First, a note: 

St Mark's is the oldest of the three churches in our Team.  It was, once, the 'mother-church' of the parish, with St Francis (1936) and St Nicholas (1930) being seen as 'daughter-churches' (along with a number of other churches in the area, which have since become parish churches in their own right).  This is no longer the case...all three churches have equal status within the Team.

However, because of this history, a history of the Parish is almost inevitably dominated by St Mark's.  This is also because of the momentous changes which took place in the buildings used by the congregation of St Mark's.

In time, we hope to add details of history of St Francis and St Nicholas - once such details are forthcoming from congregation members!

We also hope that website readers will please feel free to send comments, corrections, photographs etc to us, via the Contact Us page

1867
North End was sparsely populated, and the authorities were approached by Messers GE Kent, WD King and JJ Young to hold services in the North End Hall.

There were many objections, but on 20^th April 1868 a temporary Church was opened in an upper room of the dance hall of ‘The Clarence Gardens’. The Rev'd NG McGachen was appointed priest-in-charge, but did not stay in the post very long.  A further two priests were appointed, but soon left, and the mission was closed down and services suspended.

1871
The Rev'd S Lidbetter was appointed priest-in-charge; the population of North End was growing and a piece of land at the corner of London Road with Derby Road was given by Winchester College for the erection of a new building and during his first year mission halls were opened at Rudmore and Stamshaw.

The foundation stone of the permanent building was laid on 23^rd December 1872.

The building was designed by Mr Arthur Bloomfield and built by a local builder, Mr Quick of Southsea costing £2,904 with the Campanile (bell tower) a further £3,000.  The building had no south aisle and extended only as far as the old north door. 

1873               
The Rev'd Lidbetter was appointed Vicar of St Mark’s Church

1884               
William Mudge LLCM was appointed organist

1888               
A vestry was added facing London Road

1892               
The Rev'd G Dandridge was appointed Vicar and W J Granger appointed organist

1899               
The south aisle was added to the church

1901               
The Rev'd J Randolph appointed Vicar and an iron church was erected and dedicated to St Saviour, in Stamshaw

1902               
Mr A Merrifield ARCO was appointed organist

          St Stephen's Church     (interior below)

1906               
A new parish was created out of the southern portion of the Parish and was dedicated to St Stephen.  This church was later to suffer damage during the Blitz in the Second World War.  The Holy Trinity parish was closed.

1908               
An iron church was erected in Stubbington Avenue. A new organ was installed in St Mark’s Church, having been obtained from Christ Church in Ealing.  The mission at Rudmore was taken over by Winchester College

1909               
The Rev'd L Blackburne was appointed Vicar.  The Abolition of Pew Rents. The original organ was dismantled and installed in Corpus Christi (Roman Catholic) Church, Gladys Avenue.

1910                
Erection of the Parish Institute in Angerstein Road and completion of new vestries and extension of the North Aisle to include a Baptistery.  The old vestry became the Lady Chapel.

St Mark's Church at Christmas c.1920

1912               
Victor Spanner, BMus FRCO LRAM was appointed organist

1913               
Permanent Churches were erected in Stubbington Avenue (The Ascension) and in Stamshaw (St Saviour’s).  B T R Williams appointed organist

1915               
Ernest C Birch Hon RSCM was appointed organist

1917               
A portion of the Parish was devolved with the formation of The Parish of St Alban at Copnor

1923              
The Rev'd E Southam was appointed Vicar

1924               
New organ installed

1927               
The Rev'd F Colson appointed Vicar

1929               
The Churches of the Ascension and St Saviour became independent Parishes

1930               
The daughter church of St Nicholas, Battenburg Avenue, was consecrated and St Joan’s, a temporary building, erected the northern end of Northern Parade, corner of Hilsea Crescent.

1933               
The Rev'd B Aston was appointed Vicar

1936                          
St Francis Mission was consecrated on a new site in Northern Parade replacing the temporary building dedicated to St Joan. 

1937               
The Rev'd E Millard was appointed Vicar

1941               
Enemy action damaged some of the building of St Mark’s Church, but not seriously.

1946               
Work carried out on St Mark’s Church to repair war damage - new glass replacing old.  The Victorian Reredos was removed and new altar rails added.  The font from the Baptistery was brought into the body of the main building of the Church.

The appointments of a new Vicar, the Rev'd Gerald Ellision, from 1946 until 1950, and new organist, Russell Shepherd FRCO (Chm) LTCL.  The choir was affiliated to the RSCM 18 October 1946

Russell Shepherd - Organist & Choirmaster 1946-1985 

The Old Vicarage - on the site of the present St Mark's Church 

The New Vicarage (from the rear).  Shown in early 2008

 1951               
The Rev'd G Pepys was appointed Vicar

1956               
The organ was rebuilt and rededicated

1959               
The Rev'd P. de Denne May appointed Vicar

1963
Rev'd Tom Devonshire-Jones appointed Assistant Curate in 1963.  This photo shows him at the wedding of Alan and Margaret Pegley on 6th July 1963 - Rev'd Devonshire-Jones' first wedding.

(Photo kindly provided by Mr and Mrs Pegley)

1967               
The Rev'd Lloyd Gressle from St John’s Church, Wilmington, Deleware, USA, came to St Mark’s on an exchange visit.  The Vicar, P de Denne May, going to America for one year.

The church faced with increased costs for heating and a large and draughty building which needed a lot attention, the Church Committee of the time made the decision to replace with old Church and also to dispense with the St Mark’s Institute.

The sale of the old church site, onthe corner of Derby Road, enabled the purchase a new Vicarage away from the Church.  The site of the old vicarage was used for the construction of a new church building incorporating a ‘Worship’ Area and lower floor ‘Social’ Area

1969                 
The Rev'd Bill Sargent was appointed Vicar.  During his time in the parish, he oversaw the opening of the new St Mark's building, and founded the Portsmouth Housing Association (now part of the First Wessex Housing Association).  To read a fascinating biography of the life and times of Bill Sargent, please click here.

 1970               
The new Church of St Mark was consecrated on 10 October

The building was initially not much loved!  A Quote from ‘Churches, Chapels and Places of Worship on Portsea Island; by John Offord (Published 1989)

‘The new St Mark’s Church (1970) was designed by John Wells-Thorpe.  The yellow brick cubic exterior is completely featureless; the only decoration is the stylised sculpture of the emblem of St Mark, which bears resemblance to the logo of a well-known brand of lager!  The interior continues  in the same drab, mundane style.  A tall vertical slab, containing one bell, stands before the edifice.  It is hard to believe that this will ever become “listed”!’

Image from Promotional Leaflet of new church - showing the old building in the windows of the new.

Front of promotional leaflet from 1970

1971                

The Bronze Lion of St Mark was fixed to the south aspect of the new church building, a gift of St John’s Wilmington USA.

Bill Sargeant inaugurated an Easter Procession from the Portchester Crematorium to the churches of North End - as a sign of the connection between Easter and death.  To see the newpaper article from the time click here

1972                

A new, and (we think!) rather magnificent Hill, Norman and Beard organ was built and installed.

1973               
Scout Hut to the rear of the church car park was opened.

1989               
The Rev'd Ron Robinson was appointed Vicar until 1992. 

After an absence from the city of some years, Fr. Ron served as Priest of our neighbouring parish -The Ascension, North End until November 2009

1993               
The Rev'd Jeffrey Bell was appointed Vicar - until 2000. Now working in Tilford, nr Guildford (2009)

During Father Jeffrey's time at St Mark's, the first woman deacon and later priest worked in to Parish until 2003.  This was the Rev'd Pennie Payne, affectionally known as 'Sister Pennie'

2002               
The Rev'd Malcolm King was appointed Vicar

 Photo of Fr. Malcolm awaited

2005               
The Rev'd Di Townsend was appointed as Team Vicar (Designate) of St Francis.  She retired in 2010.

2005               
The Rev'd Bev Robertson was appointed as Team Vicar (Designate) of St Nicholas.  She returned to her native Birmingham in 2010

2006  
The Parish of St Mark, Portsea, became the ‘North End Portsmouth Team Ministry’ (on the 22nd of June 2006).   

The church of St Mark is now overseen by a Team Rector and the former daughter churches of St Nicholas and St Francis now have their own dedicated Team Vicars.  The Rev'd Malcolm King was appointed as the first Team Rector.  Shortly after, he left for a new post at the Iona Community (on the Island of Iona).

2008  
The Rev'd Tom Kennar was appointed as Team Rector on the 27th of May.

September 2008             
Our new Community Cafe opens - run by volunteers from all three churches.  The Cafe serves good value food and provides a warm, welcoming place for local people to make friends.  The Cafe's motto is "stay as long as you like!" (unlike commercial cafe's which tend to need a steady flow of customers!) 

2009
ETHOS is launched at St Nicholas.  See our Ethos page for more information about this.

2009
The Rev'd Canon Joseph Bain-Doodu (from Cape Coast in Ghana) is appointed 'Associate Priest', while studying Canon Law.  He returned to Ghana in 2011.

2009
New Parish Website launched in June