St Ebbe's is a Church of England parish church in central Oxford, named after the seventh-century abbess Æbbe of Coldingham. The church is within the conservative evangelical tradition and participates in the Anglican Reform movement.[1] It has members from many nations, many of whom are students at Oxford University. The rector is Vaughan Roberts who is also an author and conference speaker.
| St Ebbe's Church | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Location | Pennyfarthing Place, Oxford, Oxfordshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Conservative Evangelical |
| Website | stebbes.org |
| History | |
| Status | Active |
| Dedication | St Ebbe |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Parish church |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Diocese of Oxford |
| Archdeaconry | Archdeaconry of Oxford |
| Deanery | Deanery of Oxford |
| Parish | Oxford, St. Ebbe with Holy Trinity and St. Peter-le-Bailey |
| Clergy | |
| Bishop(s) | The Rt Revd Rob Munro (AEO) |
| Rector | The Revd Canon Vaughan Roberts |
| Laity | |
| Churchwarden(s) | Alistair Cory and Suzanne Wilson-Higgins |
History
edit
The church stands on the site of one dedicated to St Æbbe before 1005. Most sources suggest that this was the Northumbrian St Æbbe of Coldingham,[2] but it has been suggested that Æbbe of Oxford was a different saint. The name was first recorded in about 1005 when the church was granted to Eynsham Abbey by Ealdorman Æthelmær the Stout, when it was already recorded as the "ancient St Ebbe's".[3]
The present church was built in 1814–16. It was restored between 1862 and 1868, and again in 1904. A Norman doorway of the 12th century has been restored and placed at the west end.[4] The church is the parish church for the parish of St Ebbes, a portion of which was demolished to make way for the nearby Westgate Shopping Centre in the 1970s.[5][6] The church underwent further restoration in 2017 under the direction of Quinlan Terry.[7] During this restoration some internal fittings were sold as architectural antiques.[8] The organ was transferred to St Denys, York.[9]
In 1957, the church of Holy Trinity, Blackfriars Road, was demolished having been deemed unsafe. This was merged into the present parish.[10] In 1961, the parish of St Peter-le-Bailey merged with St Ebbe upon the foundation of St Peter's College (formerly St Peter's Hall) and its use of the church as its college chapel.[11]
Present day
editSt Ebbe's continues to be highly active, with three meetings each Sunday at 10:00, 4:30 and 6:30. There are also a range of mid-week groups and youth work.
St Ebbe's is within the Conservative Evangelical tradition of the Church of England, and it has passed resolutions to reject the ordination of women and/or female leadership.[12] It receives alternative episcopal oversight from the Bishop of Ebbsfleet (currently Rob Munro).
The church has a ministry among the remaining part of the parish, although most of its members live outside the parish. The church is a partner church of St Ebbe's Primary School, a school within the parish.[13]
Ministers
editRectors
edit- 15??-1550: Thomas Dobson
- 1550-1553: Ralph Rudde; Principal of St Edmund Hall
- 1553-1576: Vacant
- 1576-1585: John Paule
- 1589-1593: William Singleton
- 1593-1604: John Hilliard
- 1604-1631: Jacob Yate
- 1631-1641: Edward Wyrley
- 1643-1648: Hugh Boham; Chaplain of All Souls College
- 1664-1666: Richard Tapping
- 1690-1691: Thomas Shewring
- 1695-1696: Josias Dockwray
- 1696-1697: Henry Hellier
- 1697-1707: William Baker; later the Bishop of Norwich
- 1707-1714: John Knott
- 1714-1719: Matthew Panting; Master of Pembroke College
- 1719-1727: Bernard Peisley
- 1727-1734: Thomas Hillman
- 1736-1742: Nathaniel Bliss; later the fourth Astronomer Royal[14]
- 1742-1753: Thomas Camplin; Vice-Principal of St Edmund Hall and later the Archdeacon of Taunton
- 1753-1771: Robert Ewings
- 1771-1809: Henry Richards
- 1808-1868: William Hambury; later Chaplain to George IV
- 1868-1874: E.P. Hathaway
- 1874-1877: Thomas Valpy French,[15] later Bishop of Lahore
- 1881: John Arkell
- 1901-1909: P.W.G. Filleul
- 1912-1926: John Stansfeld[16]
- 1947–1952: Maurice Wood,[17] later Principal of Oak Hill College and Bishop of Norwich
- 1952–1964: Basil Gough[18]
- 1964–1985: Keith Weston[19]
- 1986–1998: David Fletcher[20]
- 1998–present: Vaughan Roberts
Curates
edit- 1816: John Penson
- 1822-1824: William Wilson
- 1825: Henry Bliss
- 1826-1831: Henry Bulteel
- 1831-1837: William Champneys
- 1837-1842: H.B. Whitaker Churton
- 1847-1860: G.T. Cameron
- 1860-18??: S.Y.N. Griffith[21]
- 1934-1936: Pat Gilliat
- 1950-1952: Edward Saunders
- 1952-1956: Michael Farrer
- 1955-1958: David Pytches, later Bishop of Chile, Bolivia and Peru
- 1957-1960: Peter Dawes
- 1958-1960: Brian Ringrose
- 1960-1963: Patrick Harris
- 1961-1964: James Spence
- 1963-1966: Anthony Baker
- 1964-1968: Gilbert Gauntlett
- 1966-1972: Simon Starkey
- 1968-1971: John Wesson
- 1971-1974: Robert Hope
- 1973-1976: Anthony Burdon
- 1974-1976: Peter Toon
- 1976-1980: Robert Key
- 1980-1983: David Banting
- 1983-1986: Kevin Scott
- 1988-1991: Timothy Hastie-Smith, later Director of Scripture Union (England & Wales).[22]
- 1991-1998: Vaughan Roberts, later Rector
- 1995-2001: David Gibb
- 1999-2003: Anthony Jones
- 2002–present: Pete Wilkinson
- 2003-2008: Julian Bidgood
- 2008-2012: Phil Jack
- 2009–present: David Reid
- 2010-2014: Suresh Menon
- 2013-2018: James Fletcher
- 2013-2017: Alistair Gibbs
- 2017–2019: Matt Pope
- 2017–2021: Joel Knight
- 2021–present: Glenn Nesbitt
Non-stipendiary ministers
edit- 2005-2008: Sam Allberry
- 2012-2013: Phil Jack
- 2015–present: James Poole
- 2016–present: John Miller
Deacons
edit- 1979-1991: Jean Ritchie
- 1991-1993: Patricia Whelan
References
edit- ^ "Local churches linked to Reform".
- ^ Hibbert, Christopher, ed. (1988). "St Ebbe's Church". The Encyclopaedia of Oxford. Macmillan. pp. 387–388. ISBN 0-333-39917-X.
- ^ Victoria County History of Oxfordshire: Medieval Oxford.
- ^ Alden's Oxford Guide. Oxford; Alden; 1958; p. 125.
- ^ Jean Sprackland (2020). These Silent Mansions: A life in graveyards. Jonathan Cape. pp. 105–106. ISBN 9780224098359.
- ^ Chris Gilliam (10 August 2020). "How the Coronavirus Lockdown revealed the History of St Ebbe's". Oxfordshire History Centre. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
- ^ Terry, Quinlan. "St Ebbe's". Quinlan Terry Architects. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
- ^ "Long Oak Simple Gothic Rood Screen from St Ebbe's, Oxford (SOLD)". Antique Church Furnishings. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
- ^ "Update on the St Denys Organ Project" (PDF). 1 January 2018.
- ^ "Roll of Honour - Oxfordshire - Oxford, Holy Trinity". www.roll-of-honour.com. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
- ^ "OXFORD: ST. PETER LE BAILEY PARISH RECORDS - Archives Hub". archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
- ^ "Christmas 2016 Newsletter" (PDF). bishopofmaidstone.org. Bishop of Maidstone. December 2016. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
- ^ "Collective Worship Policy" (PDF). St. Ebbe’s C.E. (Aided) Primary School. 22 October 2013. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
- ^ "Nathaniel Bliss - MacTutor History of Mathematics archive".
- ^ Stacey, Vivienne. Thomas Valpy French, First Bishop of Lahore (PDF). pp. 72, 121. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
- ^ "John Stansfeld: Oxfordshire Blue Plaques Scheme". www.oxonblueplaques.org.uk.
- ^ Townley, Peter (16 July 2007). "Obituary: The Rt Rev Maurice Wood". The Guardian.
- ^ "Stella Gough: a life devoted to helping others". Oxford Mail. 20 January 2010.
- ^ "Trinity Hall - Canon Keith Weston: 1926 - 2013". Archived from the original on 13 December 2013.
- ^ "Doing the impossible - Evangelicals Now". www.e-n.org.uk. March 1999.
- ^ "Churches | British History Online". www.british-history.ac.uk. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
- ^ Passing the baton - Scripture Union
Further reading
edit- Sherwood, Jennifer; Pevsner, Nikolaus (1974). Oxfordshire. The Buildings of England. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. p. 292. ISBN 0-14-071045-0.