HISTORY
The church of ST. JOHN consists of a chancel 19 ft. by 15 ft., with vestry on the north side, nave 33 ft. 3 in. by 18 ft., and south porch 4 ft. 6 in. square, all these measurements being internal. There is also a bellcote over the west gable containing two bells.
The structure dates from the 12th century, but was almost entirely rebuilt in 1841. The plan, however, remains unchanged, and some ancient features have been retained internally. The external appearance of the building is entirely modern, the roofs being of slate with overhanging eaves, the nave windows are small lancets, and the east window is of two trefoiled lights with a circle in the head.
The chancel arch is an interesting example of 12th-century work, forming a stone screen of three openings, all with semicircular moulded arches, the middle one, or chancel arch proper, being 6 ft. 10 in in width. The arches are divided by rectangular piers with attached shafts facing the nave, standing on stone walls 2 ft. 8 in. high on either side of the middle opening. The shafts have moulded bases and cushion capitals with chamfered imposts, the outer jambs of the side openings, which are only 3 ft. in width, being square with imposts only. The arches spring at a height of 8 ft. 9 in., and the middle one is ornamented with plain beak-heads. The whole of the stonework is original.
The doorway to the vestry is also of late 12th-century date, but is not in its original position. It has a semicircular arch of a single order, with plain chamfered head and jambs and moulded label. The roof of the chancel is lower than that of the nave, but the floors are on the same level.
The original 12th-century south doorway has been rebuilt inside the church, and has a semicircular arch with cheveron moulding springing from chamfered imposts. Only the arch itself is old, the jambs being plastered, and a modern pointed arch, which alone shows to the porch, has been introduced below.
On the south side of the chancel is the cross-legged effigy of a man in chain armour with feet resting on a talbot. It has not been identified, but in 1714 was referred to as 'Gower's statue.' The monument possibly commemorates Robert Gower the younger, who died about 1315, for whom there was an obit in the church.
The fittings erected in 1841 were square, high, painted deal pews, with a pulpit of similar type under the southern opening of the screen, and a reading desk below the north opening. These were removed in 1874 and pitch pine seating substituted. The font and the pulpit (which is of wrought iron) also dates from 1874.
A painted wooden rood screen was erected in 1907 by Mary Scott in memory of her sister Eleanor. It fills the three openings of the stone screen, over which is a rood and its accompanying figures, the whole being a fine piece of decorative design. It has doors to the middle opening, and the lower portion contains painted figures of SS. Matthew, Andrew, Peter, Paul, James, and James the Less. In 1925 a heating chamber was added on the north side of the nave by Mrs. Morrison, daughter of the late Mr. J. Stapylton Sutton, in memory of her parents. A painted figure of the Virgin and Child was erected at the north-east corner of the nave, as a memorial of the Peace of 1919.
In the floor of the chancel is a stone to Mary, wife of Henry Doughty, rector, who died in 1683, and on the north wall a tablet to John Sutton of Stockton, who died in 1792.
The plate consists of a silver chalice of 1570, made at York, a plated paten, and a flagon made from a plated cup.
The registers begin in 1573.
'Parishes: Elton', A History of the County of Durham: Volume 3 (1928), pp. 232-235.
The Cache
You will need to find the memorial to John JOHNSON and his family.
John died 7 April 18AB, aged 6C
Tamar, his wife died 1D July 187E, aged 91 years
William, his son died F0 August 1857, aged 29 years
The cache can be found at:-
N 54 32.(A+B)(E-B)C, W 1 23.(E-D+F)FD
Congratulations to SEEKER and Henry Jones for their joint FTF in the dark, despite an error in my calculations, which I have now corrected.
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For full information on how you can expand the Church Micro series by sadexploration please read the Place your own Church Micro page before you contact him at churchmicro@gmail.com.
See also the Church Micro Statistics and Home pages for further information about the series.
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