Church of St John the Baptist, Wellington

The Church of St John the Baptist in Wellington, Somerset, England, dates from the 15th century and has been designated as a Grade I listed building.[1]

Church of St John the Baptist
Location within Somerset
General information
Town or cityWellington
CountryEngland
Coordinates50.9788°N 3.2288°W / 50.9788; -3.2288
Completed15th century

A church on the site was previously dedicated to St Mary the Virgin.[2]

The tower was built around 1510.[3]

The Reredos from St John's Wellington at the Museum of Somerset in Taunton Castle

The current organ was rebuilt in 1997. It replaced one first installed around 1700. The church was restored several times during the 19th century. The carving of the centre mullion of the east window of the Lady chapel is a Lily crucifix,[4] a rare symbol of Anglican churches in England depicting Christ crucified on a lily, or holding such a plant.[5]

The church includes a monument to John Popham,[6] who died in 1607[7] having been Speaker of the House of Commons, Attorney General and Lord Chief Justice of England. It also has the first epitaph written in English, on the tomb of Richard of Wellington a 14th-century priest. Previously they had always been written in Latin.[5]

It is part of the Wellington and District Team Ministry within the Diocese of Bath and Wells.[8]

See also

References
  1. "Church of St John the Baptist". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 2007-10-15.
  2. "Wellington's History". Wellington Town Council. Archived from the original on 4 August 2009. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
  3. Poyntz Wright, Peter (1981). The Parish Church Towers of Somerset, Their construction, craftsmanship and chronology 1350 - 1550. Avebury Publishing Company. ISBN 0-86127-502-0.
  4. "St John the Baptist, Wellington". Wellington and District Team Ministry. Retrieved 1 September 2011.
  5. Byford, Enid (1987). Somerset Curiosities. Dovecote Press. p. 93. ISBN 0946159483.
  6. Leete-Hodge, Lornie (1985). Curiosities of Somerset. Bodmin: Bossiney Books. p. 67. ISBN 0-906456-98-3.
  7. "thePeerage.com Person Page 19580" (genealogy), Darryl Lundy, thePeerage.com, Wellington, NZ, 2006-09-16, webpage: TPcom-19580.
  8. "St John the Baptist, Wellington". The Church of England. Retrieved 1 September 2011.
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