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St John the Evangelist Church, Farsley
Courtesy of the Pudsey Civic Society
St John’s and the Parish
The Parish of St John the Evangelist is in the west of Leeds within the boundaries of the former Borough of Pudsey. The parish Church and its adjacent community hall are located in the heart of the village of Farsley, on the east side of Town Street.
For centuries Farsley was served by the mediaeval parish of St Wilfrid, Calverley and, largely resulting from the poverty of the area, did not gain its own Anglican parish status and Church until 1843. The land was donated by the Thornhill Estate and contributions were made from far and wide, including from the Dowager Queen Adelaide, to enable construction.
A pink granite obelisk close to the Church porch and seven stained glass windows within the chancel and nave commemorate the Reverend Samuel Marsden who was born in Farsley, almost opposite the Church, now commemorated by the Samuel Marsden Memorial Garden. Born in 1764, he became the first incumbent of St John’s in Parramatta, Sydney (the first substantial Church building in Australia) and was chaplain to the penal colony. From Parramatta he took the Christian faith to New Zealand. Reverend Marsden was also much responsible for the establishment of the wool trade between Australia/New Zealand and England, in particular West Yorkshire. He is remembered in the village not only by the Memorial Garden but also the Samuel Marsden Almshouses.
The surnames of Gaunt, Hainsworth, Roberts, Slater and Varley were significant among local woollen mill owners and appear inside the Church and in the graveyard. Other industrialists are represented, notably the Butler family, owners of a local foundry.
The Reverend Parsons Maning was vicar from 1846 to 1891. His 45 years in office cost him dearly in money and family health in the impoverished and disease ridden parish of the time. Yet, under his leadership the Christian mission grew from St John’s and its care for the community is exampled by the building of the former National School just north of the Church. George Brooke moved from Huddersfield to become the first master of the school. The family grave is close to the entrance to the Minister’s vestry and a window within the nave was provided by the Brookes in memory of their daughter Hannah.
Our worship development and care for our community have continued over the years. The Church building was originally built for £1,256 in 1843, £16 was raised locally and the remaining amount came from wealthy citizens. An extended Chancel in the 1860s, a new organ chamber in 1893, a rebuilt tower in 1895, a porch in 1898, a clergy vestry in 1933 and a choir vestry in 1954, enhanced the church. To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Church building in 1993, the transept was converted into a side chapel. In addition, our facilities available for community use were expanded beyond those of the old vicarage by the construction of a new community hall in 1981.
The parish is part of the Diocese of Bradford and is within the Calverley Deanery. It is governed by its Parochial Church Council (PCC) under the chairmanship of the Vicar. Members of the PCC are either ex-officio or elected in Annual Parochial Church Meeting in accordance with the Church of England’s Representation Rules. The PCC currently has 15 members plus the chairman, the Canon John N White. The Council’s policies and actions are decided in its regular meetings and the Standing Committee transacts the business of the PCC between meetings, subject to direction by the Council. Several sub-committees develop and implement specific areas of policy and action: they make recommendations to the PCC and assist in implementation. The Parochial Church Council is a charity excepted from registration with the Charity Commissioners.
Our Activities and Service
In common with other Churches we have a Christian mission, an essential part of which is community service. At the leading edge of this activity are our Church groups which voluntarily work towards the relief of disadvantage in the community.
By way of example, Farsley Helping Hands identifies and offers support for the elderly, lonely, sick and disabled by visiting, providing relief for carers, running errands to shops and the like and by operating a weekly luncheon club for the elderly. The Parents and Toddlers Group provides a weekly opportunity for pre-school children to interact and learn through supervised activities whist parents can enjoy fellowship.
In addition to such work, the hall is available to the community as a whole. It now houses the Farsley Live at Home Scheme and is a popular meeting point in the village as evidenced by its regular use and the need, in recent years, to make bookings well in advance of planned activities. Some regular users of the hall are listed here.
The Farsley Retirement Club Farsley Youth Development Project The Farsley Live at Home Scheme Brownies Guides National Blood Transfusion Service The Pudsey Civic Society The Rotary Club of Pudsey The Inner Wheel The Pudsey Friendship Group Carroll’s School of Dancing (all-age classes) Children’s parties Cancer Research UK, regional meetings The Prince’s Trust annual area meeting Mothers Union meetings The Breakfast Club/ Coffee Drop-in of the Farsley Live at Home Scheme The Keep Fit Club The Monday Karate Club The Women’s Institute Friends of St John Wedding receptions and funeral Teas The Royal National Lifeboat Institution The Royal National Institute for the Blind The Leprosy Mission The Children’s Society Saturday morning coffee and cakes The Coffee Drop-in, weekly in conjunction with the Flea Market Parents and Toddlers Youth activities St John’s Singers evening concerts Saturday afternoon concerts Sales of locally crafted goods
Our hall is a key local amenity playing a major part in sustaining a vibrant community
Within our commitment to community service, we also take seriously our custodianship of the Church building. The Church and graveyard are important local heritage. They are a focus of local history and the Church whose original structure was built in 1843 itself is a fine example of early Victorian Church architecture with mostly middle-19th century internal features.
These include: 13 stained glass windows, two stone fonts (one 17th century), A clock within the tower manufactured by Potts based in Leeds in 1925 and still maintained by them, the clock face was made by Butlers in Stanningley.
English dark oak pews of 1875, the hour bell by John Taylor & Co. of Loughborough, an impressive pine clad ceiling with structural members, a fine altar painting by Van Lil, clock dials of 8feet-3inches diameter manufactured by Butlers, a local foundry and A Georgian-styled Royal Coat-of-Arms.
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