St John's Church or the Church of St John the Evangelist is an active

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the Church (building), 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 com ...

in the town of

Goole Goole is a port town and civil parish on the River Ouse, Yorkshire, River Ouse in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The town's Historic counties of England, historic county is the West Riding of Yorkshire. At the 2021 United Kingdom censu ...

East Riding of Yorkshire The East Riding of Yorkshire, often abbreviated to the East Riding or East Yorkshire, is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and west, S ...

, England. It was built between 1843 and 1848 in the

Gothic Revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an Architectural style, architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half ...

style and has been an active place of worship for

Christians A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the world. The words '' Christ'' and ''C ...

since. The church is located on Church Street, near to the town centre and

port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Hamburg, Manch ...

; it is the main parish church of the town. It is a grade I

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 ...

Early history

For several centuries, Goole was part of the parish of Snaith, and the villagers had to travel to Hook and Airmyn for worship. Although there were mentions of an early chapel in Old Goole, there is no concrete evidence of its existence. The

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 ...

community in Goole had no dedicated place of worship even after the opening of the canal in 1826, and the town's growth began. In contrast, various non-conformist groups had established their services in Goole. The Methodists, Congregationalists, and Primitive Methodists all had their own places of worship. On 6 August 1830, permission was granted to hold Divine Service in a converted warehouse on the south side of Barge Dock, a temporary chapel nicknamed 'The Cathedral.' The need for a dedicated Anglican church in Goole became evident, and plans for a new district church began to take shape.

Construction

The foundation stone for the "new district church of St John the Evangelist" was laid on 28 June 1843. The church was generously supported by the

Aire and Calder Navigation The Aire and Calder Navigation is the River engineering#Canalization of rivers, canalised section of the River Aire, Rivers Aire and River Calder, West Yorkshire, Calder in West Yorkshire, England. The first improvements to the rivers above Kn ...

company, who not only provided the land but also donated a significant sum towards the building's cost. Architects William Hurst and W. B. Moffat designed the church, and Messrs J. and J. Sykes of Leeds undertook its construction. The church, built on cantilever crypts, was consecrated on 25 April 1848. The total cost of the church was £9,160, raised through public subscription.

Notable events and tragedies

In 1855, a fire broke out in the church tower, causing considerable damage, including the destruction of the clock and the

gas lighting Gas lighting is the production of artificial light from combustion of a fuel gas such as methane, propane, butane, acetylene, ethylene, hydrogen, carbon monoxide, coal gas (town gas) or natural gas. The light is produced either directly by ...

system. In 1883, an east window was added. In 1868, the churchyard was closed for burials, except for those with relatives already interred there. In 1889 when Rev. Morton, the new vicar, contracted

typhoid Typhoid fever, also known simply as typhoid, is a disease caused by ''Salmonella enterica'' serotype Typhi bacteria, also called ''Salmonella'' Typhi. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often ther ...

and died due to poor sanitary conditions in Clifton Gardens.

20th century and beyond

Throughout the 20th century, St John's Church continued to be a vital part of Goole's community. The church underwent several renovations and restorations. It celebrated its centenary in April 1948, despite facing challenges in the aftermath of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. The church's restoration work, which began in 1947, included repairing gutters, roofs, plasterwork, and improvements to prevent

carbon monoxide Carbon monoxide (chemical formula CO) is a poisonous, flammable gas that is colorless, odorless, tasteless, and slightly less dense than air. Carbon monoxide consists of one carbon atom and one oxygen atom connected by a triple bond. It is the si ...

fumes from affecting the church. The restoration work cost more than £3,500 and was completed in 1949.

Memorials and historic features

St John's Church is home to various memorials and historic features, including silver wafer boxes, shipping memorials to vessels like SS ''Colne'' and SS ''Merville'', and war memorials to commemorate those who served in the military. The church also contains brass tablets in memory of individuals such as Frank Hind and Dr. Bell, oak panelling honouring churchwardens and sidesmen, and numerous brass tablets and other items that commemorate parishioners and significant figures in the church's history.

References

External links

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Churches completed in 1848 Goole