: John Ayre was minister of St John's between 1835 and 1855; he remained the longest-standing minister of St John's for many years after.
In 1862, the copyhold of the church was converted to a freehold, following a payment by the official copyholder at that time.
With the need for increased capacity to accommodate churchgoers, a new parish church in the area was planned. In 1863, St John's was proposed as the new parish church. The proposal was rejected on the grounds that the 900 capacity of the church was too small, although in 1851 1,370 attended a service with a sermon delivered by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
['Hampstead: Churches', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 9: Hampstead, Paddington (1989), pp. 145–152. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=22650 Date accessed: 29 April 2014.] The plot was also considered too small to rebuild a larger church which led to a new parish church being built nearby at Rosslyn Hill named
St. Stephen's, with the then minister of St John's Downshire Hill, Joshua Kirkman, becoming the first vicar of St. Stephen's.
The scholar
Robert Baker Girdlestone
Robert Baker Girdlestone (1836–1923) was an Anglican cleric who ministered at St John's Downshire Hill, Hampstead. He studied at Charterhouse, London, and Christ Church, Oxford, and was first principal of Wycliffe Hall, Oxford. A Hebrew schola ...
was minister of St John's from 1889 to 1903.
1916–present
In 1916, following financial difficulties during the First World War, the freehold was bought by Mr Albert Leslie Wright, the son of Rev. Henry Wright who had been the minister 1872–1880. Leslie Wright then leased the church back to the congregation for a nominal rent. In his will he directed that trustees "postpone the sale of the said chapel so long as there is sufficient congregation",
with the choice of trustees (
CPAS) ensuring that the church would continue along evangelical lines following his death. Leslie Wright died in 1938, with the church continuing to operate according to these provisions until the freehold of the property was purchased by the congregation from Wright's trustees in 2003.
The church has had strong links to overseas Christian mission, with Rev. Henry Wright beginning an enduring link with the
Church Missionary Society
The Church Mission Society (CMS), formerly known as the Church Missionary Society, is a British mission society working with the Christians around the world. Founded in 1799, CMS has attracted over nine thousand men and women to serve as mission ...
, donations to missionary societies forming the largest item of expenditure annually from the earliest church records (1872) until World War I, and various ministers involved in overseas missionary work, including Douglas Butcher (1957–1960, was Honorary Canon of Cairo cathedral and later returned to the Middle East), Douglas Paterson (1962–1965, later joined the Ruanda Mission) and Kenneth Howell (1972–1979, earlier first Bishop of Chile, Bolivia and Peru).
Tom Watts was licensed as the senior minister of St John's in January 2018.
The chapel stands in the
conservative evangelical
Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being " born again", in which an individual exper ...
tradition, and has passed resolutions rejecting the
leadership
Leadership, both as a research area and as a practical skill, encompasses the ability of an individual, group or organization to "lead", influence or guide other individuals, teams, or entire organizations. The word "leadership" often gets vi ...
and/or
ordination of women. It receives
alternative episcopal oversight
A provincial episcopal visitor (PEV), popularly known as a flying bishop, is a Church of England bishop assigned to minister to many of the clergy, laity and parishes who on grounds of theological conviction, "are unable to receive the ministry of ...
from the
Bishop of Maidstone
The Bishop of Maidstone is an episcopal title used by a suffragan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Canterbury, in the Province of Canterbury, England. The title takes its name after the county town of Maidstone in Kent.
Canterbury suf ...
(currently
Rod Thomas
Rod Thomas (born 11 January 1947) is a Welsh former professional footballer who represented Wales at International level.
During his career Thomas played for Gloucester City, Swindon Town, Derby County, Cardiff City, Gloucester for a second ...
).
Building
The church building is
Grade I listed and has a Regency stuccoed, cream-painted facade. Its notable features include a
Doric Doric may refer to:
* Doric, of or relating to the Dorians of ancient Greece
** Doric Greek, the dialects of the Dorians
* Doric order, a style of ancient Greek architecture
* Doric mode, a synonym of Dorian mode
* Doric dialect (Scotland)
* Doric ...
porch, portico and cupola and a double-staircased vestibule. The main auditorium features a five-bay nave and galleries on three sides.
The church has no recessed chancel, inscribed panels (previously along with a prominent pulpit and small communion table,
although these are no longer present), along with a frieze of biblical text (in gold lettering). The features are characteristic of the emphasis on preaching in
evangelical
Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being " born again", in which an individual expe ...
Anglican churches during the period of initial construction.
The original wooden box pews are still present in the church. The pews were moved to the sides of the church during the renovation of 2003–4.
The east window features an eagle, a symbol of St John and the biblical gospel. There is a Bevington & Sons organ in the west gallery, built in 1873 and installed in 1880. The clock on the front of the building was made in 1823 by John Moore and Son of Clerkenwell.
The building received major renovations in 1896, 1950 (following war damage), 1973, 1982
and 2004, in each case following fundraising appeals. During the 2003-4 renovations, foundations were put in and an undercroft constructed.
[St John's Downshire Hill website. URL: http://www.sjdh.org Date accessed: 29 April 2014.]
St John's: Sole proprietary chapel in the Diocese of London
Although in the 19th century, there were upwards of 50 proprietary chapels in London, St John's Downshire Hill is now the only
proprietary chapel
A proprietary chapel is a chapel that originally belonged to a private person, but with the intention that it would be open to the public, rather than restricted (as with private chapels in the stricter sense) to members of a family or household, o ...
remaining in the present Diocese of London, and one of only a handful in the whole of England.
[A. Pomfret, An ethical evaluation of the historical significance of proprietary chapels (2002), Ph.D. thesis, Potchefstroom, South Africa.] As such, it is effectively financially independent of the Church of England, neither contributing or receiving from Diocese funds. The ongoing running costs, including the costs of employing its full-time staff and the upkeep of the building, are provided entirely by the present congregation.
References and Notes
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint John
Church of England church buildings in the London Borough of Camden
Buildings and structures in Hampstead
Grade I listed churches in London
Churches completed in 1823
Neoclassical architecture in London
Grade I listed buildings in the London Borough of Camden
19th-century Church of England church buildings
Neoclassical church buildings in England