St Stephen’s Church, Devonport

[Uncle George]

The Anglican parish church of St Stephen was constructed in 1850, in what is said to have been Devonport’s poorest parish. This external Crucifix was erected in 1919, as a memorial to the fallen of the parish. “It had a long and chequered history.”

 

Apparently the priest of St Stephen’s was High Church, and the erection of the Crucifix caused immediate dissent. It was taken down and held in storage; both the church and the premises that was storing the crucifix were damaged in the Blitz and the crucifix was found floating (face down?) in Plymouth Sound.

 

According to the attached link, “The wood of the Crucifix was subsequently used to make a smaller Crucifix and a carving of St Stephen. Both items are apparently (or were) later part of the St James the Less Church at Ham, Plymouth”

 

The church of St Stephen was demolished in 1959.

https://sites.google.com/site/lostplymouthchurches/ststephens

 

Edited 22 November , 2020 by Uncle George

[Guest]

 Both my dear old Dad and my Uncle Jim, both Devonport boys, could remember the molten lead running down the street from the burning roof after one of the great German raids in 1941. My uncle was a firewatcher.  Who says it was the "good old days" !!

[Uncle George]

57 minutes ago, Uncle George said:

 

According to the attached link, “The wood of the Crucifix was subsequently used to make a smaller Crucifix and a carving of St Stephen. Both items are apparently (or were) later part of the St James the Less Church at Ham, Plymouth”

 

The attached site tells us that at the rear of St James the Less is an alter dedicated to Saint Stephen, upon which this is fixed:

 

‘This chapel has been furnished as a memorial to St Stephen’s church, Devonport (1858-1941), destroyed by enemy action. The war damage payment for the ruins of the building provided most of the money to erect this Church. The statue of St Stephen is a replica of the one which formed part of the screen of the old Church.  Together with the altar cross, it was carved from the wood of the figure on the crucifix erected outside the Church in memory of the fallen of the Parish (1914-18), which was later removed and almost destroyed by enemy action.  The furnishings of the chapel are a gift of former members of the congregation of St Stephen’s Devonport.'

 

http://www.olddevonport.uk/Saint%20James%20the%20Less%20(Anglican%20Church%20of).htm