History Of St John's

The Church’s Past

St John’s has a varied and interesting history. Here is a summary of the major events that have taken place over the years. This may give you some insight into how the church building, as we know it today, has been shaped.

A Long And Eventful History

St John’s has been a part of the community since 1860 and it continues to play an important role. There have been occasions over the years where an important development or unexpected occurrence has happened for the church and its parishioners. This is a brief history of key events.

July 1858

Group meets at The King’s Head Hotel in Newport

A small group of people decided to build a church in the Parish of Maindee, Newport. Building began in 1859.

July 1858

17 April 1860

St John’s the Evangelist Church Opens

It cost £200 to buy the land, £2000 to build the church and £300 for the tower. The main architect of the building was Mr Seddon whose name was quite well known among church devotees. The church opened on Tuesday 17th April 1860 with a service led by the Bishop of Llandaff. The first vicar was the Rev. James Newman who came from Brecon.

July 1858

1861

The Bell Tower

The church bell was installed in the bell tower marking the completion of work on the church.

July 1858

1949

War Damage Repaired

The stained glass windows at the east end of the church were damaged during bombing in the Second World War and were taken away for repair.

July 1858

12 November 1949

A Serious Fire

On the 12th of November, a serious fire started and much of the inside of the building was destroyed. It cost £50,000 and took nearly three years to repair the damage caused by the fire. The windows at the east end of the church are the original ones that were away being repaired at the time of the fire.

July 1858