The Church of St. John the Baptist, Hoxton, usually known as St. John's Hoxton, is an English urban

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of t ...

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

Hoxton Hoxton is an area in the London Borough of Hackney, England. As a part of Shoreditch, it is often considered to be part of the East End – the historic core of wider East London. It was historically in the county of Middlesex until 1889. It l ...

area of

Shoreditch Shoreditch is a district in the East End of London in England, and forms the southern part of the London Borough of Hackney. Neighbouring parts of Tower Hamlets are also perceived as part of the area. In the 16th century, Shoreditch was an imp ...

, within the

London Borough of Hackney London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major se ...

. Nearby is Silicon Roundabout, and also Aske Gardens, named after the parish's major benefactor, City alderman and haberdasher Robert Aske. St John the Baptist, Crondall Street, Hoxton - Ceiling (geograph 2624648)

St John the Baptist, Crondall Street, Hoxton - Ceiling (geograph 2624648)

Architecture

Completed in 1826, St. John's is a Georgian church in the Classical style, and the only one built to the design of Francis Edwards,

Sir John Soane Sir John Soane (; né Soan; 10 September 1753 – 20 January 1837) was an English architect who specialised in the Neoclassical architecture, Neo-Classical style. The son of a bricklayer, he rose to the top of his profession, becoming professo ...

's foremost pupil. The building is a large example of a

Commissioners' church A Commissioners' church, also known as a Waterloo church and Million Act church, is an Anglican church in the United Kingdom built with money voted by Parliament as a result of the Church Building Acts of 1818 and 1824. The 1818 Act supplied ...

, with its original floor plan intact, as well as notable galleries and décor, including a painted ceiling. This was executed in the early 20th century by the architect Joseph Arthur Reeve.

Pipe organ

Built and installed in 1915 by the

firm A company, abbreviated as co., is a legal entity representing an association of people, whether natural, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common purpose and unite to achieve specific, declared ...

of Thomas Sidwell Jones, the

organ Organ may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a part of an organism Musical instruments * Organ (music), a family of keyboard musical instruments characterized by sustained tone ** Electronic organ, an electronic keyboard instrument ** Hammond ...

is situated in the choir gallery and retains its original late Georgian wooden case with an elaborate façade displaying the arms of King William IV. Last restored in 1934 by Henry Speechly & Son, St John's

is voiced with the following stops:

Parish history

Dedicated to St. John the Baptist, its name preserves the memory of a local

priory A priory is a monastery of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or nuns (such as the Dominicans, Augustinians, Franciscans, and Carmelites), or monasteries of ...

dissolved by King Henry VIII. In Victorian London the

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or ...

's work was recognised by social campaigners, such as the philanthropist Charles Booth, for its welfare work in a deteriorating inner-city environment. To give opportunities to the "local poor", the first vicar founded what became London's largest savings bank and St John's National Schools which still thrive. Many members of the church became

missionaries A missionary is a member of a religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Mi ...

in Africa and Asia, among them the first Bishop of Chota Nagpur, the Rt Revd Jabez Cornelius Whiteley, whose father was Chaplain to the Haberdashers' Aske's Hospital School formerly located in Pitfield Street. Robert Aske's legacy still benefits the parish and associated primary school, while Haberdasher Street like Aske Gardens, remain in the memory of his original generosity. New Britain Southern Harmony Amazing Grace

New Britain Southern Harmony Amazing Grace

One of the 18th-century residents of

Hoxton Square Hoxton Square is a public garden square in the Hoxton area of Shoreditch in the London Borough of Hackney. Laid out in 1683, it is thought to be one of the oldest in London. Since the 1990s it has been at the heart of the Hoxton national (digit ...

, the

Revd The Reverend is an honorific style most often placed before the names of Christian clergy and ministers. There are sometimes differences in the way the style is used in different countries and church traditions. ''The Reverend'' is correctly ...

John Newton John Newton (; – 21 December 1807) was an English evangelical Anglican cleric and slavery abolitionist. He had previously been a captain of slave ships and an investor in the slave trade. He served as a sailor in the Royal Navy (after forc ...

, composed the popular

hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn ...

Amazing Grace "Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn published in 1779 with words written in 1772 by English Anglican clergyman and poet John Newton (1725–1807). It is an immensely popular hymn, particularly in the United States, where it is used for both ...

Mary Wollstonecraft Mary Wollstonecraft (, ; 27 April 1759 – 10 September 1797) was a British writer, philosopher, and advocate of women's rights. Until the late 20th century, Wollstonecraft's life, which encompassed several unconventional personal relationsh ...

(1759–97), the writer and philosopher, was born in Hoxton. John Mander, an organ builder, lived at Hoxton and one of his sons, Noel Mander, founded Mander Organs. The maternal great-great-great-grandfather of Kate Middleton (now the

Duchess of Cambridge Duke of Cambridge, one of several current royal dukedoms in the United Kingdom , is a hereditary title of specific rank of nobility in the British royal family. The title (named after the city of Cambridge in England) is heritable by male de ...

), John Goldsmith, was married to Esther Jones at St John's Church in 1850.New England Historic Genealogical Society
/ref> The present

vicar A vicar (; Latin: '' vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English pre ...

is the Revd Graham Hunter.

References

External links

St. John's Hoxton official website

www.haberdashers.co.uk

www.npor.org.uk

www.londongardensonline.org.uk

Notes

www.hackney.gov.uk/hackney-museum

Air Cadets, Squadron 444: ATC HQ, Crondall Place, Crondall St, Hoxton N1

East of London Family History Society

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint John the Baptist, Hoxton Buildings and structures in the London Borough of Hackney Church of England church buildings in the London Borough of Hackney Parks and open spaces in the London Borough of Hackney Churches completed in 1826 1826 establishments in England 19th-century Church of England church buildings Commissioners' church buildings Diocese of London Grade II* listed buildings in the London Borough of Hackney Grade II* listed churches in London Georgian architecture in London Greek Revival church buildings in the United Kingdom Neoclassical architecture in London Regency London Holy Trinity Brompton plants Regency architecture in London Hoxton Neoclassical church buildings in England

Architecture

Pipe organ

Parish history

See also

References

External links

Notes

External links