History of St John's

The first church, 1873

Watford was for many centuries an agricultural community with some cottage industry. Its parish church of St Mary the Virgin, built in 1230 on the same site as an earlier Saxon church, served the small population well.

In the 19th Century, brewing, printing and the railway (which began with a staff of eleven) started the growth of the town. Another church was needed for the newly developing area, and St Andrew's was dedicated in 1856. Watford now had two parish churches.

In 1871, the ancient parish church of St Mary was extensively restored. The building could not be used for worship while the work was in progress, so a temporary iron building was erected in the churchyard. When St Mary's was re-opened, this iron building was no longer required. Some ground in Sotheron Road (now called Sutton Road) was given to the churchwardens of St Mary's for use as a site for a new church. The iron building was moved to this site, and on the 23rd November 1873, St John's began.

The total population of Watford at this time was less than 8,000. The first priest-in-charge of St John's was the Reverend J. Henry White. This temporary building, with seating for 450, was affectionately known as "The Tin Church". It attracted a growing number of people, and was considered very 'High Church' for its day - many of the things that we associate with catholic worship were yet to come, however. The roof of the Tin Church was unfortunately not waterproof, and it was quickly apparent inside when it was raining outside! The idea of a permanent building was mooted, and there followed a period of great activity to raise the necessary money. Many people were most generous - more land was given, plans were drawn up and approved and eventually the foundation stone was laid on 17th July 1891. Two years and two days later, on 19th July 1893, Wogan Festing, Lord Bishop of St Albans, dedicated the fine building. It cost £11,000 to build - a huge sum in those days.

A Parish Church, 1904

In May 1904 St John's became a parish church in its own right. Fr James (appointed priest-in-charge in 1898) became the first Vicar. Watford, with a population approaching 35,000, now had three parish churches.

St John's has always been considered to be one of the leading anglo-catholic churches in the South of England. Many things which are now taken for granted were considered then to be dangerous innovations - wafer breads and vestments were introduced in 1904. Four years later, on the Feast of the Epiphany, incense was used for the first time.

Fr James, later Canon James, but called affectionately behind his back 'Reggie James', was vicar of St John's for fifty years, helped - as he himself has said - by many fine assistant priests. He served the parish well through the heartbreaking years of two world wars. In the 1914-18 war, all the choirmen joined up, and all, save one, were killed in action. Canon James officiated at the weddings of many youngsters he had baptised. In the 1950s, he saw to the building of a Vicarage for St John's, and in 1954 he resigned, seeing the Cure (ie, the care) of Souls pass to the Reverend S.J.Forrest, a former assistant priest.

Restoration in the 1960s

In more recent times, much has been done to repair and restore the church inside and out. Much maintenance work has to be left undone during the war and the years of restriction which followed. The restoration, beginning with the cleaning of the chancel and sanctuary, had just been put in hand when Fr Forrest resigned in 1961. The Reverend Richard Salter was inducted as St John's third Vicar at the beginning of 1962. The nave and aisles were cleaned and redecorated in memory of Canon James who died in 1966. The cleaning and repair of outside stonework was done in 1973 for the church's centenary. Fr Richard Salter left the church in 1998, and in the following year the present parish priest, Fr James Cope arrived.