History of St. Paul's

The first services were held by Royal Naval Chaplains at the medical station set up in Esquimalt during the Crimean War (1854 - 1856). With the building of the village school in 1858 the small congregation held Sunday services there. But all wanted their own church, and by the grace of God and the hard work of Paymaster Sparks and others, the church was built on the shores of Esquimalt harbour just below Signal hill. The church was consecrated on December 12, 1866 and was called St. Paul's Naval Church. The Parish served naval and army families as well as all who lived in the district up to the Point Ellis Bridge, the Gorge and Craigflower Roads, the Highlands, the Goldstream district, Colwood, Metchosin, Rocky Point, East and West Sooke and Otter Point.

In 1899 the first electric lights were installed at the cost of $46.00. In 1904 the Government of Canada decided that the property on which the church stood was needed for other purposes, so the church was dismantled and moved to its present location.

Up to 1910 all the seats in the church were rented for $5.00 a year. When in 1911 this was terminated the congregation had difficulty paying its Rector and maintaining the Church House and Church.

The Church House, the former Gillespie home, was acquired in 1904. It served as home for the Rector, the Sunday School, meetings and social events, In World War 1 it was taken over by the army and served as a dormitory for enlisted men. The Present Parish Hall was built in 1957.

In 1911 the name of the church was changed to St. Paul's Naval and Garrison Church. This was but one of many names. It has been called, the Admiralty Church, the Esquimalt Church, the Esquimalt Episcopal Church, and the Naval Church. Today it is mostly known as St. Paul's, Esquimalt.

The Font (#1) was donated to the church by Mrs Ashton in 1874. Years later a font cover made from an old Sussex water-mill was added. Its original handle was made by the village blacksmith.

The wall plaques honour military members and local pioneers. One is to a nursing sister who lost her life when her hospital was bombed in World War 1. The War Memorial (#2) to those who gave their lives in the Great War is all that is left of a much larger memorial that until 1927 used to sit outside the church.

Beside the Lectern is the life-buoy (#3) from HMS Condor which floundered in a storm off the west coast on December 3, 1901.

The Pulpit (#4) was carved by Mr. William Edward Allen Barclay in memory of his father Canon William George Barclay of Salisbury, England. The two carvings that surmount the posts at the top of of the steps came from Minterne, Dorset, where the Canon was Rector for 25 years. On the wall of the Pulpit is the Canon's monogram. The Alms basin was also carved by Mr. Barclay.

The organ (#5) was bought from St. John's, Victoria, in 1912. It is a three-manual Conacher tracker which was built in Huddersfield, England, in 1891. Because the organ is virtually in its original state it is a heritage instrument.

The Altar (#6), installed when the church was moved to this site, just over 100 years old. There are six stained glass windows in the church. The central set of three behind the altar are in memory of Alice, the daughter of one of our early Ministers, she died in 1878. The two on either side were also installed in 1878. The one on the left is in memory of Commander, the Hon. Horace Lascelles, son of the Earl of Harewood, who died on June 15, 1869. The one on the right is in memory of Frederick Seymour, Governor of British Columbia. The Pooley memorial window beside the pulpit dates from 1960.

Upon entering the church one becomes aware of the many flags that have been "laid up" here for safekeeping. At the Chancel step (#7) hangs the Naval Colour presented by King George VI at Beacon Hill Park when he and Queen Elizabeth visited Victoria in 1939. Across from it hanging above the memorial to Admiral Hose, the founder of the Canadian Navy (#8), is the White Ensign (#9) which flew on HMCS Vancouver before she was paid off. Beside it hang the last Red Ensign to fly at Work Point Barracks and the Blue Ensign. These were "laid up" here in the late 1960's when the new Canadian Flag was introduced. The Blue Ensign was the Naval Jack, while the Red Ensign was the flag of Canada and the Canadian Army. Above the Lectern (#10) hangs the flag of the Royal Canadian Air Force. The colour of the Old Contemptibles, the small force that went to France in the early days of WW1, laid up here on October 12, 1975, hangs beside it. Opposite, above the Pulpit (#4) hangs the flags of the Burma Star Association of Victoria and the Chief and Petty Officers Association. Before the 3rd Battalion of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry moved the King's and Regimental Colour of their 1st Battalion hung beside the organ.

The bell (#7) located by the Organ is a gift of the Bergink family in memory of Herman, Parish Organist and Provincial Carillonneur. The sanctuary furniture, altar hangings, communion plate prayer and hymn books and bibles have been given to the glory of Almighty God in memory of many whom we still fondly remember. The anchor window located above the font (#1) on the east wall is a reminder of our naval history. The small plaques on the front pews mark the Admiral's pew (the pulpit side) and the Army Commander's pew (the lectern side).

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Ron (Bearman) Mason, Bearman's Entertainment Services.
Copyright © 2006 - 2007 [St. Paul's Esquimalt]. All rights reserved.
Revised: September 17, 2009 .