Croydon Minster is the parish and civic church of the

London Borough of Croydon The London Borough of Croydon () is a London borough in south London, part of Outer London. It covers an area of . It is the southernmost borough of London. At its centre is the historic town of Croydon from which the borough takes its name; ...

. There are currently more than 35 churches in the borough, with Croydon Minster being the most prominent. It is

Grade I listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern I ...

. Six

Archbishops of Canterbury The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. The current archbishop is Just ...

are buried in the church:

Edmund Grindal Edmund Grindal ( 15196 July 1583) was Bishop of London, Archbishop of York, and Archbishop of Canterbury during the reign of Elizabeth I. Though born far from the centres of political and religious power, he had risen rapidly in the church dur ...

(d.1583),

John Whitgift John Whitgift (c. 1530 – 29 February 1604) was the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1583 to his death. Noted for his hospitality, he was somewhat ostentatious in his habits, sometimes visiting Canterbury and other towns attended by a retinue of 8 ...

(d.1604),

Gilbert Sheldon Gilbert Sheldon (19 June 1598 – 9 November 1677) was an English religious leader who served as the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1663 until his death. Early life Sheldon was born in Stanton, Staffordshire in the parish of Ellastone, on 19 J ...

(d.1677),

William Wake William Wake (26 January 165724 January 1737) was a priest in the Church of England and Archbishop of Canterbury from 1716 until his death in 1737. Life Wake was born in Blandford Forum, Dorset, and educated at Christ Church, Oxford. He took ...

(d.1737), John Potter (d.1747), and

Thomas Herring Thomas Herring (169323 March 1757) was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1747 to 1757. Early life and education He was the son of John Herring, rector of Walsoken in Norfolk, who had previously been vicar of Foxton, near Cambridge, and his wife, ...

(d.1757).

History

Medieval church

The church was established in the

middle Saxon Middle Low German or Middle Saxon (autonym: ''Sassisch'', i.e. "Saxon", Standard High German: ', Modern Dutch: ') is a developmental stage of Low German. It developed from the Old Saxon language in the Middle Ages and has been documented i ...

period, and is believed to have been a minster church: one which served as a base for a group of clergy living a communal life, who may have taken some pastoral responsibility for the population of the surrounding district. A

charter A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the re ...

issued by King

Coenwulf of Mercia Coenwulf (; also spelled Cenwulf, Kenulf, or Kenwulph; la, Coenulfus) was the King of Mercia from December 796 until his death in 821. He was a descendant of King Pybba, who ruled Mercia in the early 7th century. He succeeded Ecgfrith, the son ...

refers to a council which had taken place close to what is called the ''monasterium'' (meaning minster) of

Croydon Croydon is a large town in south London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a local government district of Greater London. It is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater London, with an exten ...

. An Anglo-Saxon will made in about 960 is witnessed by Elfsies, priest of Croydon; and the church is also mentioned in

Domesday Book Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...

(1086). The earliest clear record of the church's

dedication Dedication is the act of consecrating an altar, temple, church, or other sacred building. Feast of Dedication The Feast of Dedication, today Hanukkah, once also called "Feast of the Maccabees," is a Jewish festival observed for eight days f ...

to St

John the Baptist John the Baptist or , , or , ;Wetterau, Bruce. ''World history''. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 1994. syc, ܝܘܿܚܲܢܵܢ ܡܲܥܡܕ݂ܵܢܵܐ, Yoḥanān Maʿmḏānā; he, יוחנן המטביל, Yohanān HaMatbil; la, Ioannes Bapti ...

is found in the will of John de Croydon, fishmonger, dated 6 December 1347, which includes a bequest to "the church of S. John de Croydon". In its final medieval form, the church was mainly a Perpendicular-style structure of late 14th and early 15th-century date. It still bears the arms of archbishops Courtenay and Chichele, believed to have been its benefactors.

Destruction and rebuilding

The medieval building underwent some restoration in 1851 and 1857–9, under the direction of

George Gilbert Scott Sir George Gilbert Scott (13 July 1811 – 27 March 1878), known as Sir Gilbert Scott, was a prolific English Gothic Revival architect, chiefly associated with the design, building and renovation of churches and cathedrals, although he started ...

. However, on the night of 5 January 1867, a fire broke out – possibly caused by overheating of the poorly positioned flues of recently installed Gurney stoves – which eventually gutted the entire building. It was rebuilt to Scott's designs between 1867 and 1869, incorporating some of the medieval remains (notably the west tower and south porch), and essentially following the medieval plan, while enlarging the building by extending its footprint further east. During the period of rebuilding, services were held in a temporary " iron church", with seating for 700, erected in April 1868 in Scarbrook Road. The church's reconsecration by Archbishop

Archibald Tait Archibald Campbell Tait (21 December 18113 December 1882) was an Archbishop of Canterbury in the Church of England and theologian. He was the first Scottish Archbishop of Canterbury and thus, head of the Church of England. Life Tait was bor ...

took place on 5 January 1870. The church still contains several important monuments and fittings saved from the old building.

Present day

The church was elevated to the status of Croydon Minster (the modern honorific title) on 29 May 2011, the first such change in the diocese of Southwark. Croydon has strong religious links,

Croydon Palace Croydon Palace, in Croydon, now part of south London, was the summer residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury for over 500 years. Regular visitors included Henry III and Queen Elizabeth I. Now known as "Old Palace", the buildings are still in us ...

having been a residence of the

Archbishop of Canterbury The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. The current archbishop is Just ...

from at least the beginning of the 13th century to the beginning of the 19th. The

Bishop of Croydon The Bishop of Croydon is an episcopal title used by an area bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Southwark, in the Province of Canterbury, England. The Croydon Archdeaconry was transferred from Canterbury Diocese to Southwark in 1984. ...

is a position as an area bishop in the

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of t ...

Diocese of Southwark. The current area bishop is Jonathan Clark, who was consecrated on 21 March 2012. Until recently (mid 2016) the vicar was Colin J. Luke Boswell, Vicar of Croydon and Chaplain to the Whitgift Foundation. Croydon Minster today de facto serves as

Whitgift School ("He who perseveres, conquers") , established = , closed = , type = Independent school , religious_affiliation = Church of England , president = , head_label = Head Master , head = Christopher Ramsey , c ...

's chapel. It is also linked to The Minster Schools. The Minster stands in the inclusive liberal catholic

tradition A tradition is a belief or behavior (folk custom) passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examples include holidays or ...

of the Church of England.

Organ

The church has a large four-manual pipe organ, much of which is by

William Hill & Sons William Hill & Son was one of the main organ builders in England during the 19th century. The founder William Hill was born in Spilsby, Lincolnshire in 1789. He married Mary, the daughter of organ-builder Thomas Elliot, on 30 October 1818 i ...

and dates from 1869. There is also a small organ in the St Nicholas Chapel which was obtained from St Mary the Virgin,

Preston Candover Preston Candover is a village and large civil parish in Hampshire, England. It has two churches, only one of which is still in use. Its nearest town is Basingstoke, approximately away. It has an acreage of , which lies on comparatively low groun ...

in 1997.

Organists and Masters of Choristers

Before the fire of 1867 records are incomplete, but include: *

Thomas Attwood Walmisley Thomas Attwood Walmisley (21 January 181417 January 1856) was an English composer and organist. Life and career He was born in London, the son of Thomas Forbes Gerrard Walmisley (1783–1866), a well-known organist and composer of church music ...

1830–1833 * John Pyke Hullah 1837–? After the fire of 1867: *John Rhodes 1857–1868 *Frederick Cambridge 1868–1911 *F. Rowland Tims 1911–1918 *H. Leslie Smith 1918–1948 *Edward Shakespeare 1948–1952 *J. A. Rogans (Hon) 1952–1953 *B. Aldersea 1952–1957 *J. A. Rogans (Hon) 1957–1958 * Derek Holman 1958–1965 *

Roy Massey Roy Massey (born 10 September 1943) is an English former football player, now a coach. Career As a player, Massey played as a centre forward for Rotherham United (1964–67), Leyton Orient (1967–69) and Colchester United (1969–71). He re ...

1965–1968 *Michael Fleming 1968–1978 *David Brookshaw 1978–1980 *

Simon Lole Simon Lole (b 23 December 1957) is well known as a choral director, organist, composer, arranger and broadcaster. He was organist of Barking Parish Church (1978–80), Croydon Parish Church (1980–85), Director of Music at St Mary's Church, Wa ...

1980–1985 *

Carl Jackson Carl Eugene Jackson (born September 18, 1953) is an American country and bluegrass musician. Jackson's first Grammy was awarded in 1992 for his duet album with John Starling titled "Spring Training." In 2003 Jackson produced the Grammy Award-wi ...

1986–1990 *David Swinson 1990–1992 * Peter Nardone 1993–2000 * Nigel McClintock 2000–2007 *

Andrew Cantrill Andrew Cantrill FRSA is a British-born organist and choral director. He has held cathedral positions in New Zealand and the United States, and was organist of the Royal Hospital School, Holbrook, Suffolk until September 2018. He is a Fellow, pri ...

2008–2012 *Tom Little (''Acting'') 2012–2013 *Dr

Ronny Krippner Ronny Krippner is a German-born British organist, conductor, teacher and composer who currently serves as Director of Music at Ripon Cathedral. Early career and education Krippner was born and educated in Marktredwitz, Germany, and studied or ...

2013–2021 *Sophie Garbisu (''Acting'') 2021–2022Appointment of New Director of Music
, Croydon Minster, 12 December 2021. Retrieved 10 January 2022. *Justin Miller 2022– Organists Laureate *

Martin How Martin John Richard How (3 April 1931 – 25 July 2022) was a British composer and organist. Early life and education How was born in Liverpool on 3 April 1931, to the Rev. John How, who at the time was Rector of St. Nicholas Church, and Ju ...

2011–2022 Organists Emeritus * Derek Holman 2011–2019 *

2011–

Bells

The tower houses a ring of 12

bells Bells may refer to: * Bell, a musical instrument Places * Bells, North Carolina * Bells, Tennessee * Bells, Texas * Bells Beach, Victoria, an internationally famous surf beach in Australia * Bells Corners, Ontario Music * Bells, directly st ...

cast by the Croydon firm of

Gillett & Johnston Gillett & Johnston was a clockmaker and bell foundry based in Croydon, England from 1844 until 1957. Between 1844 and 1950, over 14,000 tower clocks were made at the works. The company's most successful and prominent period of activity as a be ...

in 1936, replacing an earlier ring of eight. The eight original bells were recast and hung with new fittings in a new frame with four additional trebles. The new ring of 12 was dedicated by the Bishop of Croydon on 12 December 1936 and the first peal on the new 12 was rung for the

coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The coronation of George VI and his wife, Elizabeth, as King and Queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, and as Emperor and Empress of India took place at Westminster Abbey, London, on Wednesday 12 May ...

in 1937. The tower and ringers are affiliated to the Surrey Association of Church Bell Ringers.

St. Johns Memorial Garden

War Memorial outside Croydon Minster (South Face - 03)

To the south of the Minster is St. Johns Memorial Garden, an area of . Up until 1957 it was a traditional cemetery which was no longer used and had become neglected. Earlier gravestones and tombs were relocated or used for walling or paving and a War Memorial was also repositioned.

Gallery

File:The environs of London- being an historical account of the towns, villages, and hamlets, within twelve miles of that capital interspersed with biographical anecdotes (1792) (14582305858).jpg, The west tower in 1792 File:P1180529 Croydon Minster....07.05.14...jpg, The west tower File:Croydon Minster, altar and East window.jpg, Altar and East window File:Croydon Minster, apse ceiling.jpg, The carved, painted and gilded barrel-vaulted ceiling File:Croydon Minster, John Whitgift monument.jpg, Tomb of John Whitgift File:Croydon Minster, painting Feeding of the Five Thousand.jpg, Feeding of the Five Thousand

References

External links

*
Croydon bell ringers website
{{Churches in Croydon Churches completed in 1870 19th-century Church of England church buildings Rebuilt churches in the United Kingdom Church of England church buildings in the London Borough of Croydon History of the London Borough of Croydon Grade I listed buildings in the London Borough of Croydon Anglican Diocese of Southwark Anglo-Catholic church buildings in the London Borough of Croydon