St John's Church, Wapping
History
| Act of Parliament | |
 | |
| Long title | An Act for erecting a new Parish, to be called the Parish of St. John of Wapping, in the County of Middl'x. |
|---|---|
| Citation | 5 & 6 Will. & Mar. c. 20 |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 16 April 1694 |
St John's Church was originally built as a chapel-of-ease to Whitechapel in 1615-17 and became the parish church when Wapping was constituted as a separate parish in 1694. This makes it the oldest church in Wapping. The present remains date to 1756, when the church was rebuilt by Joel Johnson, who had trained as a carpenter. The church was bombed in WWII, with only a fragmentary rectangular shell remaining. The tower was restored in 1964 by the London County Council and the remainder converted into flats in the 1990s.
Further traces of the 18th century neighbourhood remain nearby. Opposite, the former churchyard abuts the former dock wall. It was made into a public park in 1951, but still contains chest tombs to the Staple children, c. 1730, and to John Robinson, c. 1750. Adjoining the church is St John's Old School, founded c. 1695 for the new parish and rebuilt together with the church in 1756.
Architecture
The tower has a continental-looking lead top and, above the clock stage, a concave receding stage and then a Baroque cupola. The new outer walls are brick with quoins.
Current use
Starting in July 2023, there have been regular services in the chapel at the base of the bell tower.
Popular culture
St John's Church features in Season 4, Episode 23 of Friends, "The One with Ross's Wedding". In that episode, Ross, Monica, and Emily approach a dilapidated church, where Ross and Emily are meant to be married, but are shocked to find that it is a building site, with the church in the process of being demolished. The exterior of St John's Church is visible in the scene, although it is unlikely that the subsequent wedding was filmed onsite.
References
- ^ "St John's Church".
- ^ Holmes, Isabella M. (1896). The London Burial Grounds.
- ^ Tames, Richard (2013). The East End. Historical Publications. p. 172. ISBN 9781905286355.
- ^ Leigh, Martha (2008). Memories of Wapping. The History Press. p. 116. ISBN 9780752447094.
- ^ Cherry, O'Brien and Pevsner (2005). London 5: East. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. p. 508. ISBN 9780300107012.
- ^ Cherry, O'Brien, Pevsner (2005). London 5: East. Yale University Press. p. 509. ISBN 9780300107012.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Where is Friends filmed?".