The History of St John's Church

"Due to the major increase in population during the first half of the nineteenth century, over 1,700 new churches were built in England and Wales. The need to build a church in the new parish of St. John the Evangelist in Lock’s Fields, Newington (formerly the home of the Lock Hospital) was acknowledged by the church authorities and building started in 1859. The church was built on farmland complete with a cow-shed and surrounded by fields and small gardens. Appeals for voluntary donations for the building of St John’s – catering for a population of 10,000 people – commenced in June 1858. Under the direction of local architect Henry Jarvis, the building of the church was completed in just over a year and the church was consecrated by the Bishop of London on 28th June 1860. It was built in the Early English style of architecture, with an organ and an impressive nave which was 75’ long and 55’ high. The first vicar was the Reverend George T. Cotham. Rev. Arthur Jephson succeeded Rev. Cotham as St. John’s vicar in 1893 and was to hold this post for 15 years. Within a year of commencing his duties at St John’s there was a steady increase of communicants. Rev. Jephson had made clear from the outset of his parish duties that it was his desire to serve all the people of the area. On account of his ‘penny’ weddings, development of the Institute and his fostering of ‘muscular Christianity’ – the encouragement of young men in to participating in sports arranged by church officials, rather than being tempted into spending their leisure time in local pubs and music-halls. With the huge late-Victorian increase in both school and parish populations, it became imperative for church and school authorities to look elsewhere for available recreational space.  A newly constructed building, less than two minutes’ walk from the school, was due to be opened in 1900. This three-storey building, to be known as the Bedford Institute, had gym facilities as well as a large meeting-hall and would soon be fully used for gymnastics, cycling, weight-lifting, football, cricket and a host of other sports. The new building gave Rev. Jephson and his colleagues the opportunity to expand the facilities on offer for Walworth youngsters. It also provided a base for lectures, concerts, and dances, resulting in the Institute quickly gaining a reputation for being an invaluable multi-purpose community centre." - Alan F.Parkinson,' St John's School, Walworth',  (2015).

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