A Guidebook to St John in the Oaks Jersey – Part 2

This guidebook is no longer available from the church, so here is a transcription over the next few weeks. Photos are my own.

A Guidebook to St John in the Oaks Jersey – Part 2

1. The Entrance Porch

An old engraving shows that the Church originally had no porch to its principal door. However, this omission was remedied by the provision in 1853 of a simple porch in grey granite. The initials above the entrance are those of the churchwardens (surveillants). The side door was intended to cope with driving rain from the South- East.

The plate glass entrance doors were designed by John Taylor, churchwarden, and his wife Jane, both architects. The Maltese Cross surrounded by oak leaves and acorns, together with the Paschal Lamb, may both be seen in the superb engraved glass tympanum above these doors.

This work of art, designed by the Rev. M. G. St. J. Nicolle, a previous Rector, and executed by Mr. Alfred Fisher of Chapel Studios, was given in memory of Margaret Roberts. On the left is an open book flanked on its corners with the symbols of the four Evangelists and bearing the words from the Book of Wisdom: "The souls of the righteous are in the hands of God." This is balanced on the right with a selection of musical instruments and the opening bars of the hymn: "Thine be the Glory".

2. The Lady Chapel (former Chancel)

This was the original 12th century Church and extended to the tower crossing. The East window is Victorian but in Norman times would have consisted of two lancet windows surmounted by a rose window.

The very fine reredos has the Lord's Prayer, the Ten Commandments and the Apostles' Creed inscribed in 18th century French and reflects the post-Reformation tradition of the Anglican Church.

The two Biblical texts are, in translation, "go into all the world and preach the good news to all

creation." (Mark 16:15) and: "grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." (John 1:17).

The altar, minus its wooden altar-piece and two altar seats, are probably William IV and the oak eagle lectern is mid-Victorian.

There would have been a piscina, for washing the holy vessels, on the South side of the altar, but that has disappeared. The black and white tessellated marble floor of the sanctuary is contemporary with the reredos.

The oak altar rails, made in the Parish in 1987, illustrate the beauty of local craftsmanship. The stained glass window, depicting the two Archangels (Michael and Gabriel), was given in 1910 in memory of John Arthur Vaudin and was executed by H. T. Bosdet, a noted Jersey- born late-Victorian artist.

Opposite the South door on a small granite pillar stands 17th century copper collecting pot donated by the Seigneur of St. John, Abraham de Carteret, in 1677.

Legend has it that one of the three church doors had to be blocked up because some frugal parishioners avoided the two Almoners (deputy churchwardens) and their collecting boxes!

On the right hand side of the door is the electrical control unit for the striking clock, given in memory of Major J. H. Sims-Hilditch of Melbourne House in 1969.

3. The Tower Crossing

The font, of simple yet aesthetically pleasing design, is late-Victorian, and is a "roving font" at one time it was in front of the Lady Chapel communion rails and in the early 20th century, moved to a position near the West door of the North aisle (present NAVE). It has finally found its permanent home beneath the spire very like the position of the original medieval font in the late-Norman times.

The window beneath the tower, depicting Christ as "Ecce Homo" and John the Baptist preaching in the wilderness, illustrates the tenacity of Victorian stained glass artistic tradition, and bears the hallmarks of the studios of H. T. Bosdet.

This window was donated in 1927 by the Rev. Ernest John St. John Nicolle B. D. to mark his 35 years as Rector. The Treasury opposite the font was given in 1975 in memory of the Rev. Leslie Sinclair-Lewis, M. A. (1908-1974), assistant priest. It is sited in a blocked-up Norman doorway where in former times vergers kept stocks of oil, candles etc.

Among the fine Church silver is a horn recalling the past tradition of blowing a horn on St. John the Baptist's Day (24th June), to remind farmers to pay their dues on that quarter day.