St John the Baptist Parish Church

St John The Baptist Church is one of the oldest buildings in Newcastle. It is a 12th Century Grade 1 listed building.

The vestry on the north of the church was the cell of the Anchorite Christiana Umfred who watched the services through the cross shaped opening carved into the wall in the middle ages. An anchorite lived in seclusion devoting their time to prayer and contemplation

Pews carved by Robert Thompson (1876 – 1955) have his famous mouse trademark carved into the wood. There are four to be found in St John’s, I found two, one of which I photographed.

The church has been restored and extended over the years, in 1875 many of the floor gravestones were covered with concrete, some were removed to the churchyard and others were destroyed.

During World War 2 a vital piece of the printing press of Newcastle Chronicle and Journal was buried under a table tombstone, in case of German invasion. It was apparently a complete coincidence that the tombstone chosen was that of Thomas Slack who had founded the Newcastle Chronicle 180 years earlier.

Other connections to the Newcastle Chronicle include the burial place of Anne Slack the wife of Thomas Slack, Solomon Hodgson, apprentice to Thomas Slack who went on to become reporter, editor and publisher of the newspaper, and his wife and daughter of Thomas and Anne Slack, Sarah who continued the business after Solomon’s death.