Saint John's Cathedral

The Solid Silver Candlesticks

The solid Silver Candlesticks, of exquisite workmanship are worthy of special notice as they have a most interesting history.  Originally they were presented to the St. John's Church by Colonel Peter Lee, at one time Chief Justice, Speaker of the House of Assembly and a member of the Council.  Just before the earthquake of 1843 they were referred to as "a pair of tall silver lamps with ground glass burners".

At a meeting of the Vestry on 20th January 1848, only a few months before the Cathedral was consecrated, the Vestry ordered that the candlesticks should be sold and the proceeds added to the organ fund.  Where they went to remains a mystery - their disappearance was complete and for nearly forty years their whereabouts remained unknown.

In 1885 a merchant in Scotch Row (the present Market Street), Mr. William Forrest, who was also a member of the Vestry, purchased a bag of odd pieces of silver for a small sum.  He was able to reassemble the pieces and found that they made two candlesticks, but as they were covered with dirt and grime he had no ides to their identity.  They were standing on the counter of his shop when Bishop Branch went in to see Mr. Forrest and admired them.  On looking more closely he noticed that on one of the panels at the foot of one of the candlesticks were faint signs of an inscription.  When the dirt and grime were cleared away it was seen that these candlesticks were those belonging formerly to the Cathedral of which all trace had been lost.  Mr. Forrest was not only a devoted Churchman nut also a very generous one.  At his own expense he sent them to England to be thoroughly cleaned and adapted for use as lamps as certain members of the congregation were opposed to the idea of using candlesticks.  On 7th March 1886, Mr. Forrest restored them to the Cathedral.  A few years later Mr. Forrest sent them back again to England to be entirely refitted and restored as candlesticks, and on the 24th June 1894, they were solemnly dedicated by the Bishop to the service of God.

The following Latin inscriptions are engraved on the panels at the base of the candlesticks and describe their gift to the Cathedral by Colonel Lee, their loss and subsequent recovery and restoration to the Cathedral by Mr. Forrest.

Donum Domini
Petri Lee ad Templum
Divi Johannis
in Antigua.

Petrius Lee obdormivit
Octavo octobris die 1704

Candelabra
haec argentea
postquam per multos
annos perdita erant
inventa et empta et
renovata sunt a Guiliemo
Forrest Armig Concilii Legislativi
Antiguen Sodali
Qui
Eadem pro animo
dedit reddidit
devovit
A.D.M.G
et in usum
Eccl: Cathedralis Sti Johan
in Antigua, M. Aprilis
in Salutis
M D C C C L X X X V I.

Colonel Peter Lee, who must have been a strong character,  competent leader and a dominant personality, like Sir Christopher Codrington, belonged to that group of active and devoted Churchman who lived in Antigua at the beginning of the eighteen century.  Unfortunately he died before he reached middle age.  He was buried in the Churchyard and there is a Latin inscription over his tomb, which can still be seen, and reads:

Hibernia natus
Eblana doctus
Anglina vivens
Flandria militams
Antigua moriens

Hunc sub marmora jacet Petrus Lee
Imo et vere Apostolicus Petrus
Optimae enim ecclesiae optimus amicus fuit
Qui Perfectus miliyum nunc vermium praeda
Qui orator insulae nunc cum summo judice
In semper cogita, sic transit gloria mundi
Annos quadraginta et quattuor natus
Obiit octavo Octobris die
1704

Bishop C.J. Branch translated this epitaph as follows:

Born in Ireland
Educated in Dublin
Living in England
Warring in Flanders
Dying in Antigua.

Here under this marble lies Peter Lee
Really and truly and Apostolic Peter
For he was a very good friend of the best Church
, Who, a commander of soldiers, is now a prey of worms;
Who, an orator in the Island, is now in silence;
Who; a very high Judge, is now with the highest Judge;
Do thou always reflect: "Thus passes away the glory of the world."
He died, being forty-four years old
on the 8th of October 1704."

The Silver Cross

The Silver Cross, following the design of the candlesticks, is of more modern workmanship.  It was privately subscribed for and dedicated in 1896, as a memorial to Bishop Jackson who was Bishop of Antigua for thirty-five years (1860 - 1895).

The Font

At the West Door is the Font which survived the earthquake of 1843 and is described ...

The striking Font Cover is a gift of one of the Cathedral's most outstanding benefactors, Mrs. Mary Louise Hopkirk of Toronto - a Thank Offering for the help and inspiration she had received while worshiping at the Cathedral during her visits to Antigua.

The Ventilators

In most Cathedrals in Europe the problem is how to keep them warm.  In Antigua the problem is the reverse, how to keep it cool.  This had been achieved through the use of brass ventilators placed at intervals in the aisles of the building through which  flows a stream of air cooled by the lattice-work of the Cathedral foundation.

Stone Slabs

Geologists should not fail to notice that in the stone slabs in the aisles of the building there are some very fine specimens of ammonites.  These slabs replaced the black and white marble of the second Church.

The Church Warden Staves

Standing at the entrance to the pews occupied by the Church Wardens are the two Warden staves with appropriate emblems in solid silver - a Mitre for the Priest's Warden and a Crown for the People's Warden.  These together with two Processional Candlesticks with glass domes were the gift of two members of the congregation in 1961.

The Church Plate

The Church Plate, which may be seen on application to the Dean, includes some unique pieces of much value:

1. Two large silver Patens and two large silver Chalices, hallmark 1698-9, given to the Parish by its first Rector, the Reverend William Jones. (Unfortunately the Patens have been badly scratched from the time when they were used as plates on which the bread for use at the Holy Communion was cut into pieces.)

2. Two silver-plated Flagons, with the inscription on the base "St. John's Church, Antigua A.D. 1838".

3. Six silver-plated or pewter Alms Plates, with the sacred monogram I.H.S. and the words "Remember the poor" in front, and on the back "St. John's Church Antigua 1839".

4. A silver Paten and Chalice presented by the Dean and Mrs. Shepherd.  On the back of the Paten is inscribed "To the Glory of God and in proud and loving memory of our two sons, Lieut. A.L.M. Shepherd and R.M.S. Shepherd, R.A.F. Killed in action 1916".

5. A valuable Paten and jewelled Chalice of silver presented by Miss Waugh of Bournemouth, England in memory of her mother.

6. Two Ciboria, silver gilt and set in jewels and with delicate figures of pelicans as the nobs, given "In memory of a good mother".

7. A large beaten-silver Chalice and Paten given as a Thank Offering by his daughter in memory of Henry Young Shepherd, Priest.

8. A large solid silver Ciborium given to St. John's Cathedral by Liela, Edward and Maud in memory of theiur parents Noel and Mary Scott-Johnson.

9. A large silver-gilt Chalice and Paten given by "J.and E.J." in Thanksgiving to God for 1941 - 1966.

10. A large silver-gilt Chalice with repoussé work of vine and wheat, probably of Spanish design of the Seventeenth Century, given by Bishop Hand.

11. A silver and ebony Processional Cross given by the "Daughters of the King".

12. A Processional Cross of unusual design, given by Archdeacon Hilborne.
    (Both of These Crosses have the four emblems of the Evangelists in circles  at the four ends of the Cross.)

13. But the richest and most beautiful treasure of the Cathedral, rivalling the Candlesticks, is the solid-silver Salver, or Alms Dish, dated 1715 - 1716, measuring eighteen inches and having fastened to it a finely executed piece of repoussé work of the Last Supper.  This was a gift to the Cathedral by John Otto Baijer in 1724.

Memorial Tablets

Around the walls of the Cathedral various memorial tablets reveal interesting tidbits of the history of the Island.  Many pre-date the present Cathedral and were salvaged from the earlier churches that were destroyed.  A stroll through the Churchyard which is being renovated and documented will also reveal bits of Antigua history on the tombstones.