Monuments in St John in the Square, Wolverhampton

Nave of St John in the Square, Wolverhampton.

St John's in the Square, Wolverhampton is a lofty church of the late 18th Century with an imposing spire sited just within the central precinct of Wolverhampton. St John’s is a bright church inside, with thin pillars at gallery height above thick square ones below, and a nicely domed ceiling. I think it would be this ceiling and the sense of proportion which would impress the visitor, rather than the monuments, which are rather few and rather plain, but they do have some interest, in that several are by the stone masons called Wilmot of Wolverhampton. There were a number of Wilmots, producing rather simple plaques of the white marble on a black backing type, but it is always worth seeing the work of local sculptors to a church, and they are noted below.

Henry Wood, d.1815, by Wilmot of Wolverhampton.

• Henry Wood, d.1815, with brief Latin inscription, on a broad oval within a black rectangle, with white marble border and upper shelf, odd little borderless pediment above with a ‘bobble hat’ oval on top with a round insert; at the base, a curvy apron. A novel and slightly quirky thing, by Wilmot of Wolverhampton. The Wood family was prominent in Wolverhampton in the 18th Century.
• Maria Reed, d.1818, wife of the Revd. Joseph Reed, with Latin inscription with a bit of calligraphy at the top. A second inscription is added to Parthenae Shaw, second wife, d.1823. The inscription is on a broad oval with a surround essentially the same as the Henry Wood monument, but with the addition of a second rectangular panel below and a continuation of the same border. This one commemorates the third wife, another Maria, d.1828, and the Revd. Reed himself, d.1831, aged just 48, perhaps through sadness at having lost three wives. By Wilmot of Wolverhampton.
• Elizabeth Wood, d.1826, a child, and relatives from the Savage and Smallwood families through to 1878, in the style of a tomb chest end, classical, with an entablature carved with repeating leaf patterns, most elegant, and a blank pediment above. To the sides are pilasters bearing down-turned torches in relief, symbol of life’s extinction. There is a deep base, then two small feet with signs of having borne small devices, perhaps flowers, which have been lost. On a black rectangular backing.

  Mary Jeavons plaque, again by Wilmot.

• Mary Jeavons, d.1830, ‘the beloved and exemplary wife’ of John Jeavons, factor of Wolverhampton. The inscription, in rather close set lines, also commemorates Vere Herbert, her brother, d.1833, and family through to 1851. As a tomb chest end, with blank pediment with carved acroteria and a little tree in relief at the top, wilting in a symbol of death. At the base, two rounded feet, each bearing a slight needle-like carving of no obvious significance. All on a black backing. By Wilmot of Wolverhampton.
• Ann Turner, d.1833(?), husband George Turner, d.1849, and others of the family, the panel being on a Gothic monument, in the style of a window with tracery at the top, and crocketing, and clustered pillars at the sides with small spires on top, a carved base with pendant corbels, and altogether characteristic of early or mid-Victorian times. On a shaped black backing. Unfortunately this monument, upstairs, was particularly difficult to see.
• Thomas Lovatt, d.1838, and wife Mary Ann, d.1864, as a tomb chest end, with side pilasters with upon their bodies carvings of a upturned torches (as an allegory of life extinguished), altogether closely styled after the Elizabeth Wood memorial noted above. Above, a heavy pediment, blank, and below, an equally solid base with two little feet bearing small rosettes. All on a black backing. Signed by the prolific Gaffin of Regent Street, a firm which produced a remarkable number of monuments for churches across England.
• Silvanus Earp, d.1852, wife Mary Ann, d.1838, and family through to 1911. As a tall plaque with shelf above bearing a swan-necked pediment with no frame, lightly carved with scrolls and some central device, a deeper shelf below, with two small brackets, on a shaped black backing.
• Revd. Henry Hampton, d.1880, vicar, erected by members of his congregation, a squat tomb-chest end with the lid bearing low relief carving of crossed olive branches, and below the bottom shelf, two rounded feet with carvings of scallop shells upon them. On a shaped black backing.
• Sidney Cartwright, d.1883, and wife Maria Christian, d.1887, plain plaque on a dark backing.

Lovatt monument by Gaffin of Regent Street, with upturned torches.

There is one 18th Century brass, as a long strip with tho lines of text, commemorating William Dagget, Robert Hicks and George Haltham, 1706, with lightly sculpted decoration of stylised flowers, and a tiny panel with bells.

As well, there are several more modern brass panel monuments, of the popular variety with red capital letters, black-letter text, and coloured line borders with some small ornament at the corners. That to Helen Riley, d.1900 is typical, and signed though I could not read it. William Allen’s plate is similar, with a long inscription to the rest of the family, and more decoration on side pilasters and a lightly inscribed pediment. That to Arthur Price, d.1916, Lieutenant in HM Regiment of Shropshire Light Infantry, without colour, but low relief carving of an arch with Corinthian side pilasters and frondy spandrel decoration, on a red and black granite backing. The brass to William Leslie Astle, d.1915, is in a different style, more Arts and Crafts, with attractive lettering.

Stained glass picture of a girl playing the triangle, and two renderings of sheep.

We may also note the following in the Church:

• A gilt Royal Coat of Arms, of the Dieu et mon droit type (see picture at the bottom of this page).
• A polished wooden eagle lectern. If you like eagle statues in general, see this page.
• A round-bottomed font in pale stone with four red marble pillars of vaguely Composite order, little inscribed crosses etc. Presumably mid to late Victorian.
• A World War 1 memorial, as a simple plaque with the names listed, and a little carving of a leafy branch in a small rectangle, all on a black backing.
• Decent late Victorian and Edwardian stained glass, some by Ward and Hughes of London. Note especially the sheep.

  

  Thanks to the Church authorities for permission to show pictures from inside the Church; St John in the Square's website is at http://www.wulfruna.org.uk/index/johnsChurch/.

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  Introduction to Wolverhampton sculpture // St Peter's Collegiate Church, Wolverhampton // St Bartholomew's Church in Wednesbury

  Birmingham sculpture // Sculpture in some towns in England // Sculpture pages // Introduction to church monuments

  Wilmot of Wolverhampton

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