St. John Parish Churchyard - St. John, Barbados
Posted by: neoc1
N 13° 11.101 W 059° 29.843
21P E 229305 N 1458942
St. John Parish (Anglican) Church is located in St. John Parish on the east side of the central coast of Barbados. The churchyard cemetery is primarily located in the rear of the church.
Waymark Code: WM12EN4
Location: Barbados
Date Posted: 05/11/2020
Views: 2
St. John Parish Church is listed as and historic property by the Barbados National Trust as a building of historic and architectural interest.
St. John Parish Church was first constructed in 1645. It is one of the oldest churches in Barbados. The current Gothic style stone church was built between 1836 and 1845 to replace a previous structure which had been destroyed by hurricane in 1831. The chancel was added to the church in 1876.
The church is sited on a cliff side location with a church graveyard at the back of the church. The churchyard is was established in 33 years after the construction of the church. The the oldest interment is that of Ferdinando Paleologus, who died in Barbados in 1678. The churchyard has one famous internment. It includes the grave of former Prime Minister of Barbados David John Howard Thompson.
A plaque inside the church is inscribed:
ST. JOHN PARISH CHURCH
FIRST ERECTED 1645
DESTROYED BY FIRE AND
REBUILT 1676-DESTROYED
BY HURRICANE AND
REDEDICATED 1836
The large stone tomb of Prime Minister David John Howard Thompson contains a large, irregular, hexagonal, granite headstone which is contains a Latin cross and a picture David John Howard Thompson. It is inscribed:
DAVID JOHN HOWARD THOMPSON
O.C.M.P.
DECEMBER 25, 1961 - OCTOBER 23, 2010
BELOVED HUSBAND OF MARA
FATHER OF MISHA, OYA AN OSA-MARIE
ADOPTIVE FATHER OF DARIO
PRIME MINISTER
OF
BARBADOS
2008 - 2010
The oldest headstone of Ferdinando Paleologus has an interesting inscription:
HERE LYETH YE BODY OF
FERDINANDO PALEOLOCUS
DESCENDED FROM YE IMPERIA
L
LYNE OF YE LAST CHRISTIAN
EMPERORS OF GREECE
CHURCH WARDEN OF THIS PARISH
1655 1556
VESTRYMAN TWENTYE YEARS
DIED OCTOBER 3, 1678.