Stoke Minster is the Minster church of St Peter ad Vincula and main church in

Stoke-upon-Trent Stoke-upon-Trent, also known as Stoke, is one of the six towns that along with Hanley, Staffordshire, Hanley, Burslem, Fenton, Staffordshire, Fenton, Longton, Staffordshire, Longton and Tunstall, Staffordshire, Tunstall form the city of Stoke-o ...

Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation ''Staffs''.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It borders Cheshire to the north-west, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, ...

, England. It is now the main church of the wider city of

Stoke-on-Trent Stoke-on-Trent (often abbreviated to Stoke) is a city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Staffordshire, England. It has an estimated population of 259,965 as of 2022, making it the largest settlement in Staffordshire ...

Name and dedication

The dedication to St Peter ad Vincula means "Saint Peter in Chains". It is derived from the

Basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica (Greek Basiliké) was a large public building with multiple functions that was typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek Eas ...

San Pietro in Vincoli San Pietro in Vincoli (; Saint Peter in Chains) is a Roman Catholic titular church and minor basilica in Rome, Italy. The church is on the Oppian Hill near Cavour metro station, a short distance from the Colosseum. The name alludes to the Bibl ...

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

. The church was formally renamed ''Stoke Minster'' in 2005 in recognition of its role in the civic life of

and North Staffordshire. The title " minster" is an honorific, sharing a common etymology with "monastery".

History

The first church on the site was built of timber in 670. It was replaced with a stone building in 805 which was extended over the centuries. The remains of this

Anglo-Saxon The Anglo-Saxons, in some contexts simply called Saxons or the English, were a Cultural identity, cultural group who spoke Old English and inhabited much of what is now England and south-eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. They traced t ...

and former

collegiate church In Christianity, a collegiate church is a church where the daily office of worship is maintained by a college of canons, a non-monastic or "secular" community of clergy, organised as a self-governing corporate body, headed by a dignitary bearing ...

survive in the churchyard. The re-erected arches date from the 13th century when the chancel was rebuilt. Saxon evidence survives in the

baptismal font A baptismal font is an Church architecture, ecclesiastical architectural element, which serves as a receptacle for baptismal water used for baptism, as a part of Christian initiation for both rites of Infant baptism, infant and Believer's bapti ...

rescued from use as a garden ornament and restored in 1932 for baptismal use in the church. The church is the burial place of several generations of Josiah Spode's family, as well as

Josiah Wedgwood Josiah Wedgwood (12 July 1730 – 3 January 1795) was an English potter, entrepreneur and abolitionist. Founding the Wedgwood company in 1759, he developed improved pottery bodies by systematic experimentation, and was the leader in the indu ...

, who is also commemorated inside the church by a marble memorial tablet commissioned by his sons. The title of "Stoke Minster" was conferred on the church by The Rt Revd Jonathan Gledhill,

Bishop of Lichfield The Bishop of Lichfield is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Lichfield in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers 4,516 km2 (1,744 sq. mi.) of the counties of Powys, Staffordshire, Shropshire, Warwickshire and West M ...

, at a ceremony on 17 May 2005.

Building

James Trubshaw and Thomas Johnson (1794–1865) designed the present parish church. Building began in 1826 and the church was consecrated on 6 October 1830. In the church are ceramic memorials to many of the potters of the district and there is a modern memorial to the football player Sir

Stanley Matthews Sir Stanley Matthews (1 February 1915 – 23 February 2000) was an English Association football, footballer who played as an Forward (association football)#Outside forward, outside right. Often regarded as one of the greatest players of the Br ...

. The west tower has a

ring (The) Ring(s) may refer to: * Ring (jewellery), a round band, usually made of metal, worn as ornamental jewelry * To make a sound with a bell, and the sound made by a bell Arts, entertainment, and media Film and TV * ''The Ring'' (franchise), a ...

of 10 bells, all of which

John Taylor & Co John Taylor Bell Foundry (Loughborough) Limited, trading as John Taylor & Co and commonly known as Taylor's Bell Foundry, Taylor's of Loughborough, or simply Taylor's, is the world's largest working bell (instrument), bell foundry. It is locat ...

Loughborough Loughborough ( ) is a market town in the Charnwood (borough), Charnwood Borough of Leicestershire, England; it is the administrative centre of Charnwood Borough Council. At the United Kingdom 2021 census, the town's built-up area had a popula ...

recast in 1971. The tower has also a clock with a single bell, which John Taylor & Co cast in 1888. The church has been a

Grade II listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...

since 2 October 1951.

Organ

The organ was built in 1899 by J. J. Binns of

Bramley, Leeds Bramley is a district in west Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is part of the City of Leeds electoral ward of Bramley and Stanningley, which had a population of 21,334 at the 2011 census. The area is an old industrial area with much 19th ...

, as a house organ for the master potter H. J. Johnson. Johnson gave the organ to the church in 1921 as a memorial to members of his family who died in

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. It was installed, unchanged, on the west gallery. It was rebuilt with substantial changes by J. W. Walker & Sons Ltd in 1972. The specifications of the organ are recorded at the

National Pipe Organ Register The British Institute of Organ Studies (BIOS) is a British organisation and registered charity which aims to promote study and appreciation of all aspects of the pipe organ. Further, it acts as a lobbying body to raise awareness of organ issue ...

Notes

{{Stoke-on-Trent Churches in Stoke-on-Trent Church of England church buildings in Staffordshire Grade II listed churches in Staffordshire Tourist attractions in Stoke-on-Trent