A Short History of St Luke's
 (up to 1989)
by Kenneth H. Turnbull

 To discover why St Luke's Church was built on Waldon Hill one has to journey back in history to the time of William the Conqueror. Between 1066 and 1085 AD he would divide the spoils of conquest among his followers. The rich pasturelands of Tor were given to Richard de Brewer, a descendant of whom William Lord Brewer gave a portion of his land to the church and, as a result, the monastery of Tor Abbey was founded in 1196 AD. The remainder of his lands passed by marriage into the family de Mohun - thus the name of Manor became Tor Mohun which gradually became corrupted to Tormohun, by which name the area is known today.
In 1839 Rev. Joseph H. Harris MA, DD, retired from the position of Principal of the College of Upper Canada, Toronto and came to England to live on Warberry Hill. He assisted Rev. J James at Cockington, taking charge at a later date. In December 1848 he was presented by C H Mallock, Senior, of Cockington Court to the living of Tormohun and Cockington, a parish which stretched from Newton Road to Meadfoot including Quay and the Lincombes. From this large area the parish of Upton had just been formed and for a population of 10,000 souls there were three churches in the area - Torre, Upton and Cockington. Because of the quite rapid increase in the population, which had doubled by 1851, and the development of Waldon Hill by the Cary Estate, he made the parish into five ecclesiastical districts and encouraged the building of six parish churches and four mission churches.  One of these Parish churches was St Luke's Church for which he found a site in the plantation of beeches on the north side of Waldon Hill.

It was estimated that the cost of the church would be about £6,000 - a figure which fell very far short of the actual cost. The architect was Mr A W Bloomfield, a son of the Bishop of London and on Ascension Day, 9th May 1861 the corner stone was laid by Herbert Mallock Esq. Of Cockington Court Devon - patron of the United Living of Tormohun and Cockington. Enclosed in the stone was a bottle containing current coin of the realm and a parchment bearing the following inscription:

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost
this cornerstone of the Church of St Luke the Evangelist in the Parish of Tormohun in the County of Devon and Diocese of Exeter 
(to be built by voluntary contributions for the increased accommodation of the Parishioners of the said Parish) 
was laid by Charles Herbert Mallock Esq. Of Cockington Court, Devon - patron of the United Living of Tormohun and Cockington on the 9th May 1861, 
being Ascension Day, the Right Rev. Henry Philpotts DD being Bishop of the Diocese the Rev Joseph Hemington Harris DD being perpetual curate of the united parishes, Arthur W Bloomfield being the architect. 

Lo I am with you, always even unto the end of the world, Amen. (Matthew 28:30) Lord remember Thy gracious promise and progress the work of our hands. Amen.

The Right Reverend Aubrey Spenser, Bishop of Jamaica, acting for the Bishop of Exeter, carried out the ceremony of consecration on the 4th November 1862. The first Vicar was Rev. George Collyer Harris MA son of Dr. the Rev. J H Harris MA, DD, previously mentioned.

The building of schools for St Luke's in Rock Road was started in October 1861 and they were opened on 22 April 1862 on a 99 year lease. There was room for 200 pupils.

Rev G C Harris was a priest of tremendous ability and it was not long before St Luke's was one of the most popular churches in Torquay. In fact, according to historians of the day, the church was crowded at every service and often latecomers could not gain admission although the church at that time could seat 1,000 people. St Luke's was created an ecclesiastical district and separated from the parish of Tormohun in 1869, taking in the back lane of Pimlico and the Torquay National Schools in Madrepore Road from Upton Parish. The Rev G C Harris was made a Prebendary of Exeter Cathedral soon after the appointment of Bishop Temple. 

 Sadly his health broke down and he died on the 4th May 1874 at the young age of 40.

Rev William Skinner Boyle having been a curate at St Luke's for some considerable time was presented to the vacant living. During his incumbency and in memory of Rev G C Harris, friends had erected a middle class school which was opened on 3rd May 1877 - Mr F Garside MA being appointed headmaster. The Rev W S Boyle was later made a Prebendary of Exeter Cathedral. On the 1st June 1902 the Declaration of Peace of the Boer War was received and a Thanksgiving Service was held at St Luke's on June 8th 1902, attended by the Mayor and all the civic dignatories of Torquay. On his death in 1903, Rev Preb W S Boyle was succeeded by Rev. Arthur Hennal Simms MA. The clergy vestry was altered in 1908 and the building carried further out to make a men's choir vestry. At the end of the First Great War it was once again decided to hold a Thanksgiving and Peace Celebration Service at St Luke's with full civic attendance and a tea was arranged at the church school in Rock Road for all the children under five.
During the incumbency of the next vicar, The Rev John W Metcalf 1920-1927, very little change seems to have taken place. In fact it was not until two years after his successor the Rev Williams BA 1927-1938 had been presented to the living, that a chapel was formed at the east end of the north aisle by the removal of a number of the aisle pews. The dark years just before and during the Second Great War were very difficult for everyone. However St Luke's was in the very capable care of Rev. Backhouse 1938-1943 and it was he who arranged for the daughter church of St Michael to be separated from St Luke's and placed under the direct control of the Bishop of Exeter, but sadly, he was only to live until 1943. Unfortunately during the incumbency of his successor Rev. Atkey, the congregation fell abysmally low, due undoubtedly to the war and the difficult period following it.

However, in 1949, a young enthusiastic Welshman - the Rev. W H Ryder-Jones, was presented to the living. He and his wife threw themselves wholeheartedly into the task of restoration, and building up the spiritual life of the parish with such effort that St Luke's once again became one of the foremost churches in Torquay. Under his guidance over £18,000 in all was collected for the complete restoration of the church.

The Lord Bishop of Exeter held the rededication service on Sunday 18th October 1964. 

The 1964 fire Sadly on Tuesday 20th October, 1964 - two days later - vandals set fire to the roof of the church, and the wooden cross which may be seen at the west end of the south aisle was made from the charred roof timbers and a plaque nearby records this terrible act of wanton desecration. Once again, by the diligence and hard work of the Vicar and congregation, it was possible for the church to be re-opened by the Lord Bishop of Exeter an Thursday 9th August 1965.

The Rev. W H Ryder-Jones was appointed a Prebendary of Exeter Cathedral on 25th January 1969. During his incumbency and due to the many Continental Services held by him, many links of friendship were made in foreign countries. The Vicar's Silver Jubilee Service was held in 1974 attended by several Bishops and over 100 clergy, with festive celebrations held afterwards in Torquay Town Hall where he was presented with a cheque for an amount which left no doubt of the esteem in which he was held by friends and a devoted and loving congregation. Despite a very serious breakdown in his health soon after, he courageously continued to minister to his flock until 1977 when he became too ill to carry on and to the dismay of all, his illness compelled him to retire from the living at St Luke's in December 1977.
At this time considerable pastoral reorganisation was taking place in the town and the Bishop of Exeter, the Right Revd. Eric Mercer, suspended presentation to the living. However, due to the enthusiastic help given by the retired Rev. E F Davies Freme in acting as Priest-in-Charge and taking almost every service for a whole year's interregnum the authorities decided that St Luke's must remain as one of the principal churches in Torbay. Subsequently the Bishop of Exeter appointed the Rev. Paul Miller who had formerly been assistant curate of Upton Church, Torquay (1974-1977) and St Peter's Church Farnborough (1977-1978) as Priest-in-Charge of St Luke's. The Bishop of Plymouth, assisted by the Venerable Michael Lucas, the Archdeacon of Totnes, on December 8th 1978 conducted the licensing service.

Paul is seen here with his wife Lynn on the occasion of his return to St Luke's to celebrate Percy attaining 100 years (July 2006). Ed.

A later history is being prepared for inclusion on this page. It has been a more difficult period with incumbents remaining in the Parish for relatively short periods.

Rev'd Carrie Baker (Priest-in-Charge 2002-05) suffered a long-term illness that forced her resignation and we waited patiently for The Lord to provide for our needs in the short and medium term. Early 2005 saw the departure of some of our regular congregation, called to a new life. May they rest in peace...

November 2006. Visitors will already have noted that we have an Associate Priest in Rev'd Pauline Lewis. We are indeed grateful to her for all the support she has already given.

And we were joined by The Right Rev'd Michael Westall (former Bishop of SW Tanganyika) as Priest-in-Charge in a thrilling service of licensing and installation on Monday 19th March 2007.

Ed.
Rev. Ella Pauline Lewis MBE