St John's Church
St John's Church, also known as the Church of St John the Baptist, is a 19th century Anglican church, located in Fortuneswell village. It was built in 1839-40 and has been Grade II Listed since January 1951. The churchyard walls, gate piers, railings, and steps also became Grade II Listed in September 1978, as did two headstone monuments, about 5 metres north east from the church's tower. St John's remains active to date as part of the Portland Parish, which also includes All Saints and St Andrew's.
History
St John's Church was built as a daughter church to St George's at Reforne, which had been completed in 1764 to replace Portland's original parish church, St Andrew's. By the 1830s, St George's was no longer able to comfortably accommodate the increasing population on the island and it was decided in 1837 that a new church should be built to serve the residents of Underhill. A plot within Fortuneswell was soon purchased for a cost of £200 and plans for the church drawn up by Mr. Edward Mondey of Dorchester.
The foundation stone was laid by Portland's governor Captain Charles August Manning on 1 July 1839. The day began with a service at St George's, followed by the Weymouth band leading a procession down to the Fortuneswell site. Children of the local Sunday School sang a hymn before the stone was laid, while afterwards Rev. D. Hogarth read a prayer and speeches were made by Captain Manning and Rev. Jenocer. The day was recorded as being "remarkably fine, which drew a great number of visitors to the island, who, as well as the inhabitants, will long remember with delight the proceedings of the day."
The builder, Mr. John Hancock of Weymouth, completed the church in 1840 for a cost of £2,115. The money was raised by public subscription, grants from the Incorporated and Diocesan Societies, a donation of £300 from Queen Victoria and a sum from funds bequeathed by Mrs. Catherine Elizabeth Haymen "for the benefit of the Church of England".
Rt. Rev. Edward Denison, the Bishop of Salisbury, consecrated the church on 12 September 1840. The day was described by the Sherborne Mercury as "an unusual scene of bustle and activity" with "visitors pour[ing] into the island; and during the day the Chesil bank was studded with every species of vehicle which Weymouth and its neighbourhood could afford." Some visitors arrived to the island on-board the revenue tender Petrel, which had been made available by Captain Dobson for those journeying to witness the consecration. Over 800 people were admitted into the church on the day.
From the mid-19th century, Portland saw large increases to its population as a result of the transformation of Portland Roads into a harbour of refuge, along with the various government works linked to it and the Royal Navy's increasing presence there. Marking the beginning of Portland's transformation into an urban area, Fortuneswell dramatically changed during this time. To address the increasing educational needs on the island, St John's National School was established in Fortuneswell as a Church of England school during the 1840s. The original school was soon replaced with larger premises, opened in 1857, which had the capacity to accommodate 500 children. St George's National School was also established in Reforne to serve Tophill at the same time.
Eight years later, in 1865, Underhill was declared a separate parish from Tophill, with St John's becoming Underhill's parish church. Enlargement and renovation work followed in 1876-77, which included the building of a chancel and organ chamber by Mr George Crickmay. Queen Victoria contributed £50 towards the work and the church re-opened in April 1877. In 1901, a new parish hall associated with the church was built and opened at the northern end of Ventnor Road.
Although St John's escaped major harm during World War II, two German air raids of 1940 saw much damage to the vicarage and St John's School. The vicarage suffered a hit in August, while Rev G. D. Whitaker was holding a service at the church. He returned to the residence immediately after the raid to find his family had survived by taking refuge under the stairs, but a large section of the house was left in ruins. 38 Queens Road became the reverend's temporary residence until repairs could be made. A month later, in September, St John's School suffered such extensive damage that it had to be permanently closed. The remains were later sold by auction in 1951 and the site went on to be developed into St John's Close.
After the Allied victory of the war, the 14th Port Regiment of the US Army, which had been involved in D-Day support operations, presented its Stars and Stripes to St John's as a memento of its close association with the people of Portland, both service and civilian. The colours are still displayed on the church wall today.
Design
St John's is built of Portland stone in the Early English style, with slate and tile roofs. It was designed to accommodate 616 worshippers, with 396 free sittings. The church is made up of a seven-bay unaisled nave, chancel, vestry and three-stage tower at the west end. The chancel and its organ chamber was built in 1876-77 and the vestry during the 20th century. As the chosen site for the building was naturally steep, a platform was cut into the hillside and the church was built on a north-west to south-east axis.
The church's hexagonal font was gifted by Captain Manning and the communion table by Rev. H. P. Ward. In 1969, a large Willis Organ of 1896 was purchased from St Paul's School in West Kensington for £2,000 and installed in the nave's west gallery. By the 21st century, the organ was in need of repair and was sold in 2013 to the church Our Lady of Loreto in Għajnsielem, Gozo, Malta.
The Grade II Listed churchyard boundary walls, gate piers, railings, and steps are made of Portland ashlar, wrought and cast-iron. The two Grade II Listed headstone monuments, located about 5 metres north east from the church tower are of mid-19th century origins, and set very close together. Built of Portland Stone, both have inscriptions that are now barely decipherable, with one still recognisable with the name John Green.
In 1840, the Sherborne Mercury described the church as a "plain but elegant structure". In their list entry, Historic England recorded that the church is of a "simple dignity, reflecting minimal outlay by the Commissioners, but provides an important accent in the street".
References
The following is an A-Z list of references for this page. The primary sources are in italics.
1) A Church Near You - The Church of England - St John the Baptist, Portland - website page
2) Ancestry.com - Genealogy - Portland Churches, Buildings and Views - St. John's the Baptist Church - Paul Benyon - website page
3) Ancestry.com - Genealogy - Portland Year Book 1905 - Portland's Population - Paul Benyon - website page
4) Ancestry.com - Genealogy - Portland Year Book 1905 - The Schools on The Isle of Portland - Paul Benyon - website page
5) Do You Remember? - Portland's War - Part 1 - Sept. 1939 to Sept. 1940 - An Island Time Publication - Amusement World - book
6) Do You Remember? - Portland's War - Part 2 - Sept. 1940 to Sept. 1941 - An Island Time Publication - Amusement World - book
7) Dorset for You - Appraisal of the Conservation Areas of Portland - PDF document
8) Exploring Portland - Fortuneswell North - Geoff Kirby - website page
9) Historic England - The National Heritage List for England - Church of St John - website page
10) Historic England - The National Heritage List for England - Churchyard Walls and Piers to Church of St John - website page
11) Historic England - The National Heritage List for England - Two Monuments Approximately 5 Metres North East from West Tower of Church of St John - website page
12) Military Dorset Today: Second World War Scenes and Settings That Can Still Be Seen 50 Years On - Colin A. Pomeroy - Silver Link Publishing Ltd. - 1995 - ISBN: 978-1857940770 - page 143 - book
13) Portland Encyclopaedia - Rodney Legg - Dorset Publishing Company - 1999 - ISBN: 978-0948699566 - page 133 - book
14) Portland Picture Archive - World War 2 - Geoff Kirby - website page
15) Portland: A Topographical and Historical Gazetteer - Roy Mackenzie - 1999 - page 35 - book
16) Strolling Guides - Church Ope Cove and St Andrew's Church - website page
17) The British Newspaper Archive - various contemporary newspaper articles - website page
18) Weymouth and Portland at War - Maureen Attwooll, Denise Harrison - Dovecote Press - 1993 - ISBN: 978-1874336167 - page 93 - book
History
St John's Church was built as a daughter church to St George's at Reforne, which had been completed in 1764 to replace Portland's original parish church, St Andrew's. By the 1830s, St George's was no longer able to comfortably accommodate the increasing population on the island and it was decided in 1837 that a new church should be built to serve the residents of Underhill. A plot within Fortuneswell was soon purchased for a cost of £200 and plans for the church drawn up by Mr. Edward Mondey of Dorchester.
The foundation stone was laid by Portland's governor Captain Charles August Manning on 1 July 1839. The day began with a service at St George's, followed by the Weymouth band leading a procession down to the Fortuneswell site. Children of the local Sunday School sang a hymn before the stone was laid, while afterwards Rev. D. Hogarth read a prayer and speeches were made by Captain Manning and Rev. Jenocer. The day was recorded as being "remarkably fine, which drew a great number of visitors to the island, who, as well as the inhabitants, will long remember with delight the proceedings of the day."
The builder, Mr. John Hancock of Weymouth, completed the church in 1840 for a cost of £2,115. The money was raised by public subscription, grants from the Incorporated and Diocesan Societies, a donation of £300 from Queen Victoria and a sum from funds bequeathed by Mrs. Catherine Elizabeth Haymen "for the benefit of the Church of England".
Rt. Rev. Edward Denison, the Bishop of Salisbury, consecrated the church on 12 September 1840. The day was described by the Sherborne Mercury as "an unusual scene of bustle and activity" with "visitors pour[ing] into the island; and during the day the Chesil bank was studded with every species of vehicle which Weymouth and its neighbourhood could afford." Some visitors arrived to the island on-board the revenue tender Petrel, which had been made available by Captain Dobson for those journeying to witness the consecration. Over 800 people were admitted into the church on the day.
From the mid-19th century, Portland saw large increases to its population as a result of the transformation of Portland Roads into a harbour of refuge, along with the various government works linked to it and the Royal Navy's increasing presence there. Marking the beginning of Portland's transformation into an urban area, Fortuneswell dramatically changed during this time. To address the increasing educational needs on the island, St John's National School was established in Fortuneswell as a Church of England school during the 1840s. The original school was soon replaced with larger premises, opened in 1857, which had the capacity to accommodate 500 children. St George's National School was also established in Reforne to serve Tophill at the same time.
Eight years later, in 1865, Underhill was declared a separate parish from Tophill, with St John's becoming Underhill's parish church. Enlargement and renovation work followed in 1876-77, which included the building of a chancel and organ chamber by Mr George Crickmay. Queen Victoria contributed £50 towards the work and the church re-opened in April 1877. In 1901, a new parish hall associated with the church was built and opened at the northern end of Ventnor Road.
Although St John's escaped major harm during World War II, two German air raids of 1940 saw much damage to the vicarage and St John's School. The vicarage suffered a hit in August, while Rev G. D. Whitaker was holding a service at the church. He returned to the residence immediately after the raid to find his family had survived by taking refuge under the stairs, but a large section of the house was left in ruins. 38 Queens Road became the reverend's temporary residence until repairs could be made. A month later, in September, St John's School suffered such extensive damage that it had to be permanently closed. The remains were later sold by auction in 1951 and the site went on to be developed into St John's Close.
After the Allied victory of the war, the 14th Port Regiment of the US Army, which had been involved in D-Day support operations, presented its Stars and Stripes to St John's as a memento of its close association with the people of Portland, both service and civilian. The colours are still displayed on the church wall today.
Design
St John's is built of Portland stone in the Early English style, with slate and tile roofs. It was designed to accommodate 616 worshippers, with 396 free sittings. The church is made up of a seven-bay unaisled nave, chancel, vestry and three-stage tower at the west end. The chancel and its organ chamber was built in 1876-77 and the vestry during the 20th century. As the chosen site for the building was naturally steep, a platform was cut into the hillside and the church was built on a north-west to south-east axis.
The church's hexagonal font was gifted by Captain Manning and the communion table by Rev. H. P. Ward. In 1969, a large Willis Organ of 1896 was purchased from St Paul's School in West Kensington for £2,000 and installed in the nave's west gallery. By the 21st century, the organ was in need of repair and was sold in 2013 to the church Our Lady of Loreto in Għajnsielem, Gozo, Malta.
The Grade II Listed churchyard boundary walls, gate piers, railings, and steps are made of Portland ashlar, wrought and cast-iron. The two Grade II Listed headstone monuments, located about 5 metres north east from the church tower are of mid-19th century origins, and set very close together. Built of Portland Stone, both have inscriptions that are now barely decipherable, with one still recognisable with the name John Green.
In 1840, the Sherborne Mercury described the church as a "plain but elegant structure". In their list entry, Historic England recorded that the church is of a "simple dignity, reflecting minimal outlay by the Commissioners, but provides an important accent in the street".
References
The following is an A-Z list of references for this page. The primary sources are in italics.
1) A Church Near You - The Church of England - St John the Baptist, Portland - website page
2) Ancestry.com - Genealogy - Portland Churches, Buildings and Views - St. John's the Baptist Church - Paul Benyon - website page
3) Ancestry.com - Genealogy - Portland Year Book 1905 - Portland's Population - Paul Benyon - website page
4) Ancestry.com - Genealogy - Portland Year Book 1905 - The Schools on The Isle of Portland - Paul Benyon - website page
5) Do You Remember? - Portland's War - Part 1 - Sept. 1939 to Sept. 1940 - An Island Time Publication - Amusement World - book
6) Do You Remember? - Portland's War - Part 2 - Sept. 1940 to Sept. 1941 - An Island Time Publication - Amusement World - book
7) Dorset for You - Appraisal of the Conservation Areas of Portland - PDF document
8) Exploring Portland - Fortuneswell North - Geoff Kirby - website page
9) Historic England - The National Heritage List for England - Church of St John - website page
10) Historic England - The National Heritage List for England - Churchyard Walls and Piers to Church of St John - website page
11) Historic England - The National Heritage List for England - Two Monuments Approximately 5 Metres North East from West Tower of Church of St John - website page
12) Military Dorset Today: Second World War Scenes and Settings That Can Still Be Seen 50 Years On - Colin A. Pomeroy - Silver Link Publishing Ltd. - 1995 - ISBN: 978-1857940770 - page 143 - book
13) Portland Encyclopaedia - Rodney Legg - Dorset Publishing Company - 1999 - ISBN: 978-0948699566 - page 133 - book
14) Portland Picture Archive - World War 2 - Geoff Kirby - website page
15) Portland: A Topographical and Historical Gazetteer - Roy Mackenzie - 1999 - page 35 - book
16) Strolling Guides - Church Ope Cove and St Andrew's Church - website page
17) The British Newspaper Archive - various contemporary newspaper articles - website page
18) Weymouth and Portland at War - Maureen Attwooll, Denise Harrison - Dovecote Press - 1993 - ISBN: 978-1874336167 - page 93 - book
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