Yeovil's Virtual Museum

St John's Church Restorations

Restoring St John's church

 

Early restoration work

From the time of Robert de Sambourne onwards, it was usual for Yeovilians to bequeath money, property rents, etc. in their wills to be used for the maintenance of St John's church fabric.

However, it was during the 18th century and into the 19th, as the population of Yeovil increased dramatically, that much modification and restoration work was carried out and recorded in the Churchwardens' Accounts. In 1753, two galleries were taken down that had only been constructed in 1705. The cost was in excess of £21 (about £3,500 at today's value) and at the same time a ringing loft was created for £14. In 1784, the church was ceiled at a cost of £87 15s 2d (some £11,500 at today's value) and three years later, in 1787, the church was paved at a cost of £8 3s 10d.

In 1819, new galleries were built to accommodate the ever growing population of the town. These took up the whole of the north and south aisles, the choir aisles, and the tower. The galleries in the choir were reached “by two flights of stone steps, outside the building”, these were later removed and “two hideous-looking corkscrew wooden staircases were erected inside the church”. The body of the church was also re-pewed in 1837-8 with large, high-backed box pews “lined with faded green baize”. Their installation damaged the bases of all the arcade piers, except for one - which became the pattern for the repairs to be carried out in the 1859-60 restoration (see next section). This later restoration also removed the reredos, which, incompatible with the general architectural style of the building had been previously installed and partially blocked the east window.

 

The Victorian Restoration

By the 19th century, with two hundred years of accumulated neglect, St John's church was showing distinct signs of wear. With their newly found religious zeal, combined with a population explosion brought about by the expansion of Yeovil’s gloving and associated industries, the Victorians set about a phase of renovation.

Plans for the renovation were brought before the Vestry, at a meeting in April 1859, by Yeovil solicitor and financier, Thomas Lyon. The desire was two-fold; firstly to restore and renovate the church and also "introducing for the first time the principle that as large a space as possible should be devoted to the poor". Additionally, "the galleries would be removed, the piers scraped, the walls plastered; and the new pews would not be high-backed, but bench pews... they would be comfortable, substantial and elegant. Open benches would be placed in the space connecting the two transepts; and these would also be appropriated to the poor; and, while all the space open for worship would thus be occupied on a Sunday, when, on any particular occasion, large space was necessary around the communion, these benches could be removed, so as to admit the congregation or clergy assembling before the rails."

St John's church was closed on 14 February 1859 "for the purpose of making most extensive repairs and important restorations in the interior". The church reopened on 8 February 1860 "with prayers, sacred songs, sermons and alms-giving, as well as with a generous and open-house hospitality, bell-ringing and mutual congratulations."

On the reopening of the church, Pulman's Weekly News, in its edition of 14 February 1860, decried what it called "the churchwarden style" that had gone before and applauded the new renovations; "Its fine oak roof was elaborately concealed by whitewash. Its graceful and beautifully moulded piers were carefully smeared with ochre. Heavy galleries filled the aisles, and blocked the building, and hid its beauties. Cumbrous pews monopolised for a comparatively small number of the parishioners the space so much of which ought to be appropriated for the humbler worshippers whose limited means precluded them from indulging in the luxury of a baize-lined seat... The work of renovation was entrusted to Mr Shout, and he has executed his task in a manner which reflects the highest credit upon his professional abilities.

The pews and galleries have been removed, and the floor is filled with neat oak benches many of which are beautifully adorned with the carver's art. Today, several  bench-ends towards the rear of the church are carved with the word “Free” above a red-painted number in a shield (in this case, at left, a faded ‘31’), intended for those in the congregation who couldn’t afford to pay pew rents.

For the old stone floor are substituted encaustic tiles, and the old incongruous Corinthian altar-piece has given place to a handsome Ham-stone reredos. The organ, which was originally crammed into a gallery, now stands on the ground floor of the tower... The oak roof - a circular one on the nave and a lean-to in the aisles - is thrown open. The piers have been denuded of the tasteless colouring with which they were bedaubed. And in the south aisle the windows, once so badly glazed, are filled with painted glass."

 

 

 

From my collection

A photograph of the newly-restored St John's church, taken in 1864 by John Chaffi - just a couple of years after the renovation was completed.

 

This photograph features in my book 'The Church of St John the Baptist, Yeovil - a History and Guide'.

The church interior that we see today, owes much to the Victorian restoration - the exposed roof, the stonework devoid of old paint, the galleries removed, painted windows and neat rows of bench seating.  All contributing to give the church its wonderful open and airy appearance.