St Mary le Port is a ruined

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 centre of

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, city, Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Glouces ...

, England, situated in Castle Park on what remains of Mary le Port Street.

History

St Mary le Port is said to have been founded in

Saxon The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic * * * * peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the Nor ...

times after Anglo-Saxon foundations were found during archaeological excavationsM Q Smith, The Medieval Churches of Bristol, University of Bristol (Bristol branch of the Historical Association), 1970, p. 4. and Saxon pottery was found nearby.Bristol in the Early Middle Ages, University of Bristol (Bristol branch of the Historical Association), 1971, p6. The church was rebuilt and enlarged between the 11th and 16th centuries. During the 19th and early 20th centuries the church was a very popular centre of

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 ...

Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

, and

Calvinist Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John C ...

teaching within Anglicanism. The church was bombed in the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

on 24 November 1940 during the

Bristol Blitz The Bristol Blitz was the heavy bombing of Bristol, England by the Nazi German ''Luftwaffe'' during the Second World War. Due to the presence of Bristol Harbour and the Bristol Aeroplane Company, the city was a target for bombing and was easil ...

. John Piper painted an evocative picture of the bombed St Mary le Port. This image appears on the 1/6d British

commemorative stamp A commemorative stamp is a postage stamp, often issued on a significant date such as an anniversary, to honor or commemorate a place, event, person, or object. The ''subject'' of the commemorative stamp is usually spelled out in print, unlike defi ...

, part of a set of four paintings by British artists issued in 1968. All that remains of the church is the 15th-century tower, a Grade II

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern I ...

, and a

Scheduled Ancient Monument In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change. The various pieces of legislation that legally protect heritage assets from damage and d ...

which during the latter years of the 20th century was surrounded by the incongruous modernist buildings of

Norwich Union Norwich Union was the name of insurance company Aviva's British arm before June 2009. It was originally established in 1797. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. On 29 April 2008, Aviva ...

and the

Bank of England The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based. Established in 1694 to act as the English Government's banker, and still one of the bankers for the Government o ...

, which by the 2020s were both empty and had become semi-derelict eyesores, with further redevelopment proposed. After the bombing in 1940 the congregation and their rector, William Dodgson-Sykes, moved to St John on the Wall Church, where the congregation remained, in gradually declining numbers, till this church building was closed for worship by the

Church Commissioners The Church Commissioners is a body which administers the property assets of the Church of England. It was established in 1948 and combined the assets of Queen Anne's Bounty, a fund dating from 1704 for the relief of poor clergy, and of the Ecc ...

in 1984 (after a protracted struggle by the congregation). The remaining congregation then moved to the Chapel of Foster's Almshouses, and joined the

Church of England (Continuing) The Church of England (Continuing) is part of the Continuing Anglican Movement. Although the church was widely discussed in Anglican circles at the time of its founding, it has not achieved significant growth since that time. In 2019 the church h ...

in 1995. The C of E (Continuing) no longer lists a congregation in Bristol; some of the congregation joined with the new Free Presbyterian Church (Ulster) congregation in

Horfield, Bristol Horfield is a suburb of the city of Bristol, in southwest England. It lies on Bristol's northern edge, its border with Filton marking part of the boundary between Bristol and South Gloucestershire. Bishopston lies directly to the south. M ...

Clergy of St Mary-le-Port church

The church's clergy have included: * William Waite, rector, born 1764, died 1842, dates at St Mary le Port unknown * William Tandey, curate 1784–1799 (lived 1750–1832) * James Marshall, rector 1842 – (born 23 February 1796, died 29 August 1855) * Mr Thomas, rector, resigned 1857 * Samuel Abraham Walker, rector 1857–1879 (born Dublin, 1809, died 30 November 1879) (source,

The Gospel Magazine The ''Gospel Magazine'' is a Calvinism, Calvinist, evangelicalism, evangelical Christian magazine from the United Kingdom, and is one of the longest running of such periodicals, having been founded in 1766. Most of the editors have been Anglicani ...

, January, 1880) * James Ormiston, rector 1880 (and as at the 1901 census) (previously at Old Hill, West Midlands; editor of

from 1895 to 1916) * William Dodgson Sykes, rector (as at 1940) (editor of

from 1964 to 1975) :: – son of William Sykes (first President of the Sovereign Grace Union) :: – Principal of the Bible Churchmen's Missionary and Theological College, later part of

Trinity College, Bristol Trinity College, Bristol is an evangelical Anglican theological college located in Stoke Bishop, Bristol, England. It offers a range of full-time and part-time taught undergraduate and postgraduate courses which are validated by the University o ...

:: (

Bible Churchmen's Missionary Society Crosslinks is an evangelical Anglican missionary society, drawing its support mainly from parishes in the Church of England and Church of Ireland. It was known as the Bible Churchmen's Missionary Society (BCMS) until 1992. The BCMS was created a ...

, now

Crosslinks Crosslinks is an evangelical Anglican missionary society, drawing its support mainly from parishes in the Church of England and Church of Ireland. It was known as the Bible Churchmen's Missionary Society (BCMS) until 1992. The BCMS was created as ...

:: – Head of the

Irish Church Missions The Irish Church Missions (ICM) is a conservative and semi-autonomous Anglican mission. It was founded in 1849 as The Irish Church Missions to the Roman Catholics chiefly by English Anglicans though with the backing and support of Church of Irelan ...

References

External links

Details of clergy

"About Bristol" page

Tower of Church of St Mary-le-Port grade II listed from Images of England

BBC article on proposed 2005 development
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bristol, Saint Mary le Port 15th-century church buildings in England Saint Mary le Port Saint Mary le Port Former Church of England church buildings Grade II listed churches in Bristol Saint Mary le Port Ruins of churches destroyed during World War II Saint Mary le Port World War II sites in England Grade II listed ruins

History

Archives

Clergy of St Mary-le-Port church

See also

References

External links