St John's House Museum, Warwick
Encyclopedia
St John's House Museum is a historic house located in Warwick
, just east of the town centre, in Warwickshire
, England
. It is now a museum, run by Warwickshire County Council, and has had a varied history spanning almost 400 years. To the side of the house is a small garden
belonging to St John's and to the rear is the large St. Nicholas' Park.
The existing building is not the first on the site. The first recorded one was a hospital
dedicated to St John the Baptist which was founded at some time during the 12th century the reign of Henry II of England
. John was a popular choice of dedication during this period and served the double purpose of giving casual overnight boarding and foods to poor travellers, and for ongoing help for the local poor and ill.
After changing hands during the monastic dissolution
the building was altered almost beyond recognition in 1626 and transformed into the current building. In 1788, George Greville, 2nd Earl of Warwick
purchased the property and it stayed in the family until1960. During this period, in 1815 it was turned from a family residence into a private school
.
In the 1960s, the property was passed from the Earls of Warwick to Warwickshire County Council who turned it into a museum which it still remains. The ground floor is composed of social history
exihibits and a re-creation of the school that occupied the building. The first floor contains rooms dedicated to the history of the Royal Warwickshire Fusiliers. To the rear of the building is a large terrapin
classroom the school children can use for lessons.
Recently (2011) the county museum service established a themed outdoor space, St John's Brook Gardens, between St John's House Museum and St Nicholas' Park. This features woodcarving and information on natural history.
Warwick
Warwick is the county town of Warwickshire, England. The town lies upon the River Avon, south of Coventry and just west of Leamington Spa and Whitnash with which it is conjoined. As of the 2001 United Kingdom census, it had a population of 23,350...
, just east of the town centre, in Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is now a museum, run by Warwickshire County Council, and has had a varied history spanning almost 400 years. To the side of the house is a small garden
Garden
A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The garden can incorporate both natural and man-made materials. The most common form today is known as a residential garden, but the term garden has...
belonging to St John's and to the rear is the large St. Nicholas' Park.
The existing building is not the first on the site. The first recorded one was a hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
dedicated to St John the Baptist which was founded at some time during the 12th century the reign of Henry II of England
Henry II
- King or Emperor :*Saint Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor , crowned King of Germany in 1002, of Italy in 1004 and Emperor in 1014*Henry II of England , reigned from 1154...
. John was a popular choice of dedication during this period and served the double purpose of giving casual overnight boarding and foods to poor travellers, and for ongoing help for the local poor and ill.
After changing hands during the monastic dissolution
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
the building was altered almost beyond recognition in 1626 and transformed into the current building. In 1788, George Greville, 2nd Earl of Warwick
George Greville, 2nd Earl of Warwick
George Greville, 2nd Earl of Warwick, FRS, FSA , styled Lord Greville until 1773, was a British nobleman and politician....
purchased the property and it stayed in the family until1960. During this period, in 1815 it was turned from a family residence into a private school
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
.
In the 1960s, the property was passed from the Earls of Warwick to Warwickshire County Council who turned it into a museum which it still remains. The ground floor is composed of social history
Social history
Social history, often called the new social history, is a branch of History that includes history of ordinary people and their strategies of coping with life. In its "golden age" it was a major growth field in the 1960s and 1970s among scholars, and still is well represented in history departments...
exihibits and a re-creation of the school that occupied the building. The first floor contains rooms dedicated to the history of the Royal Warwickshire Fusiliers. To the rear of the building is a large terrapin
Portable classroom
A portable classroom A portable classroom A portable classroom (in Australian English a demountable and often referred to as a demountable, a "Terrapin" or a "Portakabin" (after the two companies) in the UK and called a prefab in Ireland (not to be confused with a prefabricated building) is a...
classroom the school children can use for lessons.
Recently (2011) the county museum service established a themed outdoor space, St John's Brook Gardens, between St John's House Museum and St Nicholas' Park. This features woodcarving and information on natural history.