In 1865 there was an Anglican mission called St Luke's run by the nearby church of St Simon Zelotes,[3] but the current St Barnabas building began life as the Baptist Union Church.[4]
It was built in 1865, to a design by William Wigginton, in a Gothic Revival style, in yellow brick, banded with red and black. The church building, which is not oriented, was built with a broad chancel, nave, west gallery and an octagonal south west tower with a spire.
In 1876 a large brick vicarage was built south of the Roman Road. It was first inhabited by George Barnes, vicar from 1870-1902, President of Sion College in 1887 and rural dean of Spitalfields 1898-1901.[8]
The church was badly damaged by bombing during the Second World War.[9] Following the end of the war the steeple was removed and the church rebuilt, retaining the tower and north and south walls.[9] This remodelling was carried out by J Anthony Lewis of architects Michael Tapper & Lewis, who commissioned the sculptor Don Potter to create "The Four Evangelists" on the outside of the building (c.1957).[10] Potter also created a font in Clipsham stone.[11][12] In 1957 a two-manual electric Jennings organ was installed in the restored church.[13] A plaque in the church states that the restored church was rededicated on 18 June 1957 by the Bishop of London.
St Barnabas National School (formally St Luke's) was based in a Gothic building at the junction of Roman Road and Lanfranc Road. It was founded in 1866 and was also used as a mission church. It closed in 1905 and was converted into a church institute.[15]
Priests of the church
A notice within the church gives the following names and dates of priests of St Barnabas.
1870-1902 George Barnes. Barnes was also president of Sion College (1887) and rural dean of Spitalfields (1898-1901)[16]
1902-1920 Alexander Bassell Winter. Later Winter was chaplain of St Ursula's Church, Bern, Switzerland[17]
1920-1941 Thomas Felix
1942-1945 William Charles Smith
1945-1949 William George Hossack Redmond Parr
1950-1960 George William Saunders
1961-1967 Christopher Dudley Johnson
1967-1972 John Whitmore Griffiths
1973-1975 Arthur Robert Royall. Royall was also rural dean of Poplar (1965-1966), rural dean of Tower Hamlets (1968-76) and prebendary of St Paul's Cathedral London (1973-86)[18]
1975-1976 Michael Harold Champneys
1976-1992 Fredrick Mark Rollinson
1992-1996 John David Marshall Peton
1997-2000 John Arthur Webber
2001–present Brian Charles Ralph
Activities
The PCC of St Barnabas Bethnal Green has been affiliated to the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement since 2006 [19] and is only the second congregation to have affiliated as a body.[20]
^"St Barnabas Bethnal Green, Bow". The Church of England. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
^"Bethnal Green: List of Churches". British History Online. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
^"Bethnal Green: Protestant Nonconformity". Retrieved 7 March 2023.
^"Records of the Victoria Park Baptist Church". The National Archives. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
^An inscription on a cornerstone states that the church was consecrated on 2 July 1870.
^"Bethnal Green: List of Churches". British History Online. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
^"Bethnal Green: List of Churches". British History Online. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
^ a b"Bethnal Green: List of Churches". A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 11: Stepney, Bethnal Green. 1998. pp. 217–26.
^Light, Vivienne (2002). Don Potter: an inspiring century. Brook, New Forest, Hampshire: Canterton Books. p. 166, note 9: 'Don received several London commissions from the architect, Anthony Lewis.'. ISBN 0-9541627-1-4.
^"Living Britain: How Britain's towns and cities are undergoing cultural revival" (PDF). Zurich. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 March 2012. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
External links
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